Resource Guarding: Dog vs Dog Aggression #66
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- Опубліковано 15 чер 2024
- Resource Guarding between dogs is a big topic. It’s also one of the most requested for me to cover on my podcast. Over the past week, my six month old puppy has started attacking some of the other dogs in my household over resources. It’s a good time for me to share what I am doing to help This! overcome possession aggression around resources, particularly food. Yes, even professional dog trainers experience challenges to work through.
Timestamps:
00:00 Dogs Who Guard Resources Aggressively
00:58 2 Types of Resource Guarding
01:26 My Puppy This! Resource Guards
01:33 Subtle Signs of Possession Aggression
03:25 Personal Experience with Resource Guarding
04:41 How 1 Common Approach Can Result in an Aggressive Dog
05:27 Does Disciplining Resource Guarding Work?
06:18 Know Your Puppy’s Fear Period (Remain Calm)
08:06 When to Consult a Veterinary Behaviorist
09:55 Help Create Confidence in Your Dog
10:23 Book Recommendation for Dog Resource Guarding
10:38 Steps I Take for My Puppy’s Resource Guarding
14:49 Identify and Remove Resource Guarding Triggers
16:27 Try These Games to Disrupt Dog Resource Guarding
In the episode you'll hear:
• About the two forms of resource guarding, against humans and against dogs.
• Why dogs resource guard.
• What I’ve seen with my puppy This! guarding resources against other dogs.
• The signs to look for that show a dog could be resource guarding.
• My previous experiences with my dogs and resource guarding.
• The two approaches to take and why one can result in an all-out aggressive dog.
• What NOT to do about resource guarding.
• The reason discipline and corrections are like putting gasoline on a fire.
• About fear periods in puppies and why to stay grounded and calm.
• The reason to get appropriate help from a qualified Veterinary Behaviorist.
• What I am doing about resource guarding to help my puppy.
• How I am journaling what happens every day, the good and not so good.
• About identifying and removing triggers and creating a safe environment.
• Why to keep your dog under threshold.
• All the elements to help your dog and why to email us about joining Recallers.
Resources:
Podcast Episode 45: My Dog Just Got Jumped, Now What? -
• My Dog Just Got Jumped...
*Book: Mine! A Practical Guide to Resource Guarding in Dogs by Jean Donaldson -
geni.us/mine-jean-donaldson
Podcast Episode 59: Why Your Treats Aren’t Working for Your Dog -
• Why Your Treats Aren’t...
Game: Learn How to Play ItsYerChoice (IYC) -
recallers.com/iycsummit-join/
Recallers
recallers.com/
Susan's Team: wag@dogsthat.com
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Susan only recommends products she uses herself, and all opinions expressed here are her own. The link above is an affiliate link that, at no additional cost to you, we may earn a small commission if you decide to buy from it. Thank you!
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Dogs That is brought to you by Susan Garrett and the Say Yes Dog Training Team.
Susan Garrett’s interest in animal behaviour started at the University of Guelph where she earned a Bachelor of Science majoring in Animal Science. Since then she has developed into a preeminent dog trainer and canine sports instructor and competitor. Susan is one of the most successful agility competitors of the last three decades. She has won multiple Gold Medals at National or World Championship events with every dog she has ever owned over the past 30 years.
A natural teacher and an entertaining speaker, Susan is world renowned as a leading educator of dog trainers. Her understanding of how to apply science-based learning principles to both competitive and family pet dog training has been pivotal in changing how dogs are trained.
Susan is now helping many thousands of dog owners in 82 countries have the best relationship possible with their dogs. The real joy for her comes from bringing confidence to dogs and their owner through playful interactions and relationship building games that are grounded firmly in the science of how animals learn.
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If you notice your puppy resource guarding against you, there's a video to help: ua-cam.com/video/XDdf1w_9Ha0/v-deo.html
See the follow up video on This!'s resource guarding - ua-cam.com/video/XUJksPoQNps/v-deo.html
And a quick video showing This! sharing - ua-cam.com/video/XsoLba0xl6Y/v-deo.html
1. Journal (time, resource, location, target dog, action and outcome) each dog vs dog aggression behavior
2. Identify and remove triggers (keep dog under threshold)
3. Create a safe environment (Use positive reinforcement in the form of a bed/crate or activity before they react to triggers and reward dogs coming near each other peacefully)
- Don't discipline dog for resource guarding
- Don't use high value food/toys for positive reinforcement because the dog will guard that too
- Refer to "Mine!" by Jean Donaldson for a more in-depth guide on resource guarding
- Refer to a certified Veterinary Behaviorist if the dog is aggressive in any way
What if we can’t find a vet behaviorist in our area?
