Resource Guarding Prevention (Canine, puppy)
| PrintLike their wild relatives, domestic dogs have deeply rooted instincts to hoard and guard valued resources. Protecting items such as food, chew bones, toys, preferred resting areas and, sometimes, social companions is a common canine behavior. Resource guarding responses can include a range of aggressive behaviors, such as the display of threatening body language, growling, snapping and biting. Some cases of resource guarding in pet dogs pose no significant problems for their human guardians and can be dealt with through the use of simple management techniques. If a dog's guarding behavior is limited to growling when approached while it is eating, its pet parents can feed it in a secluded room and avoid approaching the dog until it is done with its meal. However, in more severe manifestations, resource guarding in the home can be problematic at best and extremely dangerous at worst. Therefore, preventing the development of this behavior early on in a dog's life is advisable. Effective resource guarding prevention can be achieved through the use of operant and classical conditioning procedures, as well as interactive games.
Common name: Resource guarding, Possessive aggression
Scientific name: Resource guarding, Possessive aggression
Diagnosis
Signalment
There are no data suggesting a breed or reproductive status predilection for resource guarding.
Incidence/prevalence
Resource guarding behavior is most prevalent in dogs over the age of 16 weeks, but it can be expressed by dogs of all ages. Resource guarding prevention is most effective if begun when a dog is less than six months old.
Geographic distribution
There is no unique geographic distribution for resource guarding. However, it is context specific to situations in which a puppy or dog is in the presence of a valued resource of some kind (food, a toy, a preferred resting area, a social companion).
Clinical signs (primary, most to least frequent, scientific term, synonyms)
Avoidance (mild symptom), Accelerated eating or chewing, Decelerated eating or chewing, Hunkering (standing or looming over a resource), Freezing, Prolonged direct eye contact and/or “whale eye” (whites of eyes clearly visible), Lip retraction, Barking, Growling, Snarling, Snapping, Lunging, Biting.
Clinical signs (secondary, most to least frequent, scientific term, synonyms)
Resource guarding.
Cause (scientific, common term)
Normal canine behavior.
Organ system affected (most to least affected)
No organ systems affected. This is a normal canine behavior.
Diagnostic tests
Behavioral evaluation by a professional.
Differential Diagnosis
Aggression triggered by handling, Aggression triggered by fear of people.
Overview
Like their wild relatives, domestic dogs have deeply rooted instincts to hoard and guard valued resources. Protecting items such as food, chew bones, toys, preferred resting areas and, sometimes, social companions is a common canine behavior. Resource guarding responses can include a range of aggressive behaviors, such as the display of threatening body language, growling, snapping and biting. Some cases of resource guarding in pet dogs pose no significant problems for their human guardians and can be dealt with through the use of simple management techniques. If a dog's guarding behavior is limited to growling when approached while it is eating, its pet parents can feed it in a secluded room and avoid approaching the dog until it is done with its meal. However, in more severe manifestations, resource guarding in the home can be problematic at best and extremely dangerous at worst. Therefore, preventing the development of this behavior early on in a dog's life is advisable. Effective resource guarding prevention can be achieved through the use of operant and classical conditioning procedures, as well as interactive games.
Treatment
Home Care
As early as possible in a puppy's life, its pet parents should begin guarding-prevention protocols. A primary goal of prevention procedures is to create a positive classically conditioned response to stimuli that would commonly trigger guarding behavior. One way to achieve this is to repeatedly pair the removal of valued items with desirable rewards. When a puppy has a resource of some kind, such as a bone, a dish of food or a toy, its pet parent should approach the puppy, take away the object, deliver a high-value food item, such as chicken or cheese, and then immediately return the object to the puppy. With repetition in a number of different contexts, the puppy will learn that people approaching and even appropriating valuable things in its possession has highly desirable, rather than negative, consequences. The likelihood that the puppy will display resource-guarding behavior will be greatly reduced.
In order to prevent the development of location guarding, pet parents can teach a puppy that moving from a resting place on cue can result in a reward. For example, if a puppy is allowed on furniture, its pet parent can encourage it to move off of the furniture and then immediately present the puppy a food reward or the opportunity to play a favorite game. Similarly, when the puppy is resting in a crate the pet parent can teach it to come out of the crate on cue and then give it a reward. Treats and toys should not be used to entice the puppy away from its resting place or crate, but should be presented as a consequence to leaving the resting place. This kind of procedure will provide the pet parent with a practical way to control the puppy's movement, but, more importantly, it will teach the puppy that abandoning comfortable resting places consistently yields positive results.
Rewards can also be used to teach other functional and convenient operant behaviors, such as dropping or ignoring objects of interest. Such training encourages the development of a positive conditioned response to situations that might normally trigger resource guarding. The puppy learns that relinquishing or removing its attention from valued items leads to the delivery of pleasant things, like food rewards or play. Frequently engaging in games such as fetch and tug-of-war is also recommended. These activities provide excellent opportunities to teach a puppy the practical skill of dropping objects on cue, and engaging in them will develop a positive association between relinquishing valued items and enjoyable social interaction.
Under no circumstances should pet parents use intimidation or negative punishment (yelling, hitting, etc.) in an attempt to prevent or correct resource guarding. Punitive procedures are likely to worsen, rather than reduce, this behavior.
Professional Care
If prevention is unsuccessful and pet parents witness any signs of resource guarding in the puppy, they should immediately seek a consultation with Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist (www.certifiedanimalbehaviorist.com), a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Behavior (www.acvb.org), or a Certified Pet Dog Trainer
(www.ccpdt.org) who has extensive experience treating aggression problems.
Action
Proper behavior management of resource guarding in puppies can yield satisfactory results and prevent future challenges.
Outcome
If prevention procedures are properly implemented, the likelihood of the development of resource guarding behavior is significantly reduced.
Recommended Treatment
Resource guarding may be treated at home or may require professional help from a veterinarian or qualified behaviorist or trainer.
References/Additional Readings
Hetts, S. Title. Pet Behavior Protocols. Lakewood, CO: AAHA Press, 1999; 189, 193, 198.
Author
Kristen Collins
CPDT
Consulting Author
Jennifer Sobie, PhD
CAAB
Editor
Steven Hansen, DVM, MS, MBA
DABVT, DABT
Please note that PetVet should only be used as a guide and in no way should be substituted for licensed veterinary care.
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