Resource Guarding

[NicoleKehler]

We have a 9 month old Sheperd Pyrenees Rottie mix, she is spayed and is an inside dog. She is very high energy and we take her out for runs whenever we can (lately it has been way too cold to go out, so I am aware she is lacking in the exercise department but there's only so much we can do inside). She does go to daycare once a week which REALLY helps on that day.

She is generally a quick learner but is very strong willed and will usually only listen on her own terms (unless there are treats involved). She is HIGHLY food motivated, to the point where she shows aggression with anything food related. We now hand feed her meals by holding her food bowl and putting her food in little by little, which generally helps and slows her down as she would just inhale her food without chewing before (you can usually put your hand on her or pet her now while she is eating to show you're not the bad guy, but she does still growl at times). Treats like bones and kongs are still an issue but there are just simply times when we need her to go lay down while we are doing something so we give it to her anyway and let her have it by herself on her bed. However when it is time for her to stop chewing on it, she is very protective and will growl and snap when you try to remove it (sometimes to the point where we are actually afraid she may bite). We were recommended to take a high value treat and throw it in the opposite direction so she will need to get up and leave the item to go get the treat, so we are doing that now which usually helps. As soon as the item she is guarding is removed she is totally fine and doesn't try to get it back.

We are trying to undo some habits that have formed which we think are making her feel like she is the dominant one of the household (such as being able to sit on the couch). There is progress being made with this one which is great. Her listening skills are terrible though unless you have treats. 

I guess a big question is how do you train a dog using treats without enabling the food aggression tendencies? I don't want to be inadvertently reinforcing the bad behaviour, however she just simply doesn't listen well when there are no treats involved. She loves to play with her puzzle toys that dispense treats, however we were warned by a local trainer that these toys may make the problem worse which we obviously don't want, but she still needs the mental stimulation. Recall is a whole other story too, she absolutely won't come back to you outside so we can only take her out on a leash now.

Any suggestions?

[NicoleKehler]

I should also mention that she is actually quite good with her impulse control when she is focused on it. We can leave a treat on her paw and she won't take it until we say okay. Same with her food at mealtimes. 

[Adrienne]

Hello and welcome to the forums,

With inclement weather, the good thing is that brain games can be mentally stimulating (some claim they can be even more tiring than exercise on its own). On top of brain games, nosework and clicker training can also be great ways to tire out a dog on those rainy, snormy days. 

Usually, dogs who will listen only when treats are involved simply think that treats are the part of the equation and therefore have become overly dependent on their presence. In other words, over time, the presence of food may become the actual cue to perform the behavior and if you present the food when your dog has repeatedly refused to obey your verbal or visual cue, this will reinforce the belief that the sight of the food is the actual cue to perform the behavior.

This is why it's important when using treats/food, to fade out their sight as soon as possible. You can read more about the whole ordeal and process here:

https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/dog-listens-treats/

https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/brain-training/polishing-up-training/fading-food-lures/

https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/use-treats-training-dog/

In regards to resource guarding, I personally use the same method when needed to remove something from a dog that is prone to guarding, but I add a few extra safety steps by tossing the high-value food the opposite direction past a baby gate or door so that I can close that door/baby gate once the dog is past it allowing me to safely remove the item. On top of that, I ensure that the high-value treat is always much more valuable than the item left behind while also considering durability. I often see trainers use a single treat, to remove a bone, but in my opinion the dog is not totally satisfied with the trade (the dog eats the treat and goes back looking for the bone or appears distressed), so I try as much as possible to trade a long-duration chew like a bone that has been consumed for the most part, with something durable as well such but offering more to eat such as a bully stick or stuffed Kong. 

To answer your question: how do you train a dog using treats without enabling the food aggression tendencies? The answer is that it depends on the extent of the problem. Is she ever guarding food that you have on you such as in your treat bag or pockets? Or does she guard only when she is in full possession of them?

