Your dog becomes tense and watchful while eating. You reach for her favorite blanket, and she growls and bares her teeth. When another dog approaches, she picks up her toy and takes it somewhere else. These are all signs of resource guarding, one of the types of aggression we covered last month. Why is your dog resource guarding? Read on to find out.
Past Scarcity and Trauma
How much do you know about your dog’s history? Dogs can become territorial about food or comfort items if those things weren’t always guaranteed. In this case, the fear that you’re going to take their resources away comes from experiencing scarcity, abuse, or neglect.
Though you might sympathize with your dog, you still need to intervene. Unchecked resource guarding can get worse over time. Not only does this put you and others in danger, but it signals that your dog is becoming increasingly distressed.
Stress or Pain
Some dogs seem to develop possessive or territorial feelings out of nowhere. If resource guarding is a new behavior, consider what’s going on in your dog’s life. Have you recently introduced a new member (canine or otherwise) to your household? If so, your dog may be frustrated by disruptions in her routine or the sudden requirement that she share her things.
If you can’t think of anything new in your dog’s life that might trigger resource guarding behaviors, schedule an appointment with your vet. It’s possible that your dog is experiencing physical discomfort that’s causing her to lash out.
Perceived Value
Your dog may be more possessive of resources she considers most valuable. Food is an obvious one because it’s necessary for survival, but this can also occur with a favorite toy or comfort item.
Believe it or not, your behavior can impact the perceived value of an item. For example, if your dog has a penchant for stealing shoes and you chase her around to get the shoes back, you may be inadvertently signaling that your dog has found something worth protecting.
Boredom or Desire for Interaction
Dogs aren’t always the best communicators, and things like boredom can increase seemingly aggressive behavior. This tends to occur when a dog is lacking in proper mental or physical stimulation or when their basic needs (think hunger, thirst, or sleep) aren’t getting met fast enough.
Think about when you’re most likely to interact with your dog. If the answer is, “When I want them to stop doing something bad,” you’re teaching them that bad behavior results in the ultimate reward: your attention.
What to Do About Resource Guarding
Resource guarding is a complex type of aggression and how to approach it depends on the cause. An important starting place is to build up trust in your relationship.
Training doesn’t just result in “good” behavior. It helps dogs and their owners learn how to communicate and creates daily structure that can put your dog at ease. Learn more about ADU training today.
