Resource guarding is a natural but challenging behavior exhibited by some dogs. It refers to a dog’s instinct to protect or “guard” valuable resources such as food, toys, space, or people from other animals or people. While resource guarding is rooted in an animal’s survival instincts, when it becomes a problem, it can lead to aggression or anxiety, posing risks to both the dog and others. In a dog daycare or overnight care facility, managing this behavior is crucial to ensure safety and provide effective care for both the people caring for the dog and the dog itself. If after reading this blog you have specific questions about your dog and/or how Pet Camp’s Canine Enrichment Program might be useful to you and your dog please just reach out. Also, if you’ve read other Pet Camp blogs (thanks!) you’ll notice that there are some “stock” pictures in this blog. This is not our norm, but we wanted to show some examples of resource guarding behavior.
What Is Resource Guarding?
Resource guarding is a behavior where a dog shows signs of possessiveness over a specific resource. This could include growling, snapping, lunging, or even biting if they feel their possession is threatened. Commonly guarded resources include:
- Food or treats: Dogs may act aggressively when others approach their food bowl (even if the food bowl is empty).
- Toys: Dogs can display guarding behaviors when another dog tries to play with or take their toys. The same behavior can be displayed if a person tries to remove a toy or other belonging.
- Space: Some dogs will defend specific areas, such as a favorite bed or resting spot.
- People: Dogs may display protective behaviors if they perceive someone as a valuable or special resource, such as their primary caregiver or even a doggie day care or overnight care employee with whom the dog has a real or perceived special relationship.
Keeping Everyone Safe (dogs and people)
The easiest way to keep everyone safe around a dog who resource guards is for the pet parent to tell the pet care facility. The employees (and perhaps another dog) will discover the resource guarding behavior, but only after the dog displays that behavior, potentially injuring a person or another dog. If you are a pet parent with a dog that resource guards, please let the pet care facility know! As discussed in a minute, a dog that resource guards can thrive at a pet care facility if everyone knows about the behavior and acts appropriately.
Once a dog is identified as a resource guarder, the pet care facility can take several steps to keep everyone safe. The specific actions depend on the high value object. For example, if a dog guards a specific toy or even all toys, the dog day care or overnight care facility can take the basic step of asking the pet parent not to bring such items with the dog. If the item is already there, the item can be removed from the dog’s environment when the dog is elsewhere. For example, if a dog guards a toy the dog day care/overnight care facility can remove the toy when the dog is engaged in an activity elsewhere at the facility.
If the dog guards food bowls, the pet care professionals need to exercise caution when both placing and removing food bowls EVEN when the bowl is empty. In many pet care facilities, the enclosure in which dogs eat has a divider panel. This panel can be used to safely feed and remove food bowls by luring the dog to one side of the enclosure, lowering the panel, placing the food on the other side of the enclosure and then opening the panel. When the bowl is removed the exact opposite process takes place.
If the dog guards its space (for example, turns on a pet care professional when the dog is placed in an enclosure or guards the space when approached) there are a few steps that can be taken. When returning the dog to the enclosure, the pet care professional may decide to release the dog early and have the dog enter the enclosure on its own accord (perhaps by throwing a treat into the enclosure). When removing the dog, the pet care professional must exercise caution and allow the dog to approach at its own pace without reaching into the enclosure. If practicable, the pet care professional may be able to lure the dog out of the enclosure and then escort the dog to the next location.
Perhaps the trickiest resource guarding issue is when the dog guards the pet care professional caring for the dog and, when in a group play situation, refuses to allow another dog to approach the person and responds aggressively should that happen. In this situation the safest course of action is to remove the person in question and replace them with an employee that the guarding dog does not guard. If the guarding dog resource guards all such persons, then the dog must be removed from play group and participate in activities “beyond group play” such as is offered at Pet Camp’s Ranger Station.
Based on the above examples, it should be clear that most resource guarding dogs can successfully navigate both dog day care and overnight care situations. But what if the pet parent wants the dog day care or overnight care facility to try and mitigate the behavior? What can a pet care facility undertake?
Modifying Behavior
First and foremost, as with all training and desensitization, care must be taken to proceed slowly and not to place either the trainer or the dog in harm’s way. In a dog guarding an inanimate
resource, instead of taking the object, the dog should be offered something of higher value. For example, if the goal is to remove an empty dog bowl, offer the dog a high value treat and then remove and then return the bowl. In this example, the dog learns that there are things of higher value, the bowl need not be guarded, and that even when a guarded object is taken it is returned.
If the resource guarded is physical space, providing “safe zones” within the daycare or overnight care environment can help. These might include private areas where the dog can retreat if they feel threatened, or special “quiet time” periods where the dog is allowed to relax in peace without feeling the need to guard their territory. Of course, one still needs to be mindful that changing the physical environment may not change the behavior, but the hope is that with less stimuli (dogs and people) the dog will feel less need to protect the space from others.
If the resource guarded is a person at a pet care facility, rotating the person supervising the dog may allow the dog to become more comfortable with an array of people thus lessening the attachment and the need to resource guard a single individual. If the rotation takes place on a regular basis, the dog may fail to develop an over-attachment to any individual.
Conclusion
Resource guarding doesn’t necessarily mean a dog can’t thrive in a dog daycare or overnight care setting, but it does require careful handling and thoughtful planning. By identifying the specific resource being guarded and taking proactive steps, pet care facilities can keep both dogs and staff safe. With patience and proper training, most dogs with resource guarding tendencies can enjoy their time at daycare and boarding facilities while their behavior is addressed and managed effectively. If you are a pet parent with a dog that resource guards, always make sure to communicate openly with your pet care facility to ensure the best care for your dog and the safety of all involved.
Pet Camp has been providing San Francisco’s pet parents with award winning doggie day care, overnight care for dogs and cats, dog training, pet bathing/grooming and pet transportation at our three San Francisco locations since 1997. Family owned and certified Green, Pet Camp is proud to be a San Francisco small business. If you have questions about your dog or cat, please give us a call and chat with one of the counselors.