I've been listening to all Susan's podcasts in preparation for getting a puppy; and decided to apply these techniques to my two cats, who sometimes have snarling tiffs with each other. I have been rewarding them with treats when they are hanging out together; and stopped reinforcing their fights by talking to them and giving them both pats afterwards (I thought I was calming them down). Its amazing! Already the frequency of fights has gone down heaps, the tiffs they do have aren't nearly as intense or long lasting, and they even share sleeping on my bed near each other without angst! Really amazing stuff and a great insight into how I've been unwittingly reinforcing undesirable behaviour. Thanks so much Susan, I'm learning so much for having a dog in the future but also how to help support my cats too. You legend!
This is soooo good to read, Louis! We love that you're preparing for your puppy (you're going to to great!) and that Susan's podcast helped your cats' relationship 😻
So many wins! ❤️
We have always been a two Labrador household until our most recent addition of a 3rd (high-drive, field-bred) Labrador puppy just over a year ago. There was definitely a learning curve regarding resources. One thing that really helped me was for the puppy to learn where she was in the hierarchy for treats, toy play, etc. I found that using each dog’s name prior to handing out any resource really clarified things for her and kept expectations where they should be. Once she became really proficient at IYC, I also added a game where I would drop a low value piece of kibble on the floor, cue one of my other dogs to get it with their name, and at the same time, give the puppy a super high value treat as a reward.
Liz Dole, DVM
Teaching "trade" helped a lot for me.
Teaching to "share" by holding the object while they chew and not letting go, periodically "out" and giving it back or giving something better. Keeping a leash on so they cannot go hide and take it away to a private area, which in some cases are where they get offensive. Sticking to lower value chews as you mentioned as well. Tons of patience and repetition, that's for sure! Really depends on the severity of the dog though! Definitely best to combat with obedience and play management to set them up for success!
This is so good to hear. My pup showed resource guarding early on and I believed I had caused it - or was to blame. The subtle signs can be *so easy* to miss. This was reassuring and helpful!
Hi Jennifer I hope my comment didn't sound as a form of privacy invasion your comment tells of a wonderful woman with a beautiful heart which led me to comment I don't normally write in the comment section but I think you deserve this compliment. If you don’t mind can we be friends? 🌺Thanks God bless you….🌹🌹
I’m the prodigal daughter returned to Susan’s training methods because of an incident of resource-based aggression a month ago by my 4yo (the other 10yo dog was bleeding). Darcy (aggressor) is currently on doggy prozac, I’ve increased our exercise, I’m learning from both Susan and Darcy how to better manage the environment, and we’re playing ItsYerChoice and target games multiple times a day. I’m looking forward with confidence to better relationships among the three of us 🥰
I have a 3 year old German Shepherd who has become the “lifetime” problem. We got him during a difficult time for our family (5th Shepherd- none at same time) and we did not see the early signs. ZZ would get aggressive at people coming in the house. Unfortunately for him, our boxer would run at people full speed and bark as they came in, but he just wanted love and kisses. This was also the behavior of our previous shepherd. But ZZ was scared and reacted with aggression. We didn’t get help till the first bite, as we didn’t understand that his fear would lead to aggression, we had never seen this. Our first two trainers had us correct him. Which we had been doing. But nothing seemed to help. I joined Recallers, but only got as far as Crate Games as I didn’t make the connection of the training building confidence. Our current trainer has been helping me connect the dots and by the 4th lesson we figured out we were both ReCallers. THANK YOU for making the statement about keeping him below threshold being boring! It is very boring and my family want to do more fun stuff so most training lands on me. So currently, I can walk him on bike trail with the only issue being dogs. Currently I pull him off the trail, make him put back to trail, and play “Look at That”. Most times I don’t have enough distance to keep anxiety down where he will take a treat, but we have 6 successful “no bark” passings in a row. At home, we leash him if someone comes in. Mostly my son’s fiance is just about our only visitor thanks to ZZ. He is getting better with her, has sniffed her a few times with her making no eye contact. 80% of the time it is a no bark event when she comes over. There are days he looks like he doesn’t understand why he can’t visit her more, but then next time we get a lip curl. Please send me some kind of encouragement. It is a lifetime issue and we are making progress. I looked last year for a veterinarian behavioralist but couldn’t find one in our area. It is heartbreaking to have a dog with so much fear, I really wish I understood this when he was a puppy.
