Most dog owners, especially first time dog owners, do not have a real understanding of what dog training is.  How could they?  This is not something taught to us in most schools, and dogs are a totally different species than we are.   The building blocks of dog training are very important, and it is the understanding of these and why they are used that confuse most dog owners.

The first thing you should know is dog training is a process.  There are many steps, and if you don't step off on the right foot in the first place, you will make your self a lot of unnecessary work later or just give up in frustration at a point where you could have excelled.  This blog seeks to give you some insights to understand the bones of the process in hopes that when you start training you will continue on to a very enjoyable life for you and your dog with a fabulous working relationship.

A decision has been made!  You have decided to take in a new adult dog into your family.   Before this action was taken:

1. You have already looked deep into whether you were ready for any dog.
2. Your lifestyle was analyzed so as to list the qualities in a dog that would fit well within your every day activities.
3. Breeders, Rescues, and ads to re-home adult dogs were looked at very carefully and vetted.

Now your new family member has arrived or will be arriving shortly.   The next two or three weeks are for your new adult dog family member to learn they are in a safe and predictable environment.   What are the immediate actions you can take to let that happen without the common pitfalls of many new dog owners or dog owners that have had no experience with a brand new adult dog.   That is what we will be talking about in this blog.

First, let me define what a resource guarder is in my opinion. A resource guarder is a canine, who has an overdeveloped concern that something they want is either going to be taken away OR they will not have access to it. This concern is usually expressed at first through growls, putting their paw over the object, lining objects up around them, or eyeing down an on comer. If this problem is ignored and not dealt with immediately, teeth will most likely be involved soon after. It does not take a canine who has this fear or concern long to realize an argument can be ended quickly with teeth. After the teeth are involved, bite inhibition decreases exponentially if the problem is ignored.

NOTE:   Often puppies will try to intimidate you, but just need a firm no and discipline.   An adult rescue may try and challenge you as well, but again a no or firm reprimand may easily sway them.   Not all dogs that try this once or twice are actually resource guarders, but may become them if an owner is unusually reluctant to stop the behavior or has a visible fear of dogs.   However, the type of dogs that I am talking about in this article are usually having a larger problem than the before mentioned.  Also it is the actions the dog shows when the item is attempted to be retrieved rather than the actions alone (gathering up toys, some dogs just enjoy placing them) that indicate whether you have a problem or not.

This concern for the canine exhibiting these behaviors may be very real (actually not receiving proper care or nutrition) or WAS very real at one time (stray and starving for a period of time and needing to fight to be fed). More often, the concern isn't the reality of the situation (in other words nutrition and care is more than adequate). Sometimes, there are times where we must restrict our canine companions access to things, or need to take something away from them. For instance, the need to remove garbage that is dangerous from a canine's mouth.

What are some things that dogs might consider resources?

• The owner, themselves. A dog might guard that owner from their own spouse or children. Sounds funny, but if you are dealing with this problem...it's really not.
• Strange people they like in general. Actually, my dog, Jack, is the only dog I know to have done this. If he decides he likes another dog's owner, then he used to attempt to guard that owner from their own dog.
• Something (anything like a piece of paper) that another dog or human has OR is about to bend down to get. The dog in question does not need to have the item themselves, they may just be guarding it from you or another canine.
• Food
• Toys
• Rocks
• Dead Things
• Favorite animal friend
• Things like seaweed that are not really food, but dogs know they can ingest.
• Laundry
• Rooms
• Crate
• Vehicle Interior
• Doors
• Tissues (what is it with Springers and tissues?) or paper products like towels in general
• Dog beds or mats
• And everything else that I have forgotten

This condition can come about due to many variables in a dog's life. They are not only the sole property of adult rescue dogs whose history may be unknown, believe it or not. Unfortunately, this can happen when responsible owners adopt a puppy. Here are some things that I have found make up the perfect storm for a resource guarder:

