Dog Scouts of America - Pa Troop # 158

By the time resource guarding becomes a problem it is learned behavior. It starts off as an insecurity, the pup is insecure about losing the resource, so maybe he growls. The pup or person who looked like he was about to steal his food backs off.This is "negative reinforcement", the aversive (dog about to steal his food) goes away when he growls.

One might think that the best approach is to not reinforce growling by standing your ground. That may or may not be safe. Frequently, not reinforcing something that has been reinforced in the past results in an "extinction burst" - a temporary escalation in the behavior. i.e it gets worse before it gets better.

The problem with this is that the next step up from growling and baring teeth is an actual bite - and this is a very real possibility!

Most people will back-off before they get bitten. That presents another problem because now you have reinforced more intense growling and made the behavior even more resistant to extinction.

So while standing your ground might work - the risks of getting bitten or making the behavior worse are too great.

Thankfully, there are alternatives.

Doggy Zen: "grasshopper, to get what you want, you must first give it up"

Step 1: If you are confident that this is not a dog who would bite you when YOU have the food (i.e pup is not in possession of the food) then place a small treat in your closed fist. Present your fist to pup.

Pup will lick, nudge, or paw at your fist. At the instant that pup stops licking, nudging or pawing and backs off half an inch, open your first and let the treat drop onto the floor. Repeat several times. It's very easy beginnings, you're not asking pup to sit or down or any of those things (but if he does them, that's fine). You just want him to back off half an inch.

Step 2: Put the treat on a low stool or coffee table covered by your hand. Ask pup to 'sit' (presuming pup already knows 'sit') and to "leave it". Remove your hand slowly while pup remains sitting. If you can fully remove your hand say "good!" and let pup eat the treat. If pup goes for the treat before you give the release ("good!"), cover the treat up again and say "leave it" in the same tone of voice you used the first time (don't get stern).

Step 3: now that pup has learned a little self-control around food, and that the best way to get it is to tow the line, you are ready to up the ante. Put some food in pup's bowl and ask pup to 'sit' and 'leave it' while you slowly place the bowl on the ground. If pup breaks his 'sit', lift the bowl up, wait a second then ask pup to 'sit' and 'leave it' again. When the bowl touches the ground, pause, then release with "good!" and let pup eat.

The reason for putting a small amount of food in the bowl is so that you can practise several trials per meal.

Step 4: The hand that gives - while pup is eating a small amount of food from the bowl, toss yummy treats into the bowl one at a time. Gradually get closer without eliciting a growl, don't move ahead too fast. You will use a lot of treats completing this step.

Step 5: The hand that giveth and the the hand that stayeth - when you can drop the treats into pup's bowl with your hand at the bowl, pause a little with your hand. Remember, we're setting pup up for success here. If there is ANY doubt about the safety of this exercise you have moved ahead too fast and are setting pup and yourself up for failure. Pup should be looking forward to your hand approaching the bowl before you attempt this step.

Step 6: The hand that giveth also taketh away - take a little food from the bowl while pup is eating, leave a treat in it's place.

Step 7: The hand that swapeth - give pup a chewy treat, but then present a second chewy treat. Don't give pup the second chewy treat until he has dropped the first one. When pup learns to drop the first chewy treat reliably when you present the second chewy treat, put it on cue - "leave it" or "give it".

If you haven't rushed things and have completed all preceding steps this should be fairly easy. If it's hard, back up a few steps. Reading this today it probably seems impossible! It's not.

Aidan Bindoff is Editor of http://www.PositivePetzine.com , your helpful online resource for dog training articles, advice and tips that really work featuring the free "Help for Your Barking Dog Problem" E-Course.

* Please seek help from a competent veterinary behaviorist if you are inexperienced with aggressive dogs or not confident with this procedure. It is by it's nature risky unless attempted by someone who fully understands it's application.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Aidan_Bindoff

Article Submitted On: May 24, 2007

Just Being There is not the same as "Being There" for your Dog Learn new things

In the Bb Time.Bb This was to differentiate from just regular old Bb It got to be a clicho b almost a joke to use the phrase, as some people felt that ALL time should be Bbquality time,Bb meaningfulness of the regular time you spend with family and friends.

IBbm here to tell you that all time is not equal. Just being available for interaction, due to your presence in the home, is not the same as actively engaging in interaction with your loved ones, including your pet dog. I get many calls from perplexed people experiencing behavior problems in their dogs, who tell me that they donBb bored. After all, the owner is there BbwithBbthe dog all day. Being with the dog doesnBb getting the necessary mental and physical stimulation that he requires.