Thank you for sharing this! This is real life and your honesty is helping loads of us
Thank you SO much for this episode!
Thank you so much, fantastic information. It is invaluable to hear how you deal with the practicalities of dealing with these issues, sharing your wealth of knowledge. You are an inspiration. X
Susan you are amazing! I can listen to you for days and days! Thank you for this incredible talk. Just brilliant. Tremendous gratitude🙏🐾❤️🐾
Brilliant advice! Yes please do a follow-up! My Phoebe seems to resource guard me against other dogs, but I will start a journal to be sure, I love that idea! I'm in HSTD so my dogs are learning about recalls and Hot Zone. Thank you once again for making our lives and our dogs lives better!!!
This video is SO appreciated. Just knowing that your dogs resource guard and about this second fear period was an immediate relief that my puppy isn't bad. My hallucination was that your dogs are perfectly raised and live together with universal joy. My big doofy 6 mo puppy is doing great on Recallers so this was an upsetting change, I've already stopped the rehearsals and reinforcing HZ and his favorite tricks and it is improving. I decided to do low energy tricks because they make me smile and that helps me have a calmer affect while I work through this.
Great podcast. So far I do not have any problem with my 3 dogs but I guess it is because I have always managed who and where they play with toys. All the toys are away and out only when they play with me :) Thank you Recallers and Susan for all I have learned and put in action since I started your program.
Good Podcast! So nice of you to share your training journey with "This!". Great information as always:)!
Fantastic opportunity to get the help you need in Recallers. Fasinating podcast, thank you 🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪
This was so good! I always learn something new! My first Corgi, Daisy, would growl at me EVERYTIME I fed her and made her wait. She never snapped at us. What I have learned since her passing, following Susan, joining Recallers, is that that were several events that may have contributed to her becoming very aggressive towards other dogs. She is gone now and I am doing my best to create a positive environment for my current Corgi, Bazil. Thank you Susan for all the golden GEMS that you share!!! I love my dog even more.
Yes, Id love some more information on this topic. Ive rewatched this podcast many times and hear new information each time.. thank you🧡
Goodness, I would give so much to have had this video when Win first came to us at 4 months old. I did so much, so wrong back then with his barrier frustration/resource guarding at the doors and windows. Thanks to your expert, Sharon, I am watching this now and forming a plan. Windsor deserves my patience and the manipulation of our environment to help him through this. Thank you, Susan, for being so honest about your dogs’ experiences with resource guarding and your plans for addressing it.
This is extremely helpful. I have a one year old blind border collie/cross and we also have a 14week old border collie. My blind dog isn't much of an eater, however when she does eat, she lifts her lips at the puppy if the pup comes too close. We control the environment and work on hot zone with the pup, which has helped immensely. I can't thank your team enough for all of the training you freely offer and give of yourselves.
My Aussie doesn't resource guard but he bark, bark, barks until he gets a toy away from my other dog. I'm currently in your Recallers class and it is helping me alot. I play hot zone with him and he is learning this is a more rewarding behavior.
Anyone watching this that's thinking of joining Recallers...I highly recommend 👌
Thank you so much, your approach feels like there is hope. We need alot more info and guidelines in this area.
Thank you for your podcast.
I'm looking forward to helping my dogs get over this very serious problem.
Susan thank you for this episode! You've answered my prayers. I was so hoping that you'd cover this topic! Listening to it NOW because we need help.
Hi annelie I hope my comment didn't sound as a form of privacy invasion your comment tells of a wonderful woman with a beautiful heart which led me to comment I don't normally write in the comment section but I think you deserve this compliment. If you don’t mind can we be friends? 🌺Thanks God bless you….🌹🌹
Thank you Susan. I do experience dog vs dog resource guarding. I've learned to watch the dogs carefully, usually say"be nice to each other" prior to escalation, but like trigger stacking, tension build and I step, before the dogs flare up, sending each one to their crates. I like the information and warnings you share. I am guilty of reprimanding the dogs as well. It's such a easy solution to direct them to the hot zones or get them to retrieve or any number of other redirects where they can get rewarded for doing good! I also have one dog who will run toward the other and bump it as she runs past it. This drives me crazy! I suspected it had something to do with pecking order and am glad you mention it in the podcast as resource guarding. I have noticed this behavior when both dogs are leashed after I allow them to explore freely on leads. I have started to anticipate when this is about to happen and quickly shorten up the leash of the dog doing the bumping. Is this the right thing to do?