If it's only when she is in possession of something, the issue is mostly a matter of trust. The dog doesn't trust us being close to them because they fear losing access to such items. So when they growl or snap when we are removing a food bowl, food wrapper or chewed toy, we are only confirming their fears, exacerbating the issue.  We can therefore only increase trust by showing to them repeatedly that, not only it's not our intent removing the item, but that we are actually thinking of adding stuff or trading something by providing something 10 times better. 

This concept takes time to sink in in dogs who have rehearsed resource guarding for some time, but after several reps we may start seeing changes from body tension to a happy face or tail wag. Once we gain this response, it's important to keep it up and practice several rehearsals of happy additions and trades every now and then for maintenance.

For instance, with puppies, I like to make it a habit every now and then of nonchalantly walking by the food bowl and adding some goodies to the point of creating a conditioned emotional response. https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/conditioned-emotional-response-cer/ For some serious guarders, I will keep my distance and toss the goodies towards the food bowl as I pass by rather than placing them in the bowl directly. 

As I do this, I always monitor for signs of the dog going over threshold which tells me that a few steps back need to be taken.: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/threshold-levels/

For some dogs who are too hyped up about treats, we can also try using their kibble instead and see if this mellows them down a bit... just enough for them to still be active participants, but without getting too overly stimulated by it. 

I can see how your trainer may be concerned about puzzle toys making her worse as we have food and a toy combined, however, there can be ways around this. For instance, rather than filling them with treats, we can fill them with kibble if your dog perceives kibble as lower value and we can provide such toys behind a baby crate. We can then trade them for something else once the dog has emptied them (which should reduce its value) while using the method described above (using higher value treats and a door/baby gate for extra safety). Of course, check with your trainer on this though as I have not personally assessed your dog so I don't the extent of her possessive behavior. 

You can read more threads on resource guarding here:

Recalls can be somewhat of a challenge sometimes with Pyrenees and Pry mixes. I don't know what percentage of Pry she has, but these dogs are serious workers and want to ensure everything is OK outside. They are bred to be independent thinkers. They are not though *dominant* in the way we may think: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/dominance/

They are for the most part smart, independent thinkers who need to be convinced that what you are asking them to do is in their best interest. “Because I said so” won't cut it with this breed. This is a breed that therefore has you thinking outside of the box. The goal is working together to find a common ground – a positive, trusting relationship.

With the recall, you may need to take baby steps to create a strong reinforcement history which makes your recall music to her ears. https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/brain-training/obedience-101/recall/

Start indoors. With a Pyr I had, we practiced indoors a lot at first and the best reinforcer for her was giving her a treat and then letting her out to explore to do her own thing of checking the perimeter of the fence and marking. If you are calling her to come inside from outside, this may be perceived as punishment rather than reinforcement because she feels that she has important things to do outside such as checking things out.

At 9 months, your dog is an adolescent, and therefore we can see several changes during this time. Important is to keep up the training, socialization and keeping that brain and body active. 

https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/survive-dogs-adolescent-stage/

Pry are also roamers and need a securely fenced yard, I don't know if you have this or are planning to get a fenced area, but the instinct to roam is strong in these dogs. Keeping her on a long line may be a good compromise for now. A long line is a sort of long leash that comes in various measurements and can be found for dogs online or an alternate version for horses in tack stores that can be used for dogs as well. 

I hope this helps,

Let me know if you have any other questions and I'll be happy to go more in depth. 

Best,

Adrienne 

Disclaimer: behavior modification for resource guarding comes with risks. If your dog shows signs of potential aggression (lunging, barking, growling, snapping) for safety, please consult with a dog behavior professional who uses force-free behavior modification techniques for direct in-person guidance. 

 

[JMFS]

I used to try to pet Momo while he was eating to show him I was just being friendly.  I believe it was Adrienne who gave me perspective on this.  I'm going to tailor the example to your situation. 

So put yourself at the dinner table and you're in the middle of eating and suddenly one of your friends starts brushing your hair, fixing your shirt, maybe touching your hand.  At this point you might be feeling a little bristly because this is odd behavior and you're just trying to eat.  Very similar for a dog.  And heaven forbid that friend stick their hand in your food or try to take your plate away while you're eating.  I don't know about you, but I'm going to say or do something about that situation.  Now think of a dog, who isn't as well equipped as we are to logically reason out this situation. 

