# Food Resource Guarding



## gdgli (Aug 24, 2011)

Can you describe exactly what is happening? That would be the first step in dealing with this, keeping an anecdotal record.


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## Charliethree (Jul 18, 2010)

Understand that resource guarding is a natural behavior, triggered when the dog senses, (feels 'threatened' by a person or another dog), that they are going to lose what they have - that it will be 'stolen' from them. 

Start by teaching your dog to 'Trade'.

The Dog Trainer : Teach Your Dog to Give or Drop an Item :: Quick and Dirty Tips ?

this will help to build the dogs trust that you will not 'steal' from them, and avoid inadvertently teaching them that they 'need' to guard if they want to keep something they have. 

The book 'Mine' by Jean Donaldson is a good resource for understanding and working with 'resource guarder'.


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## Tollerpup (Jun 29, 2016)

When I give her the food bowl, I've been standing closer as she eats. I throw extra really good food in her bowl and by her bowl as she eats. I talk real happy to her to get her relaxed that her tail wags. I started petting her butt end and now advanced up to petting her mid back. Just today I got my hand I assume too close for her liking as I was tossing a piece of meatloaf in her bowl and I heard a growl. I believe I need some professional help with this for I don't know if what I'm doing is right or not. She has no other issues with my husband or me or my other dog except food and treats. Toys are no issue. She fought with my other dog already a couple times over food and I sometimes am leery when I am near her. I would like to change her thinking on this behavior asap. I really need help. Thank you for any advice and for your reply.


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## CnCFusion (Feb 15, 2016)

Ours does that too. When we are doing loose leash training at school, we are supposed to call him and treat him. If when we are treating him another dog comes, he growls. 

One time we were out with another puppy, and Mochi had a bone in his mouth, he growled as soon as the other puppy came near him.

When it's human, we can do anything with his food, he won't growl to human. How do you teach trade if the only time he's growling is with another dog?


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## Altairss (Sep 7, 2012)

Without knowing the whole situations its hard to figure out why she is doing it. Growling is a dogs way of showing they are uncomfortable with what your doing. A wagging tail does not always mean they are happy either. Is she hunching over her bowl, are her ears back and her head turned away is her body stiff. These are all signs a dog is trying to avoid an uncomfortable situation and or feels the need to protect what she has. If your not comfortable a dog will feel that and since they take non verbal cues from us it could amp up their caution. Your nervous there must be a reason so they get anxious.

If you can get a certified behaviorist and check their credentials they can help read the situation better and show you what can help and what may be setting her up to fail. Also she is a common age for another fear period and that can really change the behavior. many times we are the problem and we are the cause of reaction. We may yell or snap at them for growling get upset or otherwise confuse and upset the dog reenforcing the idea that this is something bad and if they want the food they have to protect it.

I have learned a lot in the last few years from a behaviorist that showed me I was the one doing things to make the situation worse for me and the dog not with food but with training. For now feed her only by herself, no other dogs no other people. Give the food and walk away let her relax while she eats bring her reaction down for awhile. Then you can start the food toss into the bowl and then feed her piece by piece with no other dogs or people around. Check with the behaviorist have them observe your feeding, they see things we don't and they can teach you to correctly read body language so you understand what your dog is telling you not what we think they are telling us.


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