Owned 9 dogs working on number 10 (4month lab/Persian mix) and have never had an issue with food aggression until now. I really appreciate your insight and understanding. Blessed to have a loving dog, he may have issues but thanks to you we can work through them an I can guarantee him a safe life without stupid issues like hurting someone unnecessarily. Much love, ty again!
This is another great video to have out for people who are struggling with resource guarding of people , places, things , and anything else they want to resource guard. I have a 4 yr old who resource guards me, and also food but not toys and not bones . I have been doing the boring and removing the triggers or resources I find behaviour changes. I manage and do tons of recalls, iyc , bring me ,and outs. Counter conditioning and desensitization is my go to training. I have a new 6 month old deaf puppy who hasn’t shown any resource guarding. I’m always watching but not journaling. I will start this tomorrow and I’m sure I’ll find more information. Thanks again for another great video. Please keep us posted and do another update on this topic.
Thanks for your help 🙏
Yes please keep us posted on your journey with This ! I’m very interested in seeing how she progresses.
This is so reassuring! Thank you! A follow up would definitely be helpful!
Enjoyed this useful video. A friend of mine told me they had a dog with this issue and I was curious. I learned a TON!!
Yes, please do more on resource guarding and your journey with This! My almost 9 month old Kelpie puppy resource guards food from my 3yo greyhound/wolfhound/deerhound. She is getting better slowly, but would love to know what else I could be doing to help her!!
Hi Sally I hope my comment didn't sound as a form of privacy invasion your comment tells of a wonderful woman with a beautiful heart which led me to comment I don't normally write in the comment section but I think you deserve this compliment. If you don’t mind can we be friends? 🌺Thanks God bless you….🌹🌹
Very helpful. Thank you.
Awesome as always ❤️🐾
This was incredibly helpful
Susan thank you so much, I've learn so much. I have a 4 month old golden doodle and I'm noticing how he reacts when I put his food down. Time to put into action this lesson. Thank you again.
What an important podcast. I have been so grateful that I had Recallers training with my dogs before I had a resource guarding issue. It gave me the knowledge and tools to deal with this issue when I needed to nip it in the bud before it became a huge issue. I picked up a few more ideas from this podcast for future use. Once again, thank you for all you do to make our lives with dogs easier
You are so welcome... LaDonna we love having you with us in Recallers!
Thank you Susan!! I have recently found out that my puppy mixed Spanish mastiff has been food guarding the lunch and dinner food (dog food) against our older Dalmatian dog. It is always when preparing the food. Your podcast video gave me the information I need to know and how to proceed.
My Ripley resource guards so many things. Thank you for sharing. Please do more podcasts on Resource Guarding.
So great to know there is a way out of resource guarding. I've never had any trouble with it with any of my Labs, fortunately, but I have always wondered the best way to handle it. Thank you for the explanation!
This is soooo immensely helpful! Thanks for posting this. Also- TATERFAN FOR LIFE! Tater is my favorite of your dogs 😂
Very helpful! I have a 6 month old American Pitbull Terrier who is mostly super chill, but he will calmly inch his way toward the other dog and slowly take away a bully stick, antler chew or kong. He's a little more animated with diving after a toy the other dog is moving toward. I'll be watching this video a few times,....
Great podcast. TY
Yes please, also general confidence building in the pup, my pup is seeing monsters everywhere at the moment so I’m taking it all super slowly but would love to see your journey with This as she is one week older than my Kelpie pup x
Rewatched so I could write this down for just noticing Gemma will resource guard me or my hubby or toy so will be working on this to correct it. Thanks so much ❤️❤️❤️❤️
Thank you so much! In three weeks time I’m getting a new Rottweiler puppy. ( I’ve never had a dog from a puppy before, I have always had adult rescue dogs) Rottweilers are notorious resource guarders so I am trying to learn as much as I can and be proactive. I love all the information you put out! Thank you again😊
i love that room where you do the grooming.
It’s like those people who say “let them fight it out, they will learn” it’s such a dangerous mindset. I agree to not ignore this behaviour and teach the dogs that they shouldn’t guard a resource. My dog guards the sofa from the cat. I want to foster in a few months so I’m gathering as much information as I can to handle this situation and not let it escalate. Thank you so much for these videos Susan!
