Hugo: Resource Guarding Case Study 

Many dogs show some signs of resource guarding. Maybe you’ve seen your dog or another person’s dog stand by their food bowl when a person or different dog comes close. Or perhaps a dog will emit a low growl to another dog approaching as they are chewing on their rawhide treat. Protective behavior is common and for some people, is a desired quality they want in their dogs. But what if this behavior is not about protection, but more about insecurity and fear? And what if the mild growls or guarding becomes something worse, like lunging and biting?

Resource guarding is something that should always be taken seriously, even when it’s mild. If boundaries are not set for the dog’s resource guarding, they can take their behavior to a more inappropriate level any time and with anyone…sometimes even with the owner! A dog that exhibits resource guarding may be behaving this way because they feel insecure, whether it’s with another dog, other people, or with the owner. That needs to be addressed immediately.

Last week, I had my first lesson with a dog named Hugo. He started my training program after he snapped at his owner because she came too close to his water bowl. His owner also shared that he was kicked out of doggie daycare for this behavior (on multiple occasions), though he only did this with the other dogs, never the human handlers. It was quite a shock to the owner to be nearly bit by Hugo, and she understood at this point, something had to be done, before things got even potentially worse.

Before the incident, Hugo’s owner saw his resource guarding with dogs as an issue, but not problematic enough to address it. She, and like many other people, believed that this type of guarding behavior was just a normal dog trait, and that Hugo was just more intimidating and rough about it. Because Hugo was never properly shown that this behavior was wrong, he then saw any level of resource guarding as fair game.

The first thing we did with Hugo, and what any owner should do with their resource guarding dog, is to establish confidence and boundaries. Hugo felt very unsafe over his water for unknown reasons. We had to make sure he felt more comfortable with other beings coming near his water, and showing that nothing catastrophic was occurring. If he misbehaved, we also had to show him that this was unacceptable. Shortly after the first lesson, Hugo already started relaxing more and understanding the difference between right and wrong! He has a way to go, but both his owner and I are ecstatic with his progress already, and look forward to Hugo not only being well-behaved, but also being a happy, secure dog!

If you are concerned about your dog’s resource guarding, don’t wait until it escalates! Call 800-649-7297 to schedule an initial in-home consultation for you and your pup!