Now think of that same friend coming by to sit down at the table, or just walking by, and they put bread down for you, or maybe a dessert.  We're feeling a little warmer and fuzzier about this interaction, yes?  Dogs, too! 

When I was working with Momo my trainer had me walk past his bowl and toss treats into it.  We saw his whole attitude change by the end of the 5 weeks we worked together.  We still had a Long way to go because this was an 8-years-in-the-making issue, but me understanding his take on it, and him learning that me + bowl = extra food made our lives together far better.  Over time the treats were phased out, but never completely - he still needs reminders and I am the bringer of happy times and he wants me there.  Even 2 years later (I think it's been 2 years . . .) I'll go through most of the steps for a couple days to reinforce the idea that he can trust his food around me.  I don't know that we'll ever get him to trust other animals, or even people other than me, but as long and he and I are square then life is good.  We caution our guests that if food has dropped on the ground and he's going for it, just let it go.  We haven't gotten to that point, though, as the dogs aren't allowed around guests when food is out and I feed him before guests arrive (less hungry, less likely to be on the hunt).  For the most part the dogs aren't allowed around guests, food or not, but they manage to squeeze themselves into the conversation here and there.

Anyway, I wanted to share that perspective because it really helped me understand what Mo was thinking when he was getting all upset with me.  I was not minding My manners so he didn't mind his.

[NicoleKehler]

17 hours ago, Adrienne said:

Hello and welcome to the forums,

With inclement weather, the good thing is that brain games can be mentally stimulating (some claim they can be even more tiring than exercise on its own). On top of brain games, nosework and clicker training can also be great ways to tire out a dog on those rainy, snormy days. 

Usually, dogs who will listen only when treats are involved simply think that treats are the part of the equation and therefore have become overly dependent on their presence. In other words, over time, the presence of food may become the actual cue to perform the behavior and if you present the food when your dog has repeatedly refused to obey your verbal or visual cue, this will reinforce the belief that the sight of the food is the actual cue to perform the behavior.

This is why it's important when using treats/food, to fade out their sight as soon as possible. You can read more about the whole ordeal and process here:

https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/dog-listens-treats/

https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/brain-training/polishing-up-training/fading-food-lures/

https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/use-treats-training-dog/

In regards to resource guarding, I personally use the same method when needed to remove something from a dog that is prone to guarding, but I add a few extra safety steps by tossing the high-value food the opposite direction past a baby gate or door so that I can close that door/baby gate once the dog is past it allowing me to safely remove the item. On top of that, I ensure that the high-value treat is always much more valuable than the item left behind while also considering durability. I often see trainers use a single treat, to remove a bone, but in my opinion the dog is not totally satisfied with the trade (the dog eats the treat and goes back looking for the bone or appears distressed), so I try as much as possible to trade a long-duration chew like a bone that has been consumed for the most part, with something durable as well such but offering more to eat such as a bully stick or stuffed Kong. 

To answer your question: how do you train a dog using treats without enabling the food aggression tendencies? The answer is that it depends on the extent of the problem. Is she ever guarding food that you have on you such as in your treat bag or pockets? Or does she guard only when she is in full possession of them?

If it's only when she is in possession of something, the issue is mostly a matter of trust. The dog doesn't trust us being close to them because they fear losing access to such items. So when they growl or snap when we are removing a food bowl, food wrapper or chewed toy, we are only confirming their fears, exacerbating the issue.  We can therefore only increase trust by showing to them repeatedly that, not only it's not our intent removing the item, but that we are actually thinking of adding stuff or trading something by providing something 10 times better. 

This concept takes time to sink in in dogs who have rehearsed resource guarding for some time, but after several reps we may start seeing changes from body tension to a happy face or tail wag. Once we gain this response, it's important to keep it up and practice several rehearsals of happy additions and trades every now and then for maintenance.