* * * * * Great advice on a super-important topic!
Loved this. Please, would you discuss resource guarding against people. It would be great if you could give people warning signs and some suggestions to help their dog before it becomes a bigger problem. Thank you
Love to see a follow up
so good to see it happens even to the best dog trainer ever! :)
My cavalier is three years old and developed really bad possession aggression. Thank you for your video
I have two border collie, mum and daughter and I’ve only just started seeing this in the daughter towards the mum now she’s reached two years old and is completely resource guarding her food now, I never saw any sign of it when she was a young puppy. Thanks for your help, Jenny
Great videos!
Thank you Susan!!! Just discovering your training now….needed it years ago!!! I’ve sort of got some things going ok but I need more help for sure. I will email your team - so grateful for the resources you’re sharing…pun intended 😂
You are the best!
My dog is 4 yrs, got second dog when he was almost 3. His resource guarding is toys, but VERY inconsistant. One day a certain toy is "it" and another day a different toy is "it". AND it may only happen once a month! I will start journaling when it happens to try to figure out what was going on in his environment when he feels insecure. BTW, he's 50 lb hound dog mix and she's a 2 yr old 15 lb terrier mix. Both neutered. Thanks so much for your podcasts. I really love them and have learned a lot from them.
June, as you start your record keeping journey - also visit Podcast #16 to help with your observation skills and note taking. Lynda(TeamSusan)
Thank you for this video! This helps me a lot and gives me hope! I also have MINE, so will be reading more...
I love you for your shout out to Jean, among all the other reasons! I have found great success with FLOODING the environment with resources takes the pressure off (plenty more where that came from) and builds confidence. It's about teaching "sharing," and reinforcing dogs for "sharing," and it's also teaching them, don't worry!
I have tried this but it doesn't seem to work for us, she gets more stressed trying to guard/hoard everything.
@@devawoods7360 Same, our weim wants to own all the toys, doesnt matter if there are other toys, if our terrier has a toy she wants the toy and will take it and if the terrier gets close to her he will growl. We have tried playing a game where the dog who doesnt have a toy gets treats if they leave the other dog alone. It is hard though because both are very treat focussed and just end up not wanting the toy haha
So important I wish I had this two years ago for sure. Thanks to Recallers we are getting Rose to be calm and a way better family dog. Thank you Susan
What a great video! Thank you!
Liked and subscribed!
Clicked the like button in 3mins, subscribed in 6mins❤
Good video tyvm
Thanks so much! We adopted Lilly a year ago and her resource guarding seems to be getting more intense. She’s a tiny terrier mix and guards me. No one can get near me especially if they talk with their hands. Do you have an episode about doggo guarding their human?
Yes would love a follow up podcast on how it is going with This.
I needed this video! Thank you for the great advice. Please keep them coming. My dog has dog on dog aggression especially going in our bed at night. They both sleep on our bed but my 1 year old male puppy is starting to really bully my older dog when she tries to get in the bed. I will definitely read the book you talked about and will probably go to a vet behavioralist. Thank you!
Did your situation get better? My dog is starting to do the same thing with our other dog with getting in our bed. Uggg
This is great info Susan, I am in Recallers and have a 10 yr. old Aussie Mix who resource guards me and food or water bowls and treats from other dogs and our cats, it is very challenging.
Hi! Have you found any solutions that seems to be working?
THANKS needed this. My Gemma barks at our clocks in the bedroom or where they ate so will do IYC and Hot Zone in another room to see if it helps. I now turn down the clocks and turn off lights and that most the time works but would be happier if we solved it. Great podcast as always ❤❤❤❤⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
My puppy started resource guarding just before her first heat at 6 mo old. She started with food, her exercise pen and kennel. Now she even does it with the water bowl. She doesn't like to drink at the same time as the other dogs and if they come over to drink her lip curls and she will snap them away. I asked some people what to do and they said to do the things you said not too. She is just over a year now and I don't really trust her when she is eating. My other dogs leave her alone when eating and drinking but I am still not trusting her to not go after them or another dog. She is also starting to resource guard me if another dog comes to me. Thank you for the information. I hope this will help us both.
Hoping you do a follow up on “This!” and her journey in resource guarding!
