#199 Trust or Guard: What Are You Teaching Your Dog?

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Ever wondered why your sweet pup suddenly growls when you approach their food bowl or try to take away a stolen sock? Resource guarding isn't a character flaw—it's often behavior we accidentally teach without realizing it.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:03):
Let's talk about something that sneaks up on a
lot of dog owners resourceguarding.
I know it sounds like somethingthat your dog just does, but
here's the truth.
Sometimes we accidentally trainit that's right without even
meaning to.
So today I want to walk youthrough some of the ways that we

(00:27):
can teach our dogs how toresource guard without even
realizing it, and what we can doto prevent it.
So let's say your dog findssomething they shouldn't have
Maybe a sock, maybe a chickenbone, maybe a shoe.
You panic, you run toward them,maybe you yell hey, drop it.

(00:48):
And then you reach in, grab itout of their mouth and put it
away.
Here's what your dog learnsDang, if I get something cool,
people try to steal it from me.
Maybe I better run next time,or maybe I should hide, or maybe
I should growl and try to chasethem off.

(01:09):
This is often how resourceguarding starts, not because
your dog is bad, but because weaccidentally teach him that
people coming near equalssomething being taken away
equals something being takenaway.
The same thing can happen withfood, bowls or favorite toys,

(01:34):
beds or even certain people.
If we always show up just totake something away, dogs can
learn to guard.
It's just their version of backoff.
This is mine.
Okay.
So now let's talk about how wecan help prevent resource
guarding even before it starts.
If your dog has something youwant back or something they're

(01:55):
not supposed to have, maybeoffer them something better.
Don't chase them, don't pry itout of their mouth.
Just say, hey, you want totrade, and toss a treat or toy
in the opposite direction andover time they might start
bringing you stuff instead ofhiding with it.
And don't be predictable.

(02:16):
If the only time you approachyour dog is to take something
away, they'll start to dreadyour approach.
So instead, next time they havea toy or chew, walk up, drop a
good treat and walk away.
Teach them that your approachcan mean good things are coming.

(02:37):
I call these flybys and theyreally work.
With enough practice, your dogstarts looking up as you
approach to see what you have.
And when your puppy's eatingout of his food bowl, walk by
and drop in a few pieces ofreally good food, maybe chicken
or cheese.
You're not taking the bowl away, you're not even touching the

(02:59):
bowl, you're simply adding to it.
And this teaches your dog thatpeople coming near their food
means bonus time, not theft, andmake sure kids in the house
know not to bother the dog whenthey're eating, chewing or
resting.
It only takes one tug on a toyor poke in the face to trigger

(03:23):
guarding later on.
We want calm, predictableinteractions and be sure to give
space and not add stress.
Let your dog enjoy high-valueitems like bones or stuffed toys
in peace.
Set them up in a crate orbehind a baby gate so they don't

(03:45):
feel pressured or threatened.
The less stress around theirstuff, the less reason they have
to guard.
And be sure to practice drop itand leave it before you need it
.
Teach your dog these cuesbefore they start stealing items
.
Make it a game.
Use toys and treat.

(04:06):
Make it fun and rewarding.
So if you need to ask them togive something up, it doesn't
feel like a punishment.
So we can absolutely train ourdogs to feel safe with their
stuff just as easily as we canaccidentally train the opposite.
So be thoughtful and beproactive and remember the goal

(04:30):
is for your dog to think whenpeople come near me, good things
are going to happen, I don'thave to guard, I can trust them.