For instance, with puppies, I like to make it a habit every now and then of nonchalantly walking by the food bowl and adding some goodies to the point of creating a conditioned emotional response. https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/conditioned-emotional-response-cer/ For some serious guarders, I will keep my distance and toss the goodies towards the food bowl as I pass by rather than placing them in the bowl directly. 

As I do this, I always monitor for signs of the dog going over threshold which tells me that a few steps back need to be taken.: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/threshold-levels/

For some dogs who are too hyped up about treats, we can also try using their kibble instead and see if this mellows them down a bit... just enough for them to still be active participants, but without getting too overly stimulated by it. 

I can see how your trainer may be concerned about puzzle toys making her worse as we have food and a toy combined, however, there can be ways around this. For instance, rather than filling them with treats, we can fill them with kibble if your dog perceives kibble as lower value and we can provide such toys behind a baby crate. We can then trade them for something else once the dog has emptied them (which should reduce its value) while using the method described above (using higher value treats and a door/baby gate for extra safety). Of course, check with your trainer on this though as I have not personally assessed your dog so I don't the extent of her possessive behavior. 

You can read more threads on resource guarding here:

Recalls can be somewhat of a challenge sometimes with Pyrenees and Pry mixes. I don't know what percentage of Pry she has, but these dogs are serious workers and want to ensure everything is OK outside. They are bred to be independent thinkers. They are not though *dominant* in the way we may think: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/dominance/

They are for the most part smart, independent thinkers who need to be convinced that what you are asking them to do is in their best interest. “Because I said so” won't cut it with this breed. This is a breed that therefore has you thinking outside of the box. The goal is working together to find a common ground – a positive, trusting relationship.

With the recall, you may need to take baby steps to create a strong reinforcement history which makes your recall music to her ears. https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/brain-training/obedience-101/recall/

Start indoors. With a Pyr I had, we practiced indoors a lot at first and the best reinforcer for her was giving her a treat and then letting her out to explore to do her own thing of checking the perimeter of the fence and marking. If you are calling her to come inside from outside, this may be perceived as punishment rather than reinforcement because she feels that she has important things to do outside such as checking things out.

At 9 months, your dog is an adolescent, and therefore we can see several changes during this time. Important is to keep up the training, socialization and keeping that brain and body active. 

https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/survive-dogs-adolescent-stage/

Pry are also roamers and need a securely fenced yard, I don't know if you have this or are planning to get a fenced area, but the instinct to roam is strong in these dogs. Keeping her on a long line may be a good compromise for now. A long line is a sort of long leash that comes in various measurements and can be found for dogs online or an alternate version for horses in tack stores that can be used for dogs as well. 

I hope this helps,

Let me know if you have any other questions and I'll be happy to go more in depth. 

Best,

Adrienne 

Disclaimer: behavior modification for resource guarding comes with risks. If your dog shows signs of potential aggression (lunging, barking, growling, snapping) for safety, please consult with a dog behavior professional who uses force-free behavior modification techniques for direct in-person guidance. 

 

She typically only guards things when she is in possession of them, she won't show any signs of resource guarding for anything we have on us. We tried the technique of tossing a treat into her bowl this morning while we were holding it but that seemed to take 10 steps back in our progress (as I mentioned, we hold her bowl while she eats and ration it out - which has been working quite well up until now). For her first half of her meal she ate nice and slowly and was very calm, but the second we put the higher value treat in there she started growling and just about bit me after she was already done eating. Should we continue to try to do this (hand feeding her and dropping a treat in) or should we try to leave her bowl on the ground and do the walk by treat drop? We've done this in the past and it seemed to work, but then it got worse again so we stopped and started holding the bowl.

As far as what we use as treats for training, we really only use her food. We rarely actually need to use a higher valued treat to get her attention, however it seems she slowly is getting used to it and we may need to up the value. Now that you mention her seeing the treat as the cue, we definitely notice that happening. As soon as she hears us putting our hand in the treat jar she starts listening. I will read up on the articles you mentioned to try to get past that.

When you mention using a long lasting high value treat to throw in the opposite direction so we can get whatever it is she is chewing on, I am just concerned that we will be on this never ending train of trying to find something better than what she has. Is it okay to give her something that is still higher in value but is not as long lasting?