My dog started resource guarding (treats, toys, sticks and me) and I didn't know what to do. I'm going to watch this again and again and again and start working at it. Thanks!
How are things going? My dog is doing the same thing. I’m just starting my research. Does it get better????
Thank you Susan. Phew I have work to do. My rescue dog is doing this. I thought he was just selfish with the toys (he now has 2 puppies to keep them away from), but I think it's more serious. I think I will take you up on your "I need help:!
This is super helpful. We have a 15 y/po border collie and 4.5 mo old bordercollie that are currently both displaying resource guarding with food and treats. Older dog is most likely doing it because of dementia, younger because of second fear period.
Our almost 5 month Aussie just showed her first sign of resource guarding with our son’s dog. Thank you for the information. Please let us know how This is doing now.
I love these podcasts and watch them religiously - and I don't even have a dog! 😂 I would like to have a dog in the future but I am not sure how my cat would respond. Do you have any experience of introducing cats and dogs and helping them get along, Susan?
Thank you and have a great weekend.
Yes please let us know how you are progressing with This! Very interesting podcast
Your good! Bravisima!
just want to let you know how much this podcast helped me when my coonhound puppy started resource guarding towards my very senior, blind dog & cat: his "food balls" (treat dispenser balls, with his kibbles in them) and bones... I just took them away! He hasn't ever acted like that with any other items, or me, so I guess that is lucky. Hoping to be able to reintroduce them at some point, so he can see that they are not a big deal
Added a coonhound to our pack of 2. She’s starting to show signs of guarding (my two boys have never showed this), so this is completely knew to me. I will start removing toys and reintroducing them when appropriate. I think we have put too much value on them. I appreciate the insight.
So I made the mistake of sharing ONE training treat with my rescue dog and our cat, which our previous dog had been fine with, but our rescue was a stray. I’m not sure she’s ever had anything of her own. And the cats have been hitting her, so she now acts like she is afraid of them but also guarding me. And she freaks out when I’m training her and our one cat comes out again. When the cats come too close to me her eyes become saucers and she tries to force them away. I think it’s a mix of jealousy and she is thinking they’re going to hit me too.
Also I was grieving our previous dog really hard after we had our rescue for two months, I am her anchor as I’m here with her 24/7 while my husband works, so my pulling away emotionally I’m sure is not helping her. It’s been really hard. Sitting down to watch this video, I hope it helps, as I don’t ever want to have to rehome her, and I want her and the cats to live in harmony. ❤️
Edit: I need to add that she is about a year old now. We’ve almost had her 3 months.
Thank you so much for this! One of our adult pit bulls resource guards all her toys, snacks and food/water bowls against our adult golden retriever. There have been horrible fights where they’ve hurt each other and we are at the point where we have to do everything separate it’s so frustrating I don’t know what to do
THANK YOU VERY VERY VERY for this podcast...Lol out here I'm on my own...NO VETERINARY BEHAVIORIST in sight. .even when I was in the dog world so to speak ...none...that was many years ago....what I'm saying is that there must be thousands of people like me that live in countries where this service is not available.So i value your information. .thanks. ..granny owned by a cattle dog.
Hi Susan, thank you for such helpful information. I have 3 foster puppies who came from Mexico. They were at a private shelter in Mexico and they got fed and taken care of but never have lived with people. Flicky, a Malinois Shepherd pup, was only 5.5 mos old but she was the one that resource guarded against the other two pups; one is bigger but mellower, the other is 3 mos older and same size as her. Back in Mexico, she was in the same kennel with her brother, that was larger than her, in fact, I heard that she was a runt. Therefore, she had to be strong to eat whenever she had a chance to survive. I understand how and why she has become a resource guarder.
Here, the 3 foster pups are kept in our utility room and whenever I prepare their meals on top of the washer, she is right by my legs to guard the foods I am preparing! She actually attacked them and chased them away, or sometimes they even got into a fight.
When I shouted Hey!! Stop it!! They stopped fighting so it was not a serious bloody fight but still I wanted to correct the behavior.
What I did was to treat the other dogs when they came close to me despite Flicky's growing. I never treated Flicky but the other pups got treated every time, that was showing Flicky that the food I was preparing was not only for her but for them too. I did that every single mealtime. Pretty soon, she accepted that they get close to me and to the foods I was preparing. I think she got my message!!