• Serious medical issues early on that make certain resources far to important to a young puppy. One of my client's dogs, Cerber a handsome GSD, had elbow problems and surgery starting before he was six months old. He was regulated to a pen area, and had just a few 15 minute potty breaks a day due to the healing process. He had both his elbows done, so it was closer to a year before he was able to do anything resembling what other dogs can do. He seriously did not want people taking either his food or peanut butter kong. You know this sort of thing is a judgement call. I believe the right judgement is for the sanity of your young puppy that he has something to do if he has this issue. However, be aware of the behavioral problems that may develop so that you are prepared.
• A first time owners' attempts to be sure their dog is not a resource guarder, but are done a bit too vigorously!!! Then what happens, is the dog gets a very real concern that things are going to be taken away willy nilly. Dogs need relaxation and breaks, and overdoing something can be a serious mistake that may in fact bring on the behavior that you didn't want in the first place.
• If a dog has a "ingesting" problem, and certain things needed to be kept from him/her; this can later manifest itself into resource guarding. My dog, Jack CD, had this very problem. Some dogs just get fixated on eating things they shouldn't.
• Prior abuse or neglect can cause this problem. If the dog ever had to fight for their food or could not count on food being given at all. In some dogs, this can cause a problem later on, if the dog gets out of this unfortunate place and into a good home. Of course in the original home, it will most likely be a problem, but neglectful and irresponsible owners won't notice or care!!
• A puppy that was separated from their litter a bit too early OR the mother did not nurse them, could have quite a few issues including resource guarding. So just be aware, if you decide to take a dog from a breeder and this has been disclosed, that you are going to need to be prepared and start a plan quite early to combat issues like this. Likewise a puppy from a shelter that has the same issues. It's great to rescue these puppies, just be aware that they often have special needs.
• I will commit the wost blasphemy here, and say it might just be part of their personal makeup. Humans all have unique personalities. There are some things that annoy us individually that do not annoy others (the sound of scratching annoys the heck out of me). Dogs are just as individual as we are:) I am not convinced that my dog's, Jack's, low tolerance for dogs being around "his" stuff isn't just what makes Jack, well Jack. Even in Jack's case, he is much more tolerant now, but we keep an eye out for the patience level waning. He's not thrilled about humans necessarily taking his stuff either, but he has a more infinite patience level for that.
• Insert here the infinite number of other things that I have not thought of yet.

A training and behavior modification plan is, of course, the best action in these cases. Some cases will be much simpler than others. It really seems to depend on how long the initial behavior was either allowed to continue OR the correct solutions were not found right away. Sometimes an owner is working diligently on a problem, even with the help of professionals, but the wrong answers and direction were given. This is not to say that every dog can be saved, and there is always the perfect answer. However, the vast majority of dogs that have ended up in the general dog owning public are able to be greatly improved upon in their ability to adapt to living with the human population as a pet. Children can be the great variable in this situation, in that you would hope a parent would never endanger their children no matter how much they may love the dog. If I don't take on a resource guarding case, it is normally because I don't think the children in the family should be exposed to the dog. Again, some problems are bigger than others, and some resource guarding dogs have a fairly simple issue that does not cause immediate endangerment.

So what sort of things would I expect to hear as options in a training and behavior modification plan for a dog whose primary problem is resource guarding:

1. The trainer should be interested in a detailed history of the dog with a strong emphasis on any medical history.
2. An obedience training plan is a must. The dog must be able to be communicated with. Yes, additional things that do not need to be done for just obedience training will need to be implemented, but it will be all for nothing without a strong partnership and communication developed to support the progress. (Can't emphasize enough the importance of a really, really well trained place, stay, and come command. These are stationary and movement commands that really really help with a dog that has aggressive responses to situations, and helps them learn the alternate things that can be done.)
3. The balance of discipline, trust, and respect should be talked about. With a dog like this, you need to have trust for the dog to relax around you should they have a treasured thing, which they have been allowed to have. Discipline is the form of communication that says there are some behaviors that absolutely will not be tolerated. Respect comes from the understanding of the working relationship between you and your dog. I didn't mention love. Why? Because I have yet to meet the dog that did not love and adore their owner no matter what. The actions of resource guarding have nothing to do with a dog not loving you.
4. Options options options. How will the trainer make this work? How will they measure their progress? What will tip them off to the fact that it's time to try something new or change up something? The number of tools, methods, experience, and knowledge of very many different things stacked the odds in favor of your individual dog finding the right mix.
5. So many new trainers or trainers that do not work with resource guarding or aggressive dogs THINK they have seen every personality in dog training. You are going to want to know that your trainer has seen a wide variety of personalities, and that they are continually surprised and awed by what they can see. I have had my easiest and hardest dogs this year alone. This isn't to say I haven't had many a hard dog in the past, because I most definitely have. In twelve short years, I have lost track of the hundreds of dogs that I have seen. I know that owners are sometimes not exaggerating in any form or fashion what they are actually seeing. Experience will give you a trainer that knows the behavioral bends that a dog can take, and will let them know that they are not going to know that dog (necessarily) in the first few weeks.
6. Management vs training. What do I mean by that? Well first of all, I firmly believe that any good training is bound to involve behavior modification on some level. Training is a method to communicate and set up a partnership with your dog. Behavior modification is the change in a behavior that is not wanted in the human household (and is a reasonable expectation) to one that is more acceptable. Management is the means by which to keep people and other living beings safe. Crates, muzzles, when to allow the dog near people, and managing the environment are all ways to manage or stack the odds for safety. Management normally includes things that you eventually do not want to need to count on OR you want to eliminate them all together OR you want to have to use them in very limited and short term ways. In any aggression or such case that I can think of, there is going to be a degree of management discussed.
7. And everything else that I have forgotten to mention.

So know that this is a serious problem. Every dog does not have to love to share, BUT do not let serious behavioral issues manifest and fester. You may be faced with a much larger problem down the road if you do not find the appropriate and working answers quickly.

Do you have a brewing or full blown behavioral problem?  We can point you down the path, and your life will get much less stressful as your dog improves.   Please call us, e-mail us, or fill out our client interview form.

If you spend time working with the dog you have, you will grow to appreciate them for who they are. A professional dog trainer will be able to design a training plan that will help you maintain an incredible working relationship:)


I have said before, I do not see dogs as a listing of their faults as their total personality or "the real dog".   I always see dogs as them plus their potential.   That being said, not every dog's potential is to be the idealized "bomb proof" dog who loves everything and anybody no matter what.   A dog with behavioral problems does have a very statistically high probability of dramatic improvement in some way.  If we get beyond the point expected for the team, I will gladly take that.   Sometimes and not often a dog does much better than I imagined for them.   Owners should take that kind of success, if it happens but should know not to expect more of their dog than they can deliver realistically.


If you have stopped working with a behaviorally challenged dog, realistically you should expect the behavior will revert back.   Some people call this "unpredictable", but trainers who work with dogs know that is highly predictable and likely.   An owner can not get to a level, and then drop back to no social interaction, no training ET, and expect the dog to be fine later on when put into a situation that is no longer familiar to them.  


Too many owners feel that because a dog now gets along well with the dog that lives in their home, suddenly they are now opened up to meeting all sorts of strange dogs.   If you have a dog that does not like dogs getting into their face, and has not relaxed later on (though is in control around these dogs) with strange dogs getting in their face----please do not think your dog is now fine to have loose, not under command, and suddenly like strange dogs doing this.   It is not unpredictable that something bad might happen, it is a highly predictable event.  The owner is still responsible to manage the environment and work the training to keep their dog and others safe (or humans safe).  This does not matter if the dog coming up is cute and friendly, if the behaviorally challenged dog does not perceive the circumstances in this way.  


Through socialization and practice the professional dog trainer or dog owner can find out that their dog does in fact like play and/or does like strange dogs.   Sometimes their frustration at not being able to play comes across as aggressive actions as the dog gets too aroused, stimulated, and frustrated.   Remember though, the DOG is coming to that conclusion under their own free will, a dog can not be forced to like playing with another dog.   A skilled handler or trainer can bring out that natural inclination if it indeed exists.