When it is just my husband and I at home we are used to how she behaves, but we have a new little nephew now and the last thing we want is for her to react while they are around which is why we are trying to get her used to people being around her when she has something of higher value. You never know what kids will do and I don't want anyone to get hurt.

It is good to learn a little bit more about her breed, specifically that they are independent thinkers and are roamers. We currently have a running lead outside that we put her on sometimes but we may consider putting up a fenced area in our yard for her so she doesn't need to be tied up.

[NicoleKehler]

15 hours ago, JenniferM. said:

I used to try to pet Momo while he was eating to show him I was just being friendly.  I believe it was Adrienne who gave me perspective on this.  I'm going to tailor the example to your situation. 

So put yourself at the dinner table and you're in the middle of eating and suddenly one of your friends starts brushing your hair, fixing your shirt, maybe touching your hand.  At this point you might be feeling a little bristly because this is odd behavior and you're just trying to eat.  Very similar for a dog.  And heaven forbid that friend stick their hand in your food or try to take your plate away while you're eating.  I don't know about you, but I'm going to say or do something about that situation.  Now think of a dog, who isn't as well equipped as we are to logically reason out this situation. 

Now think of that same friend coming by to sit down at the table, or just walking by, and they put bread down for you, or maybe a dessert.  We're feeling a little warmer and fuzzier about this interaction, yes?  Dogs, too! 

When I was working with Momo my trainer had me walk past his bowl and toss treats into it.  We saw his whole attitude change by the end of the 5 weeks we worked together.  We still had a Long way to go because this was an 8-years-in-the-making issue, but me understanding his take on it, and him learning that me + bowl = extra food made our lives together far better.  Over time the treats were phased out, but never completely - he still needs reminders and I am the bringer of happy times and he wants me there.  Even 2 years later (I think it's been 2 years . . .) I'll go through most of the steps for a couple days to reinforce the idea that he can trust his food around me.  I don't know that we'll ever get him to trust other animals, or even people other than me, but as long and he and I are square then life is good.  We caution our guests that if food has dropped on the ground and he's going for it, just let it go.  We haven't gotten to that point, though, as the dogs aren't allowed around guests when food is out and I feed him before guests arrive (less hungry, less likely to be on the hunt).  For the most part the dogs aren't allowed around guests, food or not, but they manage to squeeze themselves into the conversation here and there.

Anyway, I wanted to share that perspective because it really helped me understand what Mo was thinking when he was getting all upset with me.  I was not minding My manners so he didn't mind his.

Thanks Jennifer, this is very helpful. We did work with a trainer who used the exact same metaphor, which makes total sense!

[JMFS]

When it was broken down like that for me I felt the same way - makes total sense! 

With her getting agitated over the high value treat it may be too much too soon with putting it in her bowl.  Here's what our week one of training looked like:  Bowl on ground, empty (feed Mo before training), Mo in a sit (this is to give us reaction time in case the dog snaps - it takes them a little longer to do so from a sit than stand).  Touch bowl with hand, treat, walk away.  Touch bowl with hand, treat, walk away.  Meals - dump food in bowl, walk away.  This forms a positive association with the bowl and you touching the bowl.

I practiced that for a week, several times per day, before we moved on to the next step, which I can't remember and I don't want to give bad advice because of a faulty memory so I'll stop with week 1.  It was a Very slow process, though.  Lots of baby steps, and practicing those steps.

When your nephew is over it's probably going to be best to a) manage - make sure there's no food around, even your own b) separate dog and human - if there is a room that can be gated, for example c) train the child - sounds funny, but I'd say humans are the number one cause of dog bites.  On average humans don't understand dog body language.  The dog can be giving four or five clear (in their head) signs that they're not happy with a situation, but we humans completely miss it.  Children especially.  Teaching your nephew to respect her boundaries is going to be key to his safety.  Children also Love giving dogs things.  Toys, food, fingers . . . and with a guarder that's a bad mix. 