Hi Holly I hope my comment didn't sound as a form of privacy invasion your comment tells of a wonderful woman with a beautiful heart which led me to comment I don't normally write in the comment section but I think you deserve this compliment. If you don’t mind can we be friends? 🌺Thanks God bless you….🌹🌹
Thanks for this I will try all your tips, I have a rescue dog come into our home, and a few weeks later there is so,e resource guarding going on, the new dog is quite reactive, she came from a shelter, so any information I can glean is wonderful. Thank you
Glad it was helpful, let us know how your training goes ❤️
My 3 year old heeler is has resource guarding against toys rooms and me. I am going to seek a vet behaviorist like you pointed out. It is a lot of work to keep the peace.
this makes me feel so much better, i’ve owned a lab and golden retriever, had zero guarding with those breeds, i taught both to let me see what they had, but a completely different experience with my border collie/GSP….she knows how to give up the tug toy on command, so i’ve been working with her to give up whatever she has, my slipper…whatever, at first she would drop it and come for the treat but she’s finally understanding she has to bring it to me, like a fetch, and deliver it to me, because i’m trying to teach her to retrieve things for me, like my golden would do.
before treating her i stand over the item, moving her back, taking possession before treating her, and before treating i verbalize good drop it….she has finally reached a point of understanding.
now we’re working on leaving things in the first place. she will bring items to me to play tug, trying to entice me, but i won’t even put my hands near it…i have grandkids so i only play tug with her tug toy, which is put away after the game.
i am sure i made some training mistakes, especially how different she is from my other dogs. her mouthing was so bad, and once she was past 1 if i did any correcting, and i tried to be gentle…she started this drive by attack thing. i did wise up quickly even softer voice, very very soft correction and mostly just distracting her. trying to avoid the conflict in the first place…she is bitey mostly when she’s tired. mostly she goes after my husband, finally i have him accepting the solution, he finally just puts a grate to block her access, she calms immediately, there’s no game to rehearse this bad behavior. she’s now 2 and getting better,
i’ve been working on going to her place. i need to train this downstairs because when we have company she never stops moving, but we seldom have company….first i need to train the “place” training downstairs..,and then add people. yesterday we had grandkids, i make sure she has her ball because that keeps her focus on the ball. they know how to pick it up and toss it. i’ve taught her to drop it so no little hands take the ball, they know to tell her to drop it…so she’s compliant with them. it’s adorable to watch the 5 year old giving commands and her behaving him. i don’t allow any teasing and no giving treats because last spring she tried to snatch it from him…i’ve taught them to hold their hand open, he hadn’t opened his hand yet and i think she didn’t think he was going to give it. i bought a long spoon and am going to train her to take treats with it, once i get that accomplished,i may let the grandkids give her a treat using the long spoon, keeping little fingers away from her mouth.
Good morning Susan, I love all your podcasts and you tube videos, I listen to them while working. I have a 6 month old Border Collie that has become very reactive and aggressive towards other dogs, she has been around multiple other dogs since i got her at 12 weeks old and we never had a problem. We just started a puppy herding class for introducing and basics and last week was the first class and she was good with the other puppies because she new them but wanted to attack the other, so my first thought was fear and i backed her way off away from the puppy and got her attention kinda, lol. I then took her to lowes where i know i would probley run into at least 1 dog so I could work that and at at least 25 ft away was still to close. What recommendations would you suggest to get her over this? It will be really hard to trial a dog that is aggressive towards other dogs. Thank you in advance.
Back off 😂 I love this video!!!
Thank you for that podcast. My 2 yr old pointer amstaff mix definitely resource guarded against my senior dog. Senior was 14 at the time - she was euthanized for age related illness😩 - I n the beginning, everyone got mad at her ( she was of course a puppy), grabbed her snd hollered at her. She would guard her bed, toys, space and favorite person. Since the death of my senior, she only now guards one of my cats. She play well with my don’s 1yr old dog. I’ve only seen one instance of guarding over ice cream which was managed by removing the ice cream. I need to know how to handle it if we go some where and another dog is present and I might be training heel or sit whatever with treats, the other comes to visit and POW! She goes after the fog. Or if she starts to guard against my son’s untrained, crazy- wild 1yr old dog.
My youngest border collie was a terrible resource guarder and guarded things that were none of his business, like parcel deliveries, shopping bags and seemingly random items so was sometimes hard to predict. He was fine with food or toys around the other dogs. We fixed it, pretty much how Susan described. Now he takes himself to his raised bed or table when he sees something he wants to guard so there is very rarely an issue these days. Recaller games are a great toolkit for helping with this, for sure.
