Understanding resource guarding in dogs

If your dog growls when someone approaches their food bowl, runs away with their toys, ‘steals items’ and won’t give them up, or becomes defensive when resting on the sofa, you may have been told that they are being "dominant" or "possessive". However, resource guarding generally reflects a concern about losing something important, a lack of trust, or general insecurity.

 

 

What is resource guarding?

Resource guarding is a normal canine behaviour. It occurs when a dog tries to prevent another person or animal from taking something they consider valuable. That resource could be:

• Food or chews.

• Toys.

• A bed or resting place.

• A valued person or animal.

• A ‘stolen’ item.

• Space or territories.

• Access to anything they enjoy.

 

 

What does resource guarding look like?

Not every dog will growl or bite when resource guarding. Many dogs communicate in much more subtle ways before the behaviour escalates. Signs may include:

• Becoming still or tense.

• Lowering their head over an item.

• Trying to swallow the item quickly.

• Running away with the item.

• Hiding the item away.

• Watching someone closely as they approach.

 

These behaviours are all forms of communication. Recognising the earlier signs allows us to respond before a dog feels the need to escalate further to growling or biting.

 

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Why do dogs resource guard?

Dogs guard resources because they believe those resources are important and may be taken away from them. For some dogs, this may relate to previous experiences that have degraded trust. For others, it may simply reflect how valuable they perceive the item to be.

 

Resource guarding can also become more likely if a dog is:

• Feeling anxious.

• Experiencing pain or discomfort.

• Living in a multi-pet household or with children.

• Frequently having items taken away from them.

• A history of having items taken away from them (even if this no longer occurs).

• Experiencing life changes or unpredictability.

• Feeling generally stressed.

• Suffering from other forms of anxiety.

 

 

Can resource guarding develop suddenly?

A lot of the time, resource guarding will develop gradually and may start to become more problematic as a dog reaches adolescence. However, it can also emerge more suddenly or later in life. This may relate to recent changes in routine, increased stress, illness, pain or changes within the household or relationships that influence how secure a dog feels.

 

 

Common mistakes to avoid:

1. Punishing a dog for growling

• Growling is valuable communication. If a dog learns that growling leads to punishment, they may go straight to more overt forms of communication. This can increase the risk of a bite occurring with little or no warning.

• The use of punishment is also associated with an increased risk of aggression in dogs and can damage trust and relationships.

 

2. Repeatedly taking things away

• Many owners are advised to regularly remove food or toys from dogs to “show who’s boss”.

• Additionally, some owners worry about their dog swallowing items and may repeatedly take items away from their dog from a young age.

• Unfortunately, this can teach a dog that people approaching predicts loss of resources, and that these resources must be very valuable as you clearly want them so much! This can inadvertently worsen resource guarding over time.

 

3. Chasing your dog

• If your dog has picked up a stolen item, chasing them often turns it into an exciting game whilst also increasing the perceived value of the object.

• Improving trust over time – and teaching your dog to willingly exchange or leave items - is a much safer and more effective approach.

 

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How can resource guarding be managed?

Every dog is different, but management often plays an important role while behaviour modification is underway. This might include:

• Feeding dogs separately if there are multiple pets.

• Giving high-value chews or toys in a secure and quiet area, or not at all.

• Preventing children from approaching dogs.

• Avoiding unnecessary confrontation over resources.

• Keeping certain items out of reach.

• Respecting a dog’s need for space.

 

Management doesn't solve the underlying problem, but it helps prevent further rehearsal of the behaviour while your dog learns that they no longer need to protect valuable resources.

 

 

Can resource guarding be treated?

In many cases, yes. Behaviour modification focuses on changing how your dog feels about people or other animals approaching valued resources. Rather than forcing a dog to tolerate situations they find worrying, the aim is to help them develop positive emotional associations and increased confidence over time. Because every dog's behaviour is influenced by their individual experiences, emotional state and environment, there is no single approach that is appropriate for every case.

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As a CCAB-accredited Clinical Animal Behaviourist, I carry out comprehensive behavioural assessments to understand the individual factors influencing your dog's behaviour. From there, I develop a tailored behaviour modification plan designed to improve your dog's confidence and emotional wellbeing while helping everyone stay safe. If you're worried about resource guarding, I'd be happy to help.