What is Resource Guarding?
Imagine you’re at a restaurant, enjoying your favorite meal, and suddenly, a stranger reaches over and takes your plate. You’d probably be startled, maybe even angry! Now imagine that happens all the time—someone always trying to take your things, never giving them back or offering anything in return. You’d start holding onto your stuff a little tighter, right?
That’s exactly how dogs feel when they develop resource guarding. It’s their natural way of saying, “Hey! This is mine, and I don’t feel safe when you take it away.”
Common Types of Resource Guarding
Dogs can guard all sorts of things, just like people might get protective over different valuables:
Food Guarding: Growling or stiffening when someone approaches their food bowl or an edible bone or treat.
Toy Guarding: Snatching up a favorite toy and refusing to let go.
Space Guarding: Claiming the couch, a bed, or a certain spot in the house.
Human Guarding: Sticking close to a favorite person and getting grumpy when others come near.
Guarding Towards Humans vs. Guarding Towards Other Dogs
Not all resource guarding is the same. Some dogs only guard from humans, while others guard from ofther dogs. Here’s the difference:
Guarding from Humans: This happens when a dog growls, stiffens, or snaps if a person gets too close to their food, toys, or resting spot.
Guarding from Other Dogs: Some dogs are perfectly fine with people near their food but may growl or block another dog from approaching their bowl, toys, or even their favorite person. This is often about competition and natural dog-to-dog social dynamics.
Understanding the difference helps us tailor prevention techniques so the dog learns that neither humans nor dogs are a threat to their valued items.
Common Myths About Resource Guarding
Myth #1: "If I take things away often, my dog will learn to share."
Think about that restaurant example again. If people kept taking your food, would you feel more relaxed—or would you start scarfing down your meals in a hurry? Instead, we want to teach the dog that people near their stuff means more good things happen (not that their stuff disappears).
Myth #2: "If my dog wins at tug, they'll become dominant."
Nope! Dogs aren’t plotting to take over the world. Letting them win sometimes just makes the game fun. What’s important is that they learn to release the toy when asked—not that they lose every round.
Myth #3: "Growling is bad and should be punished."
Actually, growling is a communication tool—like saying, “Hey, I’m uncomfortable with this.” If we punish growling, dogs might stop warning us and go straight to snapping instead. Instead, we want to help them feel safe so they don’t need to growl in the first place.
The Toolkit Plan for Preventing Resource Guarding
We use the MEET your Toolkit framework to help prevent resource guarding:
M: Management (Set Up for Success!)
Avoid Scarcity: Make sure your dog has plenty of toys and chews so they don’t feel the need to protect one precious item.
Smart Feeding Setup: If you have multiple dogs, feed them separately to prevent competition.
Trade, Don’t Take: Never yank something out of your dog’s mouth. Instead, offer a trade with a higher-value treat.
E: Environment (Make Sharing Fun!)
Turn Mealtime into a Bonus Round: Walk by your dog’s food bowl and drop in extra treats. This teaches them that people near their food = awesome surprises!
Play Games That Encourage Sharing: Games like fetch or tug can be used to teach drop it and reinforce positive exchanges.
Respect Their Space: Just like people need their own cozy corners, dogs appreciate having safe spots where they can relax.
E: Education (Understanding Your Dog's Signals)
Watch for Early Signs: Stiffening, hovering over an object, or “whale eye” (showing the whites of their eyes) can mean, “I’m worried you’ll take this.”
Teach Kids to Be Respectful: No grabbing food or toys away. Instead, adults should do the trading if we need to get something from our dogs.
Learn Dog Body Language: The more we understand their signals, the better we can prevent problems before they start.
T: Teaching & Training (Building Positive Associations)
1. The "Trade Up" Game
Teach your dog that giving things up means better things come their way.
Start with a low-value item (like a plain toy).
Say "Trade!" and offer something better (like a treat).
When they drop the item, mark with "Yes!" and reward.
It's great to even let them get thte thing they dropped after getting the reward for dropping! Mix this in to your practice, and eventually, they’ll be happy to trade.
2. "Leave It" for Safety
Hold a treat in your hand and say "Leave it."
When your dog stops trying to get it, mark with "Yes!" and reward with a different treat.
Gradually work up to practicing with higher-value items.
3. Fun "Drop It" Training
Play tug for a bit, then pause the game.
Say "Drop it!" and offer a yummy treat.
When they release, reward and restart the game!
This teaches them that dropping something leads to more fun, not less!
4. Teaching Voluntary Sharing (Control Unleashed)
We like to help families with this one -- it teaches dogs to have some control over sharing and it's so much fun. This comes from Leslie McDevitt's Control Unleashed program.
5. Requested Approach Training (Control Unleashed)
We like to help families with this one too -- it teaches dogs to have some control over approaches. This also comes from Leslie McDevitt's Control Unleashed program.
Final Thoughts
Preventing resource guarding is all about trust. When your dog learns that people near their food, toys, and special spots bring good things (not stress), they have no reason to guard. By using positive reinforcement, smart management, and fun training games, you’ll raise a confident, happy dog who’s excited to share. 😊
If you notice that your dog is guarding or is growling, showing teeth, or stressed about these games, reach out to a trainer skilled in positive reinforcement for help. Remember not to punish the communication!