A fence will make your life so much easier.  I have a lead for Gertie but she manages to tangle it on all our shrubs (she Loves diving for lizards).  I'd say 75% of the time I go out there she's managed some confounding configuration of entanglement.  It's handy, though, for when we have people working around the house (we're Very slowly getting it ready for sale, waiting for that right moment in the market). I can send her out on the lead, workers are safe.  Most of the time, though, the dogs are let out in the front yard and I just cross my fingers Gertie and Abbi don't roll in something disgusting (for whatever reason Momo, the only male, doesn't roll but the girls thrill in getting stinky).

[Adrienne]

Should we try to leave her bowl on the ground and do the walk by treat drop? We've done this in the past and it seemed to work, but then it got worse again so we stopped and started holding the bowl.

Please note that placing treats in the food bowl was just an example of the work I do with puppies mostly those young ones who have no history of resource guarding or very mild signs so to teach them that great things happen when I approach them while eating. With dogs with already a history of resource guarding, who threaten to bite or who are older, I will toss the treats as I walk by as any type of approach near their bowls (even a hand approaching to add treats) can be perceived negatively as if we were instead trying to take away.

Holding the food bowl puts you too close for comfort and your hands on the bowl can be perceived as your intent of really wanting to keep possession of the bowl and its contents. It's sort of like a waiter reaching for and holding on to your plate when you are trying to finish a delicious steak. It would make you eat faster so that he doesn't take it back while all sorts of bad things may cross your mind (rude waiter, I haven't finished my meal yet, let me finish in peace!).

Here is a quote I often use for owners or guarders from a respected veterinary behaviorist: 

"“We should be advising clients against poking and prodding a dog while eating. It may help to tell clients that messing with a dog’s food bowl when he is trying to eat is like somebody messing with your plate or petting your head when you are trying to eat dinner. Nobody likes that. However, you may be more tolerant, maybe even look forward to the person approaching if you know that the person was going to give you a small bowl of Ben & Jerry’s Chocolate Therapy ice cream every time approached.”— Dr. Albright, veterinary behaviorist

I know there is a strong belief that dogs who guard stuff are trying to be in control, so called "alphas" and that these dogs must submit to us, but resource guarding is no longer considered an issue of a dog who wants to be alpha. 

After the dominance myth has been debunked, we know that dogs who guard bowls are actually dogs who are anxious and insecure around resources. They come to see us as enemies and holding their bowls or petting them as they eat, only confirms to them that we really have an intent to take things away. So for safety, please no touching your dog or touching the bowl anymore. That only makes your dog rehearse the problematic behavior, and the more it's rehearsed, the more it puts roots and establishes, confirming that you really have an intent to take her food away. 

So if you want to work on this issue for now as a stating point, leaving her bowl on the ground and tossing treats as you walk by at a distance she's comfortable with can be helpful, but you'll need to make sure that you gauge her carefully and keep your distance from her and ensure she is always under threshold as much as possible. https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/threshold-levels/ You want to aim for a positive conditioned emotional response, rather than tension. https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/conditioned-emotional-response-cer/ The more she reacts, the more you are communicating to her that you are a threat and this sets you back in any progress made. For extra safety, erecting a baby gate in between you and your dog can help protect you in case she may feel threatened enough to react.

Consider that working on anxiety, aggression requires behavior modification more than just training, so there are greater margins for error if done too fast or sloppily, and more risks,  therefore I always recommend for safety and correct implementation to consult with a behavior professional who can provide in-person coaching and assistance. Hence why I always post disclaimers and suggest dog owners work along with a professional. 

[NicoleKehler]

9 minutes ago, JenniferM. said:

When it was broken down like that for me I felt the same way - makes total sense! 

With her getting agitated over the high value treat it may be too much too soon with putting it in her bowl.  Here's what our week one of training looked like:  Bowl on ground, empty (feed Mo before training), Mo in a sit (this is to give us reaction time in case the dog snaps - it takes them a little longer to do so from a sit than stand).  Touch bowl with hand, treat, walk away.  Touch bowl with hand, treat, walk away.  Meals - dump food in bowl, walk away.  This forms a positive association with the bowl and you touching the bowl.

