Food/Possession Aggression

Why are people calling this "Resource Guarding" nowadays, & making it sound as though it's acceptable & a natural doggie response?

It really makes me mad!

Not heard it called that myself but it is very dangerous behaviour

I hadn't heard it called this before either, but have just looked it up & it's as you said food/possession aggression how on earth can they it's acceptable behaviour I'm lucky with darcy re- food because of the forum I always talked to her as a puppy while eating and gave her a little stroke and she's great.

Calling it 'guarding' makes it sound as though it's an acceptable dog behaviour. I really hate the term.

I agree totally. By saying 'oh its ok he/she is guarding' its sounds ok but it's not its aggression and needs proper attention to it & training. Why do they feel the need to change what things are called

I think it's because people don't address the issue when the dog is a pup, so it's really difficult to change the behaviour when they get older & they use it as an excuse to avoid admitting that it's wrong. And because it's a learned behaviour, getting an older dog out of it is quite hard work, so they justify it by calling it 'guarding' and then leaving the dog to get on with it.

It's mainly called that by GSD & Collie people, but it's starting to be used by other breed owners as well.

I post occasionally on a GSD forum & I get regularly shouted down by some of the owners because I say that I don't allow my dog to growl at me over food or possessions at all. I'm so often told "If the dog growls at you when it's eating, he's just telling you he's not happy so leave him alone".

Personally I won't have it! I start right from a puppy, making sure the dog knows that if something gets taken away, he'll either get it back or will get something even better - that way they don't care if you take anything from them.

Resource guarding my bum. There's no room to allow possession aggression in a dog. For a start, if your dog growls at you when you go near its food, clearly there's a lack of trust there. Lack of trust combined with potentially dangerous situation (he finds something yummy in the park and somebody tries to go near it, for instane) could equal an out of control dog on the end of somebody's arm.

Troy doesn't have any issues like this at all, but he is a very vocal dog. Growls a lot when playing and tug of war etc etc.

If he has a toy and I hold him like in a hug or something...just messing around he does growl but I don't take it as him being aggressive as he will drop the toy if told and will never, ever try to bite you or anything like that.

So is the growling some other form of communication a part from a warning to stay away?

Gee wrote:Troy doesn't have any issues like this at all, but he is a very vocal dog. Growls a lot when playing and tug of war etc etc.

If he has a toy and I hold him like in a hug or something...just messing around he does growl but I don't take it as him being aggressive as he will drop the toy if told and will never, ever try to bite you or anything like that.

So is the growling some other form of communication a part from a warning to stay away?

If it's an excited "This is a fun game! Gimme my toy! Grrr " growl, there's no problem, unless you don't like it.

This is one of my biggest no-no's when you are training a new pup. They will inevitably try it once or twice to see if they can get away with it. If you let them then they will keep doing it. Dogs need to know from the start it is NOT acceptable behaviour!

All my dogs as pups (usually between 2 and 3 months) have tried this. I am firm and strict, take away the food, toy, posession whatever it may be and then return it to them when they stop the behaviour. This way they learn I am not taking it away from it, they will get it straight back if I do, and that its not allowed. I think if you take the item away from them period they think 'yeah I knew they were going to do that thats why I had to guard it'. If you wait for them to stop growling etc and then immediately return it they understand your not out to get them! Does that make sense?

It is not acceptable and is very dangerous particularly around children.

Gee wrote: So is the growling some other form of communication a part from a warning to stay away?

A dog has limited ways of letting you know what it's happy with & what it isn't. One of those ways is growling. I have no problem whatsoever with growling in play, or even growling if a dog's in pain or is scared of something. But I won't have a dog growl at me just because I want to touch its food or toys.

A food/possession aggressive dog will not differentiate between its owner/a stranger/ a child! It will bite if it isn't heeded. What happens if a child drops a sweet, the food aggressive dog goes to pick it up but so does the child..............

Nosipho wrote:It is not acceptable and is very dangerous particularly around children.