Dogs require a lot of exercise, both the mental and physical kind. Just walking from room to room, or occasionally wrestling with the other dog, or taking a walk with someone are not enough. Your dog wants to run and play with you. Here are some suggestions for mental and physical exercise for your dog, who is probably suffering from Bb

Cabin Fever is otherwise known as boredom, which (in a dog) can manifest itself in such destructive behaviors as digging, shredding things, and self-mutilation. Your dog needs more activity. A walk is good for you, and better than nothing for your dog, but he would much prefer a high-speed game of fetch or chase. Exercises that involve the thinking process, and not just the limbs, are particularly good for your dog.

Hide the cookie. Even a dog with no training can play this game. Most dogs like treats, and all dogs have a powerful sense of smell. All you have to do is create the atmosphere, by showing the dog the treat and getting him a little excited about it. Just hide the treat and have him search the house for it. ItBbs fun to watch the dog Bb goodie (I fake him out by pretending to hide it in several places first). Please see the information on this web site regarding Scent Games for more information.

Hide and seek. Hide somewhere in your house and then call the dog. If you hide in a closet, it will be extra tricky for him to find you. When he looks in the room, doesnBb the house, call his name again. When he finds you, give him a big hug and a cookie.

If your dog spends much of his time in your home while you are at work, you can still provide some educational toys for him to amuse himself with while youBb

A Buster Cube is a hollow plastic block with baffles and chambers. It looks like a die, with the dots representing 1 - 6 on the sides. Treats come out of the hole in the Bb The dog can bat, kick or paw this toy around for quite a while, until a treat finds its way out of the hole.

A Kong Toy is a hard rubber toy with a hollowed-out center. It has an irregular shape, so that it bounces and moves in unexpected directions. You can fill the inside of the Kong with a variety of goodies, like cheese, peanut butter, cookies, kibble, fruit, vegetables, or anything else good for your dog. The dog is kept interested by the changing menu emerging from his little Bball day sucker.Bb

Another variation of the treat Bb standard brown paper bag with various kinds of treats inside. The bad part is that the dog might shred the bag, but if you have a dog who was going to shred the curtains, anyway, cleaning up pieces of a paper bag when you arrive home would be the least of your worries. Make sure that the bag has no staples, tape or plastic parts that your dog might ingest along with the treats. Leave it on the kitchen floor for your dog to find, unwrap and enjoy. If you have a dog which does not already shred your house, or one which would respectfully leave a paper bag intact, I donBb You may teach him habits you donBb encourage. I teach my dogs, for example, that just because thereBb they are not necessarily entitled to have them. See the page on Indirect Access for more information about this concept.

Most dogs love to run and race around, and if you can incorporate that into a game which also stimulates the mind, you are getting two for the price of one.

Frisbee. Teaching a dog to catch and fetch a flying disc is Bb You only have to stand in one spot for a few minutes with your dog, while he exercises every muscle in his body and has a lot of fun. See the Frisbee page for more information on teaching games involving Frisbee disks.

Fetch. Many dogs will fetch sticks, balls, toys, or anything else you are willing to throw, for hours on end. This is good exercise, and you can also add an element of problem solving to it by tossing the object into some leaves or tall grass, so that the dog will have to search for it. Be careful with your choice of objects and their Bb If your dog is very excited, he could injure himself on gravel, a sharp stick or other debris in the area. Always check out the ground surface of any area in which you plan to play with your dog.

Go to the park. Many areas are developing dog parks. These are special areas where you can go with your dog to enjoy the outdoors, and meet other dogs and owners. Social interaction is important for your dog. He may have been socialized as a puppy, but it is still important to practice his social skills with other dogs. A large, fenced area, where the dogs can interact and play is ideal. Make sure before you go that your dog is reasonably friendly with other dogs, is up on all of his vaccinations, and is free of parasites. There may be additional local requirements for entering the park. See the page on proper greeting behavior to know how to approach other dogs.

Buried Treasure. If you have a dog which has access to a fenced yard all day, you can make his day much more interesting by sprinkling some dry kibble here and there for him to find later. ItBbs much more interesting than eating it out of his dinner bowl, and it keeps him busy searching. Again, I caution you, if you want to teach your dog not to pick up items from the ground, this is not a good choice. But most of the bored, Bb dogsBbhave busy owners who are not going to take the time to teach that anyway, and it is a very quick way to give your dog something to do while youBb and heBb You can also teach the Leave It command to let your dog know when it is not okay to pick up items from the ground.

There are many more activities you can engage in with your dog that will burn a lot of his pent-up energy: Flyball, Agility, Swimming, and Skijoring, to name a few. These activities require more of a commitment, and possibly driving to another location to enjoy. But, I guarantee that you and your dog will enjoy involvement in these dog sports. It will get you out of the house, give your dog the much-needed exercise that he craves, and improve the bond that you have with each other

How To Stop Food Guarding Without Taking Stupid Risks