Some dogs are not going to like other dogs, especially strange dogs, coming right into their face.   Often, one can train these dogs to be controllable and learn not to react when given a directive from their owners.   This requires a lot of serious and consistent training.  A dedicated owner is necessary for this to work.   It takes a lot more work than if you happen to own a dog that really does like other dogs.  Stress is involved in owning and working a dog like this.   Again, dogs are more than their behavioral issues to those who love them.   The rest of the dog is worth the additional work needed to get them to a safer and consistent base.   When they are there and in control, this does not mean an owner can sit back, put up their feet, and forget what their dog is up to or doing, especially in new and different situations.  


I have owned three dogs like this (Shana, Jackie CD, and Neptune).   So I am really aware of what it takes to do this.  Sometimes owners do not listen or heed the warnings and an event occurs.   It usually occurs when they decide it's okay to let Ginger meet the friendly dog after all.   Sometimes it is because the owner is embarrassed that they do not own the kind of dog who they could expect to greet "miscellaneous friendly dog" politely, and they give into the peer pressure of the other owner who assures that their dog is friendly.   The point is, it does not matter that "miscellaneous friendly dog" is friendly or not, what matters is how your dog perceives the situation.   If you release them into "miscellaneous friendly dog's" space to their own devices, you have just given up control of your dog and are now hoping that your dog is not going to repeat the predictable behavior that they have historically done in the past.   THAT does not work for the dog.   They are not reading your mind, and we are not able to tell them in English that we would prefer if they did not bite "miscellaneous friendly dog".  


Trainers always try to explain to clients the clarity of being able to tell your dog WHAT to do rather than trying to have them guess what we want them NOT TO DO.   Also, when walking a potentially aggressive dog in control around other people, we can not expect those humans to know what our dog is capable of.   That is the owner's responsibility to know their dog, and to explain that to a public that will erroneously release their friendly dog towards you.   The general public expects all potentially aggressive dogs to look wildly out of control, and be openly aggressive.  The only one that can let someone in on the hidden behavioral challenges of their dog is their owner.


Some owners will be so proud of what they have accomplished, they drop the training, and remain in complete denial about some aspects of their dogs personality.   They believed that even though their dog never showed an acceptance of strange dogs, suddenly their dog is going to be able to handle this (out of the blue so to speak).  So suddenly their dog is released in social situations that they would never have been while training was going on.  That is not a good combination to have.   It virtually guarantees that an incident will happen in the future.  To the dog owner this guaranteed incident feels "unpredictable" when it happens.  They feel they can no longer trust their dog.


That is a shame, because what they can trust and predict is that their dog never did and still does not like dogs getting in their face.   Should you not prepare them or release them to do "as they will", it really should be no surprise that they will exhibit the aggressive behavior.


It really happens with all sorts of dog behavioral issues outside of aggression, but aggression is what will have dog owners giving up on their dogs, so that is what I am concentrating on in this post.  If you go for years with a potentially aggressive dog that has not had incidents, this is usually due to training continuing, management of the environment (IE "no my dog is not friendly, my dog can not meet yours and your dog can not come over", muzzles and such).  Just because the incidents did not occur does not mean that your dog suddenly loves every strange dog on the planet.   The ones who do decide they are into strange dogs are pretty obvious about it.   Though one point I should make is that their behavior can vary depending on the handler in whose hands they feel the most safe.   I have at least one client's dogs who comes here, and their owner can not make them feel safe enough to release them to play, while the dog views me and my place as a safe zone.   This does not frequently happen, but it can happen that a dog does not feel safe with their owner.  Maybe because their owner is not that good at reading other dogs and/or their own dog.   Lots of reasons may come into play for this, but again it is usually fairly obvious when this happens.   So if this client suddenly decides that just because their dog is relaxed enough to do this here, that their dog can suddenly do this with them without the additional work and training (in this case to train the human), they are fooling themselves.

Does are you struggling with your dog's behavioral problems?  Mannerly Mutts Dog training programs can begin to make life a lot easier and more enjoyable for the both of you.