07/04/2024
UNDERSTANDING RESOURCE GUARDING PART 2
BEFORE READING PART 2 PLEASE READ PART 1. : https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=122131135496196549&id=61555896482360
Before we can start to train resource guarders we need to put in place some CONTROL AND MANAGEMENT. If your dog is frequently guarding ;
*He is practising the behaviour, making it more likely to get repeated and become a gradually escalating obsessive habit.
* His anxiety is constantly running high making him less able to be receptive to training. ( If this doesn’t make sense, compare it to if you are seriously worried about something, your ability to absorb and process information becomes impaired, coupled with which you have less tolerance and tend to be more snappy in general)
So BEFORE training even starts we need to look at providing a DESTRESS to improve the dogs frame of mind.
LIFESTYLE
First of all let’s check that the dogs lifestyle is what he needs and is keeping him relaxed and happy. This is important so bear with me.
Study the breed, most working dogs particularly require high levels of both mental and physical stimulation.
Generally we are happier at weekends than during the week, simply because we get to do things of our choice, during the week losing that choice coupled with the stress of work is likely to find us more tetchy and not in such a good frame of mind.
With the above in mind does your dog get enough freedom of choice or does he have to fit in with only your life choices?
Walks out on a short lead, on pavement or paths so he stays clean and with little chance to sniff or be loose is not enough.
He needs chance of varied walks, in woodland to sniff and smell, open grass land to run, water to splash in, mud to wallow in, a variety of places with time to absorb the smells. He needs you to interact with him on these walks so that you enhance the walks and are not just the monkey that gets him there, and something to be ignored whilst he creates his own fun. The frequent chance to meet and play with known dog friends. It’s too easy to fall into a pattern of the same walks, with a bit better at weekends.
When at home, we may feel comfortable all cosy with the doors and curtains shut , but does our dog? Try leaving your back door open so they have free access to the garden, or if that’s too cold fit a dog flap. ( think of the horrendous videos we see of caged animals, most exhibiting learned behavioural issues like pacing or swaying)
Are you falling into the trap of thinking your dog is happy to just settle with you in the house? Sure he is, sometimes! but like children, he needs you to PLAY with him.
Set aside TRAINING time and see how much they love it, not just practising lead walking.
Training even before we approach specific training for resource guarding cannot be stressed enough, if we spend fun time training, it builds that bond, teaches them to aim for the praise it results in , trains their brain to be more receptive and capable of learning the things we soon really want them to learn, like giving up an object and let’s face it if we can proof a behaviour like sit , retrieve or a sendaway , pretty difficult for a dog to guard a place if he can be sent to another area, or guard something if he has been taught to retrieve things , or run and grab an object if he can be asked to sit. So general training will all help towards our ultimate goal of being able to eliminate resource guarding.
Check the atmosphere in the home. One of the main reasons for behavioural issues in children and dogs is living in a home where there is anxiety, bad atmospheres, shouting, abuse.
Happy homes are infectious. One of our family members had a lovely quote “ Smiles are contagious; start a pandemic today.”
STOPPING THE OPPORTUNITIES TO PRACTICE GUARDING
This now splits into categories of which your dog may fall into one or more categories, to varying degrees. Remember this is CONTROL AND MANAGEMENT only , with a hint towards training, in future I will address each specific type of guarding on separate posts as the exercises will be specifically for that type of guarding.
GUARDING HIS FOOD
CONTROL AND MANAGEMENT
* Feed in a separate quiet area and do not approach.
* Do not feed in the same room as another dog or person.
* Enter the area to remove the dish only when the dog is not anywhere around, but remove as soon as possible.
* If you have practised the exercise in part 1 use it to distract the dog away. The exercise is below:
(When your dog is not in guarding mode, and preferably when you haven’t been giving your dog attention. Go into another room or the garden , call him, make a huge fuss of him, play with him, if in those instances he doesn’t guard toys, play with a toy. Offer treats and finally walk out while he’s eating the treats. Repeat a few times each day, this will be a valuable help to your control and management if he looks forward to these unexpected sessions. )
* If you can’t distract away, don’t use a bowl but either hand feed his meal, or if that causes a risk, throw his food piece by piece to him.
* Don’t leave food on counter tops that he may sit under to guard.
* Remove all chews and only offer in his crate or a separate room.
* Do not use chews that are too long lasting and so won’t be finished in one session, or that are really high value like pigs ears.
HINT TOWARDS TRAINING
Put the empty bowl on the floor, drop 1 piece of food into it. Let the dog eat and repeat. Within a handful of repeats the dog is likely to eat and look up to you for you dropping the next piece of food.
Feed the full meal this way , this will start to change his emotional response to you being around whilst he’s eating as he wants you to stay providing him with the food. When finished , for now, walk away, leaving the bowl until it can safely be removed using the above techniques. The purpose of you walking away will be to change your dogs response to one of disappointment rather than relief.
If your dog is likely to guard even the empty bowl from you, don’t use the bowl, try to progress to that when he gets used to the exercise.
