Let’s talk about dog resource guarding. Have you ever said this about your ‘bad’ dog? “My dog stays away from me or growls at me if I come close, when he has something, he KNOWS he should not have?” I hear this from dog owners enough so that I thought it would be worth talking about, to give you a different perspective. Is that REALLY the reason for your dog playing keep away?
I get it why you may think this way. Afterall, usually what you are referring to if I hear you use that phrase is your dog having something that YOU do not want your dog to have. That something could be a twig, stone or dead animal outside or a stolen shoe, sock or television changer.
Chances are if YOU do not want your dog to have that thing, then your response to your dog having possession of it has been to take it back from him. Because, of course, he should not have it and he knows better.
Let’s take a step back and look at this from your dog’s perspective.
He has his own personal, internal reasons for wanting that thing. Something about being in possession of it is of extreme value or else he would give it up easily. Here are just a few of the many reasons:
- Sensory stimulation. It just feels good to hold that thing. Maybe it tastes really awesome or has a texture that is appealing. Maybe it squeaks or moves in neat ways. Maybe it smells like humans your dog values.
- Relief of boredom. Maybe it gives your dog something fun and challenging to do at a time when there is nothing better going on. It could be that taking something has become a great tool for getting his owner’s attention.
- Natural, instinctual needs are met. Maybe the thing helps your dog to get his biological needs met such as for hunting, destruction, sniffing.
- Maybe your dog has an underlying medical issue that is impacting how your dog values that thing and how your dog reacts to those who approach while in possession.
Those are some likely potential reasons why your dog may have taken that something in the first place. An unlikely reason for your dog to have it is because he is just being bad, grabbing something that he knows he is not supposed to have.
There is also a high probability that the reason you concluded that your dog KNOWS he SHOULD NOT HAVE IT is simply because of the history he has learned. Each time he has something in this category (or even some or most of the time), you take it from him. Since he does not want to hand it over, he therefore knows HE SHOULD NOT HAVE IT.
The reality is actually that for whatever reason, he took something to fulfill a need, and he values it enough to want to protect it against it be stolen.
This will vary depending on the dog and the thing, but here are a few strategies I would consider using in this scenario.
- A thorough vet exam to look for any underlying medical issue.
- Do my best to manage for prevention of the dog having access to that tempting choice while making sure that whatever need that ‘thing’ was fulfilling for that dog, that it is being met in other more human approved activities.
- Unless that ‘thing’ is of extreme danger to the dog, I would not take it away. If it is extremely dangerous (like it is poisonous), I would try to swap it for something more positive if that is available. If absolutely necessary to use restraint to get it from the dog, try to do it as quick and minimally invasive as possible and follow it with something of HUGE value to the dog.
- If it is not of extreme danger, I won’t add fuel to the fire by making big attempts to get it away (that can include chasing, which can ADD value to the object). I’ll try to distract with something else AWAY from the thing, then go back for it when the dog is not focused on it.
- Additionally, training for dropping something and turning away from something can be very helpful.
If YOU have a ‘bad’ dog who takes lots of things he ‘knows he should not have’, I encourage you to restate that thought. Think instead, “My dog just got something that is fulfilling a need he has. I am going to spend effort figuring out that need and helping him get that need fulfilled in other ways.”
