🧠Common Myths About Resource Guarding
❌ 1. “Only aggressive dogs guard resources.”
- Reality: Even friendly, well-socialized dogs can guard. It’s a normal canine behavior rooted in survival instincts—not necessarily aggression.
❌ 2. “You must be the alpha and take things away to show dominance.”
- Reality: Dominance-based approaches often escalate fear and aggression. Guarding is usually based on insecurity, not dominance.
❌ 3. “Puppies won’t guard if you mess with their food while they eat.”
- Reality: Reaching into a puppy’s bowl or taking things away without teaching a positive association can actually create guarding, not prevent it.
❌ 4. “Guarding is always bad behavior that should be punished.”
- Reality: Guarding is communication. Suppressing it with punishment removes warning signs, making bites more likely and less predictable.
❌ 5. “Once a dog guards, it can never be trusted again.”
- Reality: Many dogs successfully overcome or manage guarding behavior with the right approach—often becoming more relaxed and trusting over time.
⚠️ Common Mistakes People Make
🔸 1. Taking Items Away Without Teaching a Trade
- Grabbing food, toys, or chews without teaching a “drop it” or “trade” cue leads the dog to guard more fiercely in the future.
🔸 2. Using Punishment (Yelling, Alpha Rolls, Shock/Prong Collars)
- Punishment causes fear and distrust, often making guarding worse or more dangerous by eliminating early warning signs like growling.
🔸 3. Testing the Dog Repeatedly
- “Testing” a dog’s tolerance by poking them while eating or reaching into their bowl trains them that humans are unpredictable and threatening around resources.
🔸 4. Ignoring Early Warning Signs
- People often miss or ignore subtle signs like stiffening, hard stares, or lip lifts—until the dog feels forced to escalate to snapping or biting.
🔸 5. Inconsistent Handling Among Family Members
- Mixed messages (e.g., one person trades, another snatches toys) create confusion and anxiety, making the dog unsure of what to expect.
🔸 6. Crowding or Challenging the Dog Physically
- Hovering, looming, or cornering a dog while it’s guarding can cause panic and defensive aggression—especially in fearful or anxious dogs.
🔸 7. Failing to Manage the Environment
- Leaving high-value items (e.g., bones, trash, laundry) around where a guarding dog can access them increases risk unnecessarily.
Remember if you are dealing with Resource Guarding behavior or suspect you might be reach out to a qualified behavior professional. They can help evaluate your dog’s behavior and give you a training plan to set everyone up to be safe and successful.