NOVEMBER 2023 Pawsitively Pets to publish online | Page 16

Wise Words
3104 Eagle Valley Road , Mill Hall 570-726-8006
Wise Words

14 from WAGZ

Resource guarding can make your sweet little fluff ball turn into the Tasmanian Devil in the blink of an eye . Simply put , resource guarding is when a dog believes something is theirs and does not wish to share it . Prevention is always better than cure , so knowing how to stop resource guarding before it starts is key to having a happy and healthy dog . Resource guarding can take on several forms . Dogs may show possessiveness , regarding sharing , their owners , other dogs , food , or toys .
Levels of resource guarding can range from fairly mild to pretty intense . Behaviors can include going into a freeze pose , crouching low to guard their ‘ prize ,’ showing their teeth , growling , lunging , and biting .
Implementing practical measures as early as possible is your best chance to prevent resource guarding in puppies , as well as avoiding possessive aggression developing in dogs of any age . Some tips to train your dog to manage their natural tendency to protect their resources are :
* Give your dog space to eat quietly during meal times , and keep that location in a low human traffic area .
* Where possible , introduce hand feeding so your dog is comfortable eating around you and taking food from your hand . ( Disclaimer : Only attempt this if you do not have a rescue dog with an unknown history , or a dog who has already developed severe resource guarding tendencies ).
* Hold large dog chews and encourage your dog to ‘ share ’ your chew while you hold it for them .
* Do not give out high value foods unsupervised in a multi-pet household .
* Section off your dogs and / or cats during meal times , so each pet can eat their meals at the pace they wish without feeling stressed out .
* When hand feeding low value kibble , offer a trade of something higher in value , so your dog understands that if they allow you to remove their dog bowl from under their face , they will get something even better in return .
Practicing these tips will help your dog grow more comfortable in situations where there is potential for them to develop guarding behaviors .
- Laura Orndorf , Certified Dog Trainer & AKC Evaluator

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