Exactly - and that's something I have personal experience of.

food or possession aggression of any sort towards people is not tolerated in this house

Yes between each other a small amount is tolerated as i don't want one forever taking food off the other, although we don't have a problem with it, it's just our take on things

What about aggression in a crate.
I have got to a point were I can take some larger treats from tillys mouth but when she goes in her crate she gets aggressive again. I know its her space bit should I still stop it. If so how with her being in the crate?

possle wrote:What about aggression in a crate.
I have got to a point were I can take some larger treats from tillys mouth but when she goes in her crate she gets aggressive again. I know its her space bit should I still stop it. If so how with her being in the crate?

What does she actually do? Does she deliberately take food into her crate, or do you give her food in there? What have you done to stop the food aggression?

Ive only noticed it twice tbh. Its when my other half has gave her a treat when ive not been in the room then I walk in, she's in her crate, gone in By her self and as soon as she sees me she starts to snarl and growl.
I'm looming for tips on this now.
All other food agression has been delt with by removing food and giving back, small amounts at a time so she knows we supply the food, tricks before eating, always being fed after us.
If she is out of her crate with a chew in a mouth and we walk up to her she will drop it in front of her. We praise like mad and give another treat and tell her to take it again. We do this a few times before giving it her.
We can also have treats by her paws and she will leave them untill we say so.

Caryll wrote:

Gee wrote: So is the growling some other form of communication a part from a warning to stay away?

A dog has limited ways of letting you know what it's happy with & what it isn't. One of those ways is growling. I have no problem whatsoever with growling in play, or even growling if a dog's in pain or is scared of something. But I won't have a dog growl at me just because I want to touch its food or toys.

A food/possession aggressive dog will not differentiate between its owner/a stranger/ a child! It will bite if it isn't heeded. What happens if a child drops a sweet, the food aggressive dog goes to pick it up but so does the child..............

Nosipho wrote:It is not acceptable and is very dangerous particularly around children.

Exactly - and that's something I have personal experience of.

Yup I agree. Troy does not exhibit any behavior like that. I remove his bowl when eating, take treats and toys out of his mouth with no problems at all. When we are playing games, he will purposely avoid biting your hand but my brother lab is different. He just goes it and grabs and if you hand is in the way then tough, you get bit lol.

possle wrote:Ive only noticed it twice tbh. Its when my other half has gave her a treat when ive not been in the room then I walk in, she's in her crate, gone in By her self and as soon as she sees me she starts to snarl and growl.
I'm looming for tips on this now.
All other food agression has been delt with by removing food and giving back, small amounts at a time so she knows we supply the food, tricks before eating, always being fed after us.
If she is out of her crate with a chew in a mouth and we walk up to her she will drop it in front of her. We praise like mad and give another treat and tell her to take it again. We do this a few times before giving it her.
We can also have treats by her paws and she will leave them untill we say so.

Well, you can't really go into her crate & wrestle it off her, that will stop her crate being a 'safe' zone for her.

To start with, I'd advise not giving her treats etc in the same room as her crate. That at least will avoid the issue.

What's she like if you sit in her crate or sit right by the door of it? Is she happy with that?

If we put her in it and then give it her with the door open its better.
Its more when she knows no one is about and someone then comes in she kicks off. Like I said I can take chews from her mouth with no problems so we must be getting somewhere!

What I'd suggest (and please step in anybody else if you think there's anything better!) is, if she's in her crate with food & she growls, call her out - tempt her with something else. A toy, even a different treat. As soon as she comes out, take the treat & then give her some simple obedience commands - sit, down, something like that & then give her the treat.

That way, you're not rewarding the growling, but you are rewarding the obedience, and hopefully stopping the possessiveness.

It's finding a good treat which is the problem. Will have to get some meat for her, it might tempt her out then!

Yes, try & make it more interesting than what she already has.

have you tried trading food for a higher value food/treat/toy

thats what we did with Chance he was food aggressive all together, and all i did was sit with him while he's eating and trade his food or treat for an even tastier little treat and then praise him like mad and then give him back the original food.

Now we can take anything out of his mouth without so much a grumble

ella wrote:have you tried trading food for a higher value food/treat/toy

thats what we did with Chance he was food aggressive all together, and all i did was sit with him while he's eating and trade his food or treat for an even tastier little treat and then praise him like mad and then give him back the original food.

Now we can take anything out of his mouth without so much a grumble

That's what I was trying to get at, but not in such a clear way!

Haha it's just the way we did it