GUARDING OBJECTS
CONTROL AND MANAGEMENT
* Try to remove all the things he may steal to possess, glasses, TV remote, phones, newspapers, letters, cushions , tissues, socks etc
* If he does steal, show no interest whatsoever, if it’s not dangerous to him, leave the room. It’s difficult to guard something if there’s no one to guard it from.
* Do not chase him to try and get it, it makes the problem worse.
* Do not watch him, taking no interest means don’t give him an audience.
* Never forcibly remove the object unless it is dangerous to him and a real emergency to remove.
* If you do spot an object he may guard, walk wide of it without even looking at it. When dog is safely out of the room, remove it, leaving a couple of treats in the area to distract him from looking for it.
* If he grabs the post, fit a letter cage, or a baby gate to prevent access or better still an outside letter box.
* Use the distraction technique listed in food guarding and in part 1, hopefully by now you have practised this exercise frequently and so your dog will be less suspicious of your motives, keep practising it, when he’s not guarding.
HINT TOWARDS TRAINING
Probably your dog is suspicious of you using the method of throwing a treat to one side, in the hope he will leave an object for the treat, giving you the chance to pick up the object. He’s probably learned to growl knowing what’s coming, or grab the treat and rush back to the object.
* So start with offering him a toy ( not one of his most guarded ones) let him carry it off , if he doesn’t carry it off, step further away from him and thenq throw a treat directly at him, turn away and lose interest. Make no move to remove the toy at this time. Turn back and repeat about 6 times, repeat the whole exercise frequently. Each time turning away and even walking off as soon as you have thrown the treat.
To remove the toy do it when the dog has left the room or by using the practised distraction technique. Do not under any circumstances in these early stages let the dog see you look at the toy or remove it.
- [ ] When and only when he is immediately letting go of the toy for the treat ( doesn’t matter if he goes straight back for the toy) remain facing him, a good distance away still. Still throw the treat and as you see him let go of the toy say “ good off” or “ good drop” whatever word you are wanting to use to pair with letting go of an object. Then turn away for a few seconds and repeat about 6 times. Repeat the whole exercise frequently.
- [ ] All that we are aiming to do at present is to change his emotional response from needing to guard from you to believing the object is of no interest to you and him enjoying you being that distance away because it means he gets treats. He is also learning to pair the word off, or whatever your word of choice, with the action.
- [ ] If your dog growls at any stage YOU ARE TOO CLOSE. Do not throw the treat until you have casually created more distance and he is quiet.
- [ ] This exercise is probably better started in the garden, giving you the space he needs and he is likely to be less guardy than in a confined room. Gradually progress to the same exercise indoors.
GUARDING A PLACE ( settee, your bed or chair)
CONTROL AND MANAGEMENT
* stop them jumping on it, if need be by putting things in the way, a puppy pen surrounding it, to keep them off, empty suitcases to prevent them jumping up, a pile of cushions blocking their way.
* Shut the door when you’re not in the room to prevent them going in and jumping up
* Leave a trailing lead on when supervised and use it to help tempt them off if they get up or to help keep them at ground level.
* Put a dog bed close to the settee or chair and encourage them to use it instead, drop treats directly into the bed if they go on it.
* Praise them for settling on the bed offered.
HINT TOWARDS TRAINING
- [ ] Start with a raised platform in the garden, like an off the ground bed. If you can’t find something suitable to be stable and large enough and only slightly raised, you can start with a mat.
- [ ] By putting treats on the mat or bed, tempt the dog to step onto it. Praise and ask the dog to sit or better still to lie down. Treat praise.
- [ ] If your dog understands a”wait” cue. Say wait, take a few steps away and recall him to you. Praise and treat him or better still, have a short play and run. Practice frequently, if your dog understands a send away, use a send away to the bed, ask him to wait and then recall.
- [ ] If your dog can’t do a wait,tempt him onto the bed, watch for the ideal moment when he is going to stay in position, take a step away and recall, running backwards as you call. Praise and reward when he gets to you.
- [ ] This is the very basic stages to being able to progress to you being able to recall him to you when he is “ in his place” without having to physically manhandle.
- [ ] Start to take the exercise indoors when he gets it outside.
- [ ] It is a bit of reverse psychology, for example they jump on your bed and when you say get down, they can guard it. Refusing to get down. So instead , asking them to wait on it, whilst you back away as far as training allows, then recalling with a huge fuss when they do it. The exercise changes their emotional response to eager anticipation at being asked to jump off it. Don’t try it with a known guarded place initially , wait until you have got them enjoying and understanding the exercise in several other places.
Remember these are only very basic starts to helping your resource Guarder, I will now be writing separate posts to cover the types of guarding issues, with progressive training advice. If your dog guards please put a comment on what he guards so that I can include that type ( for example crate guarding)
I do offer a no obligation initial brief free phone call or If you wish to book a session, by phone, video call or in person please don’t hesitate to messenger or WhatsApp initially on 07967720758
