Through her veterinary practice Rockstar Vet, Dr. Laura Palumbo provides pets with quality care during in-house visits. As well as providing routine services such as vaccinations, Dr. Laura Palumbo performs behavioral evaluations on pets, including dogs who have problems with resource guarding.
Since a dog instinctively wants to keep items away from other animals who might want to take them, it’s natural that a pet dog is protective of things such as the food in its dish and its toys. Mild resource guarding, such as running off with a favorite chew toy, often isn’t a cause for concern. If a dog guards its food, sometimes simply feeding different dogs in different areas or leaving them alone while they eat makes a satisfactory solution. However, if dogs are aggressive with their resource guarding, or if small children live in the home, taking steps to reduce guarding tendencies is recommended.
After performing a behavioral evaluation of the dog’s resource guarding behaviors, a training expert might advise the owner to start a training program. For instance, the owner might be told to start by standing a certain distance away while the dog eats its regular food, speaking to the dog in a friendly tone, and putting a special treat in the food bowl. This introduces the dog to the idea that a person’s presence while eating leads to something good, and that the person isn’t trying to take away something. Once the dog gets used to this, the owner can repeat the process while standing even closer to the dog’s food. Of course, the owner should stay mindful of the dog’s behavior, follow the trainer’s recommendations, and avoid performing any actions that might provoke the dog to attack or lash out.