I practiced that for a week, several times per day, before we moved on to the next step, which I can't remember and I don't want to give bad advice because of a faulty memory so I'll stop with week 1.  It was a Very slow process, though.  Lots of baby steps, and practicing those steps.

When your nephew is over it's probably going to be best to a) manage - make sure there's no food around, even your own b) separate dog and human - if there is a room that can be gated, for example c) train the child - sounds funny, but I'd say humans are the number one cause of dog bites.  On average humans don't understand dog body language.  The dog can be giving four or five clear (in their head) signs that they're not happy with a situation, but we humans completely miss it.  Children especially.  Teaching your nephew to respect her boundaries is going to be key to his safety.  Children also Love giving dogs things.  Toys, food, fingers . . . and with a guarder that's a bad mix. 

A fence will make your life so much easier.  I have a lead for Gertie but she manages to tangle it on all our shrubs (she Loves diving for lizards).  I'd say 75% of the time I go out there she's managed some confounding configuration of entanglement.  It's handy, though, for when we have people working around the house (we're Very slowly getting it ready for sale, waiting for that right moment in the market). I can send her out on the lead, workers are safe.  Most of the time, though, the dogs are let out in the front yard and I just cross my fingers Gertie and Abbi don't roll in something disgusting (for whatever reason Momo, the only male, doesn't roll but the girls thrill in getting stinky).

Thanks Jennifer, that's an interesting take on touching the bowl and giving treats, I never would have thought of that. We will give that a shot!

[NicoleKehler]

9 minutes ago, Adrienne said:

Should we try to leave her bowl on the ground and do the walk by treat drop? We've done this in the past and it seemed to work, but then it got worse again so we stopped and started holding the bowl.

Please note that placing treats in the food bowl was just an example of the work I do with puppies mostly those young ones who have no history of resource guarding or very mild signs so to teach them that great things happen when I approach them while eating. With dogs with already a history of resource guarding, who threaten to bite or who are older, I will toss the treats as I walk by as any type of approach near their bowls (even a hand approaching to add treats) can be perceived negatively as if we were instead trying to take away.

Holding the food bowl puts you too close for comfort and your hands on the bowl can be perceived as your intent of really wanting to keep possession of the bowl and its contents. It's sort of like a waiter reaching for and holding on to your plate when you are trying to finish a delicious steak. It would make you eat faster so that he doesn't take it back while all sorts of bad things may cross your mind (rude waiter, I haven't finished my meal yet, let me finish in peace!).

Here is a quote I often use for owners or guarders from a respected veterinary behaviorist: 

"“We should be advising clients against poking and prodding a dog while eating. It may help to tell clients that messing with a dog’s food bowl when he is trying to eat is like somebody messing with your plate or petting your head when you are trying to eat dinner. Nobody likes that. However, you may be more tolerant, maybe even look forward to the person approaching if you know that the person was going to give you a small bowl of Ben & Jerry’s Chocolate Therapy ice cream every time approached.”— Dr. Albright, veterinary behaviorist

I know there is a strong belief that dogs who guard stuff are trying to be in control, so called "alphas" and that these dogs must submit to us, but resource guarding is no longer considered an issue of a dog who wants to be alpha. 

After the dominance myth has been debunked, we know that dogs who guard bowls are actually dogs who are anxious and insecure around resources. They come to see us as enemies and holding their bowls or petting them as they eat, only confirms to them that we really have an intent to take things away. So for safety, please no touching your dog or touching the bowl anymore. That only makes your dog rehearse the problematic behavior, and the more it's rehearsed, the more it puts roots and establishes, confirming that you really have an intent to take her food away. 

So if you want to work on this issue for now as a stating point, leaving her bowl on the ground and tossing treats as you walk by at a distance she's comfortable with can be helpful, but you'll need to make sure that you gauge her carefully and keep your distance from her and ensure she is always under threshold as much as possible. https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/threshold-levels/ You want to aim for a positive conditioned emotional response, rather than tension. https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/conditioned-emotional-response-cer/ The more she reacts, the more you are communicating to her that you are a threat and this sets you back in any progress made. For extra safety, erecting a baby gate in between you and your dog can help protect you in case she may feel threatened enough to react.

