Resource Guarding In Dogs: What You Should Know

It is estimated that wolves were domesticated between 20,000 and 40,000 years ago. That might seem like a very long time ago – particularly when you try to imagine that some of today’s bitesize lapdog companions are descended from those very same wolves.

When roaming in the wild all those years ago, wolves often had no guarantee of their next meal. They became very protective of anything and everything that belonged to them. Resources were scarce – and needed to be guarded.

While the vast majority of modern day pet dogs do not need to worry about where their next meal is coming from, that doesn’t mean that they aren’t predisposed to protecting items that are important to them – whether that is food, toys or something else. This behavior is often referred to as resource guarding. It is a term you may have heard bandied around on social media – but what does resource guarding actually entail, and how can you successfully manage your dog if they engage in it? Read on to find out.

What is resource guarding?

To define it simply, resource guarding is when a dog responds in a negative manner to a perceived (or real) threat to an item that they believe belongs to them. It is a totally natural behavior that has been prevalent in dogs for centuries, but in addition to genetic makeup, resource guarding can be exacerbated if a dog has had negative experiences in the past (ex: malnutrition), suffers with mental stress, has sustained a physical injury, or is in psychological decline.

When you imagine a dog is resource guarding, you may associate it with an obvious physical reaction. For example, you may hear your dog growl when you approach their food bowl, or you may even see them lunge towards other dogs who they believe are about to take their favorite toy. While these are all signs of resource guarding, it is important to note that resource guarding can be something as subtle as a side eye or a change in body position. Understanding these subtle cues can help to manage your dog’s resource guarding habit and prevent it from becoming a larger problem.

Why do dogs resource guard?

Have you ever owned a special item that has immense value to you, and placed it in a locked safe inside your home – even if nobody has actually threatened to take that item from you? Well, resource guarding in dogs isn’t dissimilar. Dogs are preemptively reacting to ward off the threats – which may be genuine, or may simply be in their own mind. Through this reaction, they hope to deter the threat from pursuing the item any further.

Signs of resource guarding

There are usually a few telltale signs that your dog is resource guarding. These include:

Growling
Baring teeth
Snapping
Biting
Lunging
Chasing

However, if you pay attention to your dog’s behavior, you might be able to spot one of the subtle behavioral changes that indicate a resource guarding issue. This can make implementing management strategies far easier, as the problem hasn’t progressed to the point where the dog is upping the ante with their responses. The subtle signs include:

Taking toys into a crate or bed
Changes in body position and posture, designed to protect their valuable item
Lip curling
Hard stare towards the perceived threat
Consuming food more quickly than usual

Which resources do dogs guard?

Your dog may guard anything that is of value to them, but most commonly, we can split this into two categories – food and non-food resources.

Food resources include anything your dog eats – from the food they receive at mealtimes, to treats and snacks they receive throughout the day, to even their food bowl itself. It is not unheard of for a dog to respond negatively to another dog simply approaching their bowl. Guarding of food may also extend to bones or other chews that the dog may receive for enrichment and mental stimulation.

Non-food resources are anything and everything that your dog doesn’t eat, but wants to guard. While you might immediately think of toys, there are also other objects that your dog may feel protective over – from their owner, to their bed or crate, to other inanimate items that they have claimed as their own. Some dogs may even treat space – indoors or outdoors – as a resource to protect.

How to manage resource guarding

Dealing with your dog’s resource guarding behavior can be challenging, and it may be worth contacting a professional dog trainer who can help guide you through the process and produce a management strategy. Resource guarding can be a precursor to bites, and so it is best to exercise caution for the safety of your family.

The first thing to do is to assess what your dog is guarding, why they are guarding this item, and who they are guarding it from. Understanding the where and when will also help you to narrow down the context of when resource guarding occurs. From there, you can put a management plan in place.

The plan in every resource guarding case is slightly different, but there are universal truths that will help to temper or alleviate the situation. For example, in a multi-dog household, keep food bowls far apart from each other and do not allow dogs to encroach on one another’s space when eating. Along similar lines, do not stand over your dogs when they are eating, and ensure that children give dogs adequate space so that they do not feel cornered or threatened. Allowing the dog to eat peacefully reduces the likelihood that they will perceive a threat. In cases where toys are being guarded, make sure to provide a range of toys, and enough for all of the dogs who live in the home.

Ideally, you will identify the signs of resource guarding before the problem becomes too severe. This will allow you to work with your dog to systematically desensitize them in very small increments, such that they are willingly able to leave the ‘trigger item’ alone without feeling the need to guard it. This could be through a command like ‘leave it’ or ‘drop it’. Doing this process gradually means that your dog begins to warm up, and comes to understand that the threat to their resource is not a real one. It is vital when working with resource guarding cases that you keep a calm demeanor – shouting, yelling, raising your voice, or otherwise escalating the situation will not help achieve a positive outcome.

What you shouldn’t do when your dog is resource guarding

There are other principles you should follow in resource guarding cases. In fact, these tips can be applied whether your dog is actively resource guarding or not, as engaging in these actions on your part can increase the chances of it occurring.

Don’t play with their food. We’ve probably all heard the stories of the dog owner who puts their hands in their dog’s food bowl to indicate who the “alpha” is. In fact, all this does is create a situation of conflict that makes the dog nervous. Mealtimes should be a calm, stress-free affair for your dog.
Don’t needlessly provoke situations that could lead to resource guarding. If your dog has a fondness for a certain toy, don’t provoke them into a guarding situation by intentionally removing that toy from them and giving it to another dog. This doesn’t teach your dog anything, and again, actually makes it more likely they will resource guard.
Don’t punish growling or lip curling. Dogs communicate through noises like growls or body language cues like lip curls. This is a way for the dog to communicate their unhappiness with a given situation, without resorting to a significant escalation like biting. When you try to take away their ability to growl, you’re removing an option from the equation for them, and increasing the potential for things to escalate.
Don’t provide temptations to your dog. If you know your dog likes to pull Kleenexs out of the box and then proceed to guard them, it makes sense to remove the box from their reach and eliminate the temptation. Your dog can gain enrichment and satisfaction in other ways.

In conclusion

Resource guarding is a common behavioral trait that can affect dogs of all breeds, sizes and types. Understanding why this occurs – and putting in place a management strategy – is fundamental to ensuring a harmonious household for your dog and the rest of your family.

If you want to speak to a professional dog trainer about your dog’s resource guarding, reach out to one of our trainers located across North America who will be more than happy to help discuss your training options.