Resource Guarding and Aggression
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You might have come across this term if you’ve been around dogs for a while. It’s a term that describes what we humans perceive as negative behavior.
Your pup might appear friendly most of the time until they grab hold of a particular toy, bone, biscuit, food bowl, or even a person! If they could speak, all they would need is one word. MINE!
That’s when you’ll see them raise their jowls and expose their pearly whites. Their eyes are fixated and their bodies are tense. The first time you witness it, you’re bound to be shocked. Your otherwise jovial and happy-go-lucky pooch has a dark side. Yikes!
However, in truth, we think of this as a negative behavior, but our pets’ ancestors used this method of resource aggression to survive. Those who weren’t afraid to show a toothy grin usually kept any of their prized possessions. Those who cowered, hung their heads in shame and walked away into the wilderness without dinner for the night.
In basic terms, in the wild, it’s survival of the fittest and a good trait to have.
Now, take our domesticated pups with their floppy ears and propelling tails, and the story changes slightly. We don’t want our beloved pets to be vicious. We want them to learn how to share and to obey us, God forbid they have a thorn bush in their mouths! (Yes, Henry has tried to do that). We need to be able to command them to drop it for our safety and theirs.
Most commands we teach our dogs are easy to learn. I should say easier. Some dogs take a little longer to understand.
Since resource aggression is an inborn trait passed down from generations, it’s one of the most challenging habits to break. Sometimes it is only possible with the help of a trained professional. In fact, many times, a behavioral expert needs to step in. The good news is, it’s not impossible. It just takes longer to break them of this habit than having them sit or shake their paws!
In addition, it takes a lot of patience and observance. It’s not something to be taken lightly because even though your pup loves you more than anything, they feel they have to protect what’s theirs.
This is especially difficult if there is another pet in the home or a child. Another pet can usually pick up on your dog's subtle cues: the low growl, the sideways glance, the rigid back and tail. A child might not understand as they attempt to grab their bottle from your dog’s mouth!
I’ve had to deal with this behavior one and a half times. I’ll explain.
Years ago, when I adopted my dog, Toffee, she was very possessive of certain items. I worked with her constantly and will admit I was fearful to a point. The only reason I wasn’t terrified, was that Toffee didn’t have many teeth and she only weighed forty pounds. Her body language scared me more than anything, but I didn’t think she could actually hurt me too badly.
Still, I was careful. I took my time.
First and foremost, I gained her trust slowly but surely.
I then allowed her to have her most precious toy, but only if I had an extra delicious treat to give her as a trade. We did this for months. Slowly. I can’t stress that enough.
I then let her have her treasure, but only when she was on a leash. And only when she was by my side. The purpose of this was to let her know she was safe with me and didn’t have to run to a corner to eat her bones or play with her toys.
At first, she wasn’t thrilled with the concept. Neither was I to be honest! But we worked at it. Gradually, she trusted me more. Soon, I didn’t need to coax her with a leash. She sat by my side on her own when she had her treasure. It took time to make her “release” it, but a yummy treat always did the trick.
*Note, some dogs aren’t food-motivated. It helps to find something that is better than their treasure to introduce a trade. Think of it as paying them to drop the item.
Another note is, don’t think just because they dropped it, that it’s yours. A dog’s reflexes are way faster than ours. You’ll be surprised at how quickly they can go for that item or your arm. Remember, they are resorting back to their roots- survival of the fittest. At the time, there weren’t any books on Resource Aggression. Believe me, I searched everywhere. I found one, appropriately named “Mine!” I liked the tips there, and many of them worked with Toffee. I found another book by someone who proposed becoming the alpha. I can’t tell you how much I hated that suggestion. I tried it once out of desperation initially, which made Toffee afraid of me. A fear aggressive and resource guarding dog is a deadly combination. Needless to say, I never have and never will try that again. There are more logical ways to train a dog.
With time, I got to the point where Toffee dropped her cherished items and had fun doing so. She trusted me implicitly and I never had to worry about it again. I watched her around others and didn’t let them try to grab anything from Toffee, just to be on the safe side. But patience was the key ingredient in the recipe for success.
Now, I said one and a half because when I adopted Toby and Henry, I had grown complacent in training. It had been years since any of my dogs required training, and I had forgotten the golden rule: Trust!
Thankfully, it came back to me quickly, and no harm was done. During the first few months, however, Henry and Toby wouldn’t release a thing out of their mouths. Now I didn’t just have one dog to train. I had two boys who had grown up together! They were six and seven years old and I had just met them. I say “a half” because they really didn’t exhibit fierce signs of resource guarding. They simply wouldn’t let me take anything out of their mouths.
I used a command I used with other dogs: "leave it.” They stared at me with a blank stare. Finally, I thought of a command they might obey: "drop it.” To my surprise, Toby dropped it immediately. Dogs are very literal! I went to grab it and he beat me to it. You know what they say "keep your eye on the ball." And dogs do just that! Thankfully, he only went for his ball, and not my arm. I then incorporated “Leave it.” Henry and Toby were not food-motivated, so to reward Toby, I returned his ball to him. He is an excitable dog so he grabbed his ball with vigor. Hence, a new command came into play, “Easy.” I followed this up with “Good boy.” Then Henry caught on when he saw his brother getting praise.
I wish I could tell you that I didn’t spend HOURS following this routine with both of them sitting next to me, but, I did. “Drop it. Leave it. Eassssy. Good boy!!!!” “Drop it. Leave it. Eassssy. Good boy!!!!” “Drop it. Leave it. Eassssy. Good boy!!!!”
Catch my drift? Consistency is another key ingredient.
I’ve now lived with these two sweet angels for six months. We are still training and most likely will be for time to come. But we’ve made progress, which is better than going the opposite direction. Unlike Toffee, Henry and Toby have very healthy teeth and weigh about one hundred pounds each!
As you can see, Toby and Henry love their toys!
Important: If you have a dog with resource aggression, calling in a pro is a good idea. They have the experience, the knowledge, and the proper training tools to ensure that no one gets hurt. This is especially helpful if you don't know your dog's background. They could have had to fight for food or someone might have constantly teased them. There might be a reason they are territorial. The most important thing is your safety and your dog’s safety, as well. With help, every training session can be a positive experience and your pup will thank you for it later!
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