Should I punish my dog for resource guarding?
Andreane Macejkovic
2025-07-07 12:32:28
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It’s fine, and can be helpful, to remove favourite items such as toys if they’re causing problems, with a view to potentially reintroducing them later – but this shouldn’t be done without good reason, and never as a way to punish. But it’s vital to address this behaviour as soon as possible. If you notice resource guarding behaviours in your dog, there’s plenty you can do to encourage them to become more relaxed around items they perceive as high value. Don’t allow your dog to share your food, and treat their own food with similar respect: it’s theirs, and shouldn’t be taken off them unless it’s absolutely necessary. A qualified behaviourist can work with you to get to the root of the issue for your dog and provide tailored advice – but while you’re working on reducing their possessive behaviours, make sure your family and visitors know not to approach your dog when they’re near their preferred resource, whether that’s food, treats or a specific location.
Karlee Collier
2025-06-27 06:07:45
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It is important that you never punish or tell your dog off for resource guarding as this will add more stress to the situation and may cause their behaviour to worsen. If your dog is already displaying extreme guarding behaviour we would recommend contacting your vet who can recommend a qualified behaviourist who will be able to help you address the issue safely. Make sure all family members and everyone who visits know never to approach or interrupt your dog if they are eating or have a chew. If you do have to remove something from them, make sure it’s an exchange rather than just taking something away. When you are trying to exchange items with your dog, put down some food or treats a good distance away so that your dog has to move. This will give you the time and distance to safely pick up the item. If you can wait to remove the item until the dog is in a different room entirely, that’s even better. Another helpful tip is to teach your dog the “leave it” cue. Remember every dog is different with their resource guarding, and if your dog has bitten or is causing you concern then we would recommend contacting a certified behaviourist to help. If you find these methods are not working for your dog it’s a good idea to speak to your vet who can recommend a qualified behaviourist to help with your situation.
Caleigh Brakus
2025-06-19 00:22:03
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Taking things away from your dog as punishment or telling them off for guarding is likely to increase their anxiety about losing things. They may become even more worried and feel the need to protect those valuable things even more. If your dog shows guarding behaviours, leave them well alone when they are enjoying food or playing with toys by themselves. The best way to prevent dogs from resource guarding is to teach them from the start that there is no need to worry about losing anything they find valuable. If you need to take something from your dog, swap it for something else that your dog considers to be equally or even more valuable. Offer your dog the better item before trying to take what they have away. You could drop several treats on the ground near your dog, so they have to leave the item to go and eat them. Then you can calmly pick up the item while they’re enjoying themselves.
Anika Gislason
2025-06-18 20:47:15
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Most dog trainers have given up on force and punishment based training methods because they often cause other more severe behavior problems and only suppress (dont fix) behavior issues. I think the dog’s resource guarding problem was greatly influenced, if not directly caused, by the guardian pulling and taking things away (cigarette buts, trash, high value chews, etc) from the dog. In cases like this, literally the worst thing you can do is take the item away forcefully, but thats exactly what many people do when their dog guards things. Unfortunately, taking things away from a dog who is growling is extremely common. But this almost always reinforces the guarding behavior. Many people take it personal and punish the dog when it guards things. But as mentioned earlier, this is often a result of humans taking things away from the dog by force. Since this happened many times for Loumi, his guardians will need to practice the drop it cue with low value item toys and completely stop forcfully taking things away from Loumi. I strongly recommeneded they stop taking things away from him forcefully and instead teach him to drop things. A better way to stop dogs from guarding things is to first develop a strong drop cue and help the dog see the arrival of the person as a good thing and not a threat to loose something.
Evie Grimes
2025-06-18 19:17:16
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: 4
Do not punish your dog for guarding during or after the incident. Punishment will only make her more likely to guard that item again. Dogs do not understand punishment even after the fact, and it can make things worse, potentially leading to aggression. Resource guarding may not go away on its own, and if not managed well, may get worse. Some guarding, when worked with, can decrease in intensity but may not disappear entirely. To work with resource guarding, you can follow these steps: Take responsibility for items that your dog may find high-value. Always trade up when you need to retrieve something from your dog.
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