Hi Susan, I love your videos! I’m a foster parent who helps other fosters with training their dogs. I have one particular dog, about 2yrs old, she guards anything that’s in her mouth; especially tugs and balls. She’s also has at least 2 bite histories on file plus @ least 1 other dog attack that we know of.
We’ve been muzzle training with her. I was told she’s constantly rubbing,tugging, pulling at the muzzle to get it off.
I thought using the muzzle while practicing loose leash walking, then randomly having a play break with the ball would make a great reinforcement. Plus, with a muzzle, she isn’t able to trap the ball.
So, we’d walk several steps, toss the ball for a break, let her play, then tell her “give” “leave it “, walk away from the ball & get back to work. At various times, she would immediately get the ball back, other times , she would work longer before getting the ball.
At one point, we had her in a kennel with the ball & brought outside the dog that she previously attacked. She paid no mind to the dog working in front of her kennel.
I was told this dog is not human aggressive, however, i firmly believe she would be so Over threshold with the ball that she wouldn’t make the distinction between the ball or human.
Will you please share some other “games” we can use with her to build relationships. Unfortunately, with rescues being so overcrowded, lack of fosters, and more pups looking for homes, I feel the organization wants quicker results even though I’ve repeatedly stated she’s not a one and done, this is a process and training is ongoing.
At the end of our session, we were sitting with the ball on our lap, she was laying down in a relaxed position in front of us.
Hi Lisa, thank you for fostering and doing what you do to help dogs! Our playlist on multidog homes has a lot of tips and strategies - ua-cam.com/play/PLphRRSxcMHy2ee0fquucowgCTcl1kCdO-.html
Our video for Project Togetherness is one with a lot of help for the first days with dogs new to our homes - ua-cam.com/video/K17x8i_Qb9k/v-deo.html
Thank you for this video I adopted two puppies not related but both seven months old and the new boy has some triggers. I’m trying to not scold him when he does it but it’s also hard because he lashes out at the other puppy and I need to learn new skills on this as I’ve never experienced this before
I would love to see a follow up to this video! My Terv, Riggs, will be 3 soon and he is a resource guarder against other dogs. He will guard toys, food, and people but his reactivity varies depending on the time of day, the target, and his own mental state. We’re still in the journaling phase so hopefully that will help us identify more specific potential triggers. I think a common theme is his own insecurity so we’ve been working on that too. Honestly, it’s so nice to hear how common RG is because sometimes I feel like a failed trainer. Thank you for being so open about your dogs and taking some of the stigma from this particular issue.
Would love more follow up on this topic especially with guarding against people. Great stuff as always Susan!
Great podcast, so glad that I found you. I have a problem with my year old puppy resources guarding me with my other dog. Since I can't remove myself as the resource every time, do you have any suggestions?
Great pod cast. Do you see issue with sibling dogs? I have sibling shepherds they listen good individually but not together.
Yes please keep us in the loop as to how it progresses. a question I've got 4 siblings (yes I know I should not have kept them all but I could not find what I considered the right homes for the two I was not planning to keep) they are 20mths old and have had their first seasons. Everything was fine the but now 2 are having their 2nd and I've now realised that I've got a serious resource guarder in the one but the hormones in season 2 made it even worse. I've now had to remove all toys and try to remove all other triggers. But wanted to ask if she's actually attacking the other I've got to pull her of, do I just do this quietly and remove her from the other? I am doing hot zone and out with her am trying bring-me the tug but what do I do in the garden if there is no hot-zone to tell her to go to? I find she's so fixated on the other sibling I've got to stop it before it escalates into a real fight. Funny she seems to respect her mother and does not do any of this to her, in fact if mother tells her off she slinks away.
A way that will reduce the severity of resource guarding is to expose the dog to this stress and slowly manage it. Food is a big trigger. Buy several water melons and cut into many pieces. Let the dogs eat it. Do this with everything that the dog resources. YES the dog may get sick from too much food but it will reduce this aggression. This should be done to all resources. Same with toys. Put 50 toys in the room. Also it helps greatly that this is done in a large space. You have to remember fight or flight, if they have room they will run away. Good luck. Ps, working lines should be out working, many problems will reduce when mentally stimulated on a daily basis.
Right now I'm watching videos and combining my techniques with Doggie Daddy and Ceasar Milan's