Resource Guarding With Growls And Snaps

[NeedlenoseJake]

We've had our greyhound for about a month and he's been great except for one problem- he has resource guarding issues. The first time we saw this was with a femur bone that we gave him. He growled when we tried to take it away and again when I just tried to pet him. He's done it a few times with toys, but only if they're new and it's mostly about bones. He has snapped at my fiance once (small scratch on the hand but the skin wasn't broken) and twice at me (hand and arm but no broken skin or damage). These episodes are very frustrating for everyone, and after reading here about trading up I know that we moved too fast with his training on this. He was doing well with toys, but I'm having trouble finding something between a toy and a bone as far as value. Also, if he growls and I step back and let him have the bone, isn't that reinforcing the idea that he can growl at us to get his way? I just bought the book "Mine" about this issue and plan to go through the steps. I am really just posting here to get support and see if anyone has a happy ending to their dog's resource guarding. Feeling frustrated I should point out that he doesn't have a problem at all with his normal food. We can take the bowl away and put it back down again while he's eating. He also doesn't seem to be space aggressive at all. It's just the high-value toys and treats that are the problem. I know I can just not give him bones, and that's the plan for now, but I want to be able to take anything away from him in case he ever gets into something he shouldn't. Thanks for reading.

[Time4ANap]

This requires training. A bone is a high value item that he has most likely not had before. Search the site for "NLIF Training" (Nothing in Life is Free). You need to do some training with him and on high value items be able to do a trade up." Clicker training" is a good place to start. There are tons of other posts in this, so using the search function for those terms (as well as "resource guarding" will provide lots of good information.

 

Good luck. it will get better, but it takes time and training. .

[MaryJane]

Do not give bones or rawhides (or any long chewing food) until you have your greyhound at least a few months. In the interim, take the dog to basic obedience. The dog has to learn to trust you before it is going to let you take a "high-value treat".

[tuff]

While you are working on this you shouldn't give him anything he will guard. As MaryJane said, no bones, bully sticks, chews or even new toys if he is going to guard them.

[Fruitycake]

I agree with backing off on the super high value items right now. He doesn't need them, and you need to work on getting everyone comfortable with each other first, then start working on trading up later, after he has learned to trust you and you have learned where his trust lines are. Then, after at least a few more months where he doesn't feel he needs to try to protect anything from you (therefore is not learning the behavior by continually practicing it), start giving slightly more high value things. A "new" toy (one that's been put away for a while), and don't take it from him, but call away and give a really exceptionally high value treat and then send him back to it. Or call him into another area where he can be blocked off from it, so you can go to it and pick it up and give it back to him again. Then do it again and again - call off, give really exceptionally high value treat, give it back. At the end of the training session, I'd call away, have something else going on (a walk, a game, dinner) and pick up the toy and it disappears until the next training session. All the time make it fun and upbeat, and no chastizing for his telling you that he doesn't trust you to take things yet. And if he does growl, listen to him and back off. Try to get him away from something that he's guarding that strongly in some other way than invading his space. A snap is what a dog does when he's learned that a growl doesn't work and he needs to up the ante because obviously you aren't smart enough to hear him the other way.

 

Don't let him rehearse the behavior of guarding, and don't tempt fate until you have done way more practice with the lower value items for weeks if not months.

[NeedlenoseJake]

Thanks everyone for the advice. We are definitely holding off on bones and new toys for awhile. I think he's such a good dog 99% of the time that I forget how new he is. Feeling more hopeful now.

[silverfish]

One or two of mine have been possessive with high value treats at first. Both, in time, and with patient training, completely stopped doing it. Jeffie is the sort of dog who'll be possessive over more or less anything if he values it enough, but these days, though he'll growl and Sid and stop him even walking past if he's on a favourite bed, he'll let me step into the bed to reach something without a murmur, and I have no more problems with him and high value treats. So yes, they can get past it and become fine.

I would always be cautious with a dog like this though, in the sense that I am always watching their body language to make sure they're OK with what's going on. I am very careful about correcting for growling (this is their early warning system, and if you teach them it's not OK to growl they can go straight to a bite without a sound), always let them see me coming at them with things like nail clippers. And I never take food away from a dog for no good reason. The only time I'll take food away is if it's dangerous for them to have it; for instance if they've picked up a chicken bone while out walking.

[Sambuca]

A growl isn't a bad thing. Dogs can't talk. This is his way of saying he's uncomfortable.

One thing I do when working with new dogs is when I get them to give me a toy or bone, I'll often give it right back, unless there's a reason they can't have it. They learn it's not a huge deal to give it to me because it comes right back to them. I give a lot of praise and when I give it back I let them have it at least 5 minutes before I'll do it again. I feel if I do it too often then they'll get annoyed. I know I would.

[a_daerr]

Don't worry too much- this is an extremely common behavior in new greys. Batmom has a good process that involves first trading up with low/no value items- like kibble or a washcloth. From there, keep working your way up. When you get to the point where you're working with high value stuff (in this case, bones or toys), you'll have to trade up with an even higher value food. It is doable. Try people food that has a strong smell, like roast beef or braunschweiger.

 

The most important thing to take away from the 'trading up' activity is to ALWAYS give the original item back to the dog at the end of the training session. You're not just giving in to what he wants. You're sending the message that he doesn't have to worry that you're taking his things away forever. Once that idea is reinforced, he'll have no reason to guard.