Consider that working on anxiety, aggression requires behavior modification more than just training, so there are greater margins for error if done too fast or sloppily, and more risks,  therefore I always recommend for safety and correct implementation to consult with a behavior professional who can provide in-person coaching and assistance. Hence why I always post disclaimers and suggest dog owners work along with a professional. 

Thanks Adrienne, we will try leaving her bowl on the ground again and doing the treat drops. Unfortunately we don't really have access to an in person behaviour professional in our area and don't have an unlimited amount of money we can spend on a bunch of different trainers, but we will start with your suggestions and see if there is any improvement!

[Adrienne]

When you mention using a long lasting high value treat to throw in the opposite direction so we can get whatever it is she is chewing on, I am just concerned that we will be on this never ending train of trying to find something better than what she has. Is it okay to give her something that is still higher in value but is not as long lasting?

Well, the purpose is to create a strong impression that we are the providers of great things, and that if we need to take away, we offer something that is far better. For sake of an example, back to eating out,  imagine you are at a restaurant complaining about a steak not being as rare as you hoped for. The waiter apologizes, takes your steak away and returns with a much smaller steak albeit it's rare as you hoped. You may say nothing at first, but you may feel disappointed. If this happens often enough, a day may come when you may have had enough and get angry or stop dining there. 

I say this because after some time, if the trade isn't fair enough, the dog may come to learn that it's not worthy giving up the long-lasting chew and the dog at some point may instinctively move towards the treat and then make a sudden about face and decide to go back for the long-lasting chew with the risk of biting if you're right about to pick it up.

So I call it the art of "fair trading". It may sound complicated but it really isn't. Like if your dog chews on something, you can have something higher in value that can last somewhat long versus gobbled up in a second always ready so that you can swap. If a dog is chewing a shoe that isn't edible by any way, you can even swap that for a dog treat that you can cut up in various pieces so that your dog has to go on a little treasure hunt which adds durability and gives you time to retrieve the swapped item. Of course, it also helps to keep things that a dog isn't supposed to chew out of the way,  so that we don't have to swap too often 😉

Yup, until she is more trustworthy, keeping separated when your nephew is over is the best approach. We don't want any accidents to happen.

[Adrienne]

13 minutes ago, NicoleKehler said:

Thanks Adrienne, we will try leaving her bowl on the ground again and doing the treat drops. Unfortunately we don't really have access to an in person behaviour professional in our area and don't have an unlimited amount of money we can spend on a bunch of different trainers, but we will start with your suggestions and see if there is any improvement!

With the bowl on the ground, use caution as well when it's time to collect the bowl. Some dogs guard empty food bowls as well. I would aim as well to create a positive conditioned response to picking up the bowl by tossing a treat or some extra kibble the opposite way as you go to collect it. I find it's better to overdo than underdo with these things. 

[NicoleKehler]

1 hour ago, Adrienne said:

With the bowl on the ground, use caution as well when it's time to collect the bowl. Some dogs guard empty food bowls as well. I would aim as well to create a positive conditioned response to picking up the bowl by tossing a treat or some extra kibble the opposite way as you go to collect it. I find it's better to overdo than underdo with these things. 

Thanks for all your advice Adrienne, we will give it a try!

[Adrienne]

You are very welcome.  Please use extra caution and always make safety top priority. When trading, use a door or baby gate as an extra precaution to separate yourself when you need to collect food bowls or something your dog chewed on so that you can close the door/baby gate once your dog walks past it. Also use a muzzle if you are concerned your dog may bite. We have a video here in the archive on how to muzzle train dogs. 

Disclaimer: behavior modification comes with risks. If your dog shows signs of potential aggression (lunging, barking, growling, snapping) for safety, please consult with a dog behavior professional who uses force-free behavior modification techniques for direct in-person guidance. Articles, videos and general info found in the forums or course are not meant to replace in-person training/instruction. By using this course and forum, you are waiving any liability claims or other type of claims related to your dog's behavior as against you.