Resource Guarding in Dogs: Signs, Causes and What to Do

Just like people, dogs can feel worried if they think something important to them might be taken away. This worry can sometimes lead to resource guarding, which is a dog’s way of trying to keep their valued items safe.

It’s true that some dogs have a higher level of resource guarding and sometimes that can be more common in dogs that have a temperament that makes them prone to anxiety and stress. Remember that these emotions can result in behaviours that appear to be aggressive but underneath it there is an element of fear.

Why Do Dogs Guard Things?

Dogs usually guard items because they are afraid of losing them.
If items are taken away as punishment, or if a dog is told off for guarding, this fear can get worse. As a result, the dog may feel even more anxious and guard their belongings more strongly.

Signs Your Dog May Be Guarding

Your dog may be showing guarding behaviour if they:

• Stand over an item with a stiff, still body.
• Lower their body or freeze when someone comes near.
• Run away with the item.
• Hide the item.
• Eat food or treats very quickly.
• Growl, snap, or show ‘aggressive’ behaviour to protect the item.

What Should You Do?

The more we chase the dog around or try and retrieve the item, the greater its value becomes and the less likely they will be to give it up. The best way to deal with this problem is training through play and following these general rules:

If your dog shows any of these behaviours:

• Always try and tidy away anything that is left around that they may want to guard.
• If there is one particular toy/food treat that they are fixated about, you can of course just stop them having that/those items.
• Leave them alone when they are eating or enjoying toys.
• If you do really need them to come away (and most times you shouldn’t need to), call them away by providing something else that is fun and will easily distract them (it can be helpful to teach a recall in different scenarios and always giving them praise for coming to you).
• Avoid taking items away or telling them off.
• If they resource guard their food bowls – try dropping tasty morsels around the area of the food bowl when they are close to finishing a meal so they see your approach as giving rather than taking things away. Just make sure you’re not too close and scatter it rather than giving it by hand!

Here’s a little training that might be helpful:

• Create fun, structured play activities.
• Play must involve the dog repeatedly giving up the toy to continue play.
• Teach a ‘swap  and drop’ consistently using the same ‘drop’ cue so that an association between the word and the action is made. Always reward (with a small very tasty treat) as soon as the item is dropped. 
• This works even better if two people are involved.  If the dog will not give up the toy, then play is continued with another toy (one that is their particular favourite) between the two people and the dog is ignored.  
• Try to show the dog that you are having fun. To re-join the game the dog must drop the item it has. In this way, possession of an item immediately devalues it.  
• It will take a number of repetitions (several short play sessions daily for several weeks) before the dog fully understands the ‘rules’ of the game but, with regular play sessions and consistently rewarding the dog as soon as they drop the item, will help them learn.
• For more training with a visual demonstration check out this link to Battersea: https://www.battersea.org.uk/pet-advice/dog-advice/teaching-your-dog-drop-it

How to Prevent Resource Guarding

To prevent resource guarding we need our dogs to understand that they do not need to worry about losing things they value. This lesson can be taught at any time but is most important to introduce this concept when they are young puppies.

When dogs feel safe and secure, they can enjoy their food, toys, and treats without feeling frightened that they will be taken away. This helps build their trust and confidence in us.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Question: What if my dog will not drop during a play session?

Answer: Then play must end and you should walk away and leave them alone. Removal of your attention often lets a dog know that their behaviour isn’t getting them the kinds of things they want. With consistency, often, overtime, they being to offer the kinds of thing that do (i.e., your attention, access to play and food rewards)

Question: What if they have something harmful?

Answer: Managing the environment, by not leaving things around that could be harmful, is an important preventative measure. Also, during the time when you are with them, you can have a puppy line attached.  These control their movements in a safe way. Here’s a link to how they can help:

You can find out more information about dog behaviour and training tips in my book (https://www.carolineclarkauthor.co.uk) but if problems persist and aggression heightens during the training, stop what you are doing and contact your vet asap to refer you to a qualified behaviourist for one-to-one support.

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