neatz Posted November 17, 2008 Share Posted November 17, 2008 Does anyone know if there is a typical pattern with a dog that resource guards? Ie would a dog that turns on another whilst waiting for food to be dished up at dinner time be this way in all situations? If in scenario B you tossed a hand full of kibble and allowed a free for all between dogs would the same dog allow another to eat kibble within inches of it's face or would the behaviour be displayed in this instance as well? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dory the Doted One Posted November 18, 2008 Share Posted November 18, 2008 I have no idea about typical patterns...from observation..... Dogs that tend to get snarky when food is prepared will usually get snarky when kibble is spread around...they usually try and hoover it all or spend a chunk of their time defending each piece. Not all resource guarders will get snarky or obviously so, at food prep time. What would you call resource guarding? Snarling? Growling? A lift lip? Body blocking? I've seen all of these, and would call them guarding behavious. I'm probably not 'technically' correct. I don't spend forever reading books...i just get out and do it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neatz Posted November 18, 2008 Author Share Posted November 18, 2008 Not even sure if my dog is resource guarding. So many terms get thrown around in here but I read a thread about it and was curious to find out more. I have a male 6m.o. who from day one when I got him would on occasion growl when it came to food time. Mainly as I am preparing food in the food bowls which I have placed on the kitchen bench. As the three dogs are waiting, he will occasionally lock his gaze on my other boy who is nearly 1yo. As soon as he locks gaze it's about 3-5 seconds and he will lunge into an attack. I have to say "OUT" as I am preparing food in a firm voice to usher them away from me to keep the peace. Also if I am eating a sandwich and the 3 dogs are sitting near me waiting in the chance of getting some, the same thing will happen. I have to pre-emptively tell him off before he gets agro and get them all to "DROP" or "OUT" in the firmest/loudest voice to keep him in check. The bitch who is 1.5 y.o generally doesn't get picked on but she asserts herself more than my 1yo boy who is the smallest dog of all three. So anyway I thought my dog was resource guarding, so to test the theory I threw out a couple of handfulls of kibble whilst I could supervise and step in if need be. I saw the boy who gets picked on take a piece of kibble within an inch of the aggressors face while he was eating. Nothing happened, he didn't even care. Also when I throw chicken frames and bones outside they all grab a bone and eat fairly close to each other. The 6 m.o will even finish eating first and just walk past the other two still eating and just glance at them or sniff around to see if there is any more left elsewhere. It seems it only occurs when I am preparing the food and they are waiting for it. :rolleyes: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vickie Posted November 18, 2008 Share Posted November 18, 2008 Sounds like very dangerous ground you are treading here, especially since none of your dogs have reached maturity yet. Can you not put them, outside while you prepare the food? or make them sit or down a distance from each other. I would also be very wary of throwing chicken frames out. Things can change very quickly & get very dangerous. If your boy needs to be managed every time you prepare food or eat, I would be fixing this now, before something really bad happens. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paulp Posted November 18, 2008 Share Posted November 18, 2008 From observation of my dogs it also depends on the value that the dog places on a potential resource. A couple of times when I gave my two labs rawhide chews my boy attacked my girl (boy is a couple of months younger but outweighs female by nearly half her weight) even when she was nowhere near him. We had never seen this behaviour before and they feed within a couple of feet of each other and he respects her right to finish her food before he gets a crack at cleaning out her bowl. I don't give rawhide chews or bones anymore and we have not had another recurrance. It seemed that he just placed a much higher value on bones and rawhide chews that normal food. With your dogs your younger dog may not place as much value on bits of food spread around than a whole bowl of food in one place so he doesn't try to guard it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
persephone Posted November 18, 2008 Share Posted November 18, 2008 I don't know what terminology you would give it.. but if they were mine, they would NOT be anywhere near food preparation areas.. human or dogs. They would be fed seperately. They would also be required to perform a behaviour prior to being allowed to eat....SIT/STAY or something. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miranda Posted November 18, 2008 Share Posted November 18, 2008 Sounds like very dangerous ground you are treading here, especially since none of your dogs have reached maturity yet.Can you not put them, outside while you prepare the food? or make them sit or down a distance from each other. I would also be very wary of throwing chicken frames out. Things can change very quickly & get very dangerous. If your boy needs to be managed every time you prepare food or eat, I would be fixing this now, before something really bad happens. I agree with Vickie 100%, you are living VERY dangerously. I don't allow my dogs to gather around the food preparation area and they are all fed separately in crates, bones are also fed separately and I never leave any food lying around. I recommend that you amend your feeding routines as soon as possible or you may have a major fight on your hands. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neatz Posted November 18, 2008 Author Share Posted November 18, 2008 (edited) Thay are seperate at meal times. Narky boy is outside and other two in seperate areas inside. They all perform a command before I allow them to eat. Will keep narky one seperate during meal prep time and for treats now. I was just curious as to know why he would be narky at meal prep time when I have their bowls on bench but not when bones are thrown out and they can help themselves. Any-one have a behavioural perspective? Edited November 18, 2008 by neatz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cosmolo Posted November 18, 2008 Share Posted November 18, 2008 Hard to say but perhaps because he thinks there is an advantage to be gained- that the food comes more quickly etc. I also think given that it occurs when you are eating a sandwhich that there would be leadership issues in play. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neatz Posted November 18, 2008 Author Share Posted November 18, 2008 (edited) Hard to say but perhaps because he thinks there is an advantage to be gained- that the food comes more quickly etc. I also think given that it occurs when you are eating a sandwhich that there would be leadership issues in play. He doesn't get narky at me, and what I do now is say "OUT" to get them away from me because he tries to be first in line should I drop any morsel of food. I wont tolerate begging from them because I know where it will lead to. I was curious just to know what behavioural people thought about the difference in behaviour when I am actually in possesion of the food. Do you think this kind of behaviour is learnt as a puppy and should feed time be managed at the very outset when they are very young? I noticed that another blogger mentioned in another thread they had the same experience when their pup was 10 weeks old. Just curious to learn more.. Edited November 18, 2008 by neatz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cosmolo Posted November 18, 2008 Share Posted November 18, 2008 (edited) The fact that the issue occurs only when you have the food is what leads me to consider that their are potential leadership issues here- the dog believes that there is something to be gained by being narky at the other dog, while you have control of the resource. If you have ever dropped food and being narky to the other dog meant he got it first (even if it was just because the other dog stands away from him) he will consider it to be worthwhile. Different situation when they both have food in front of them. It is also possible that there is a higher state of arousal and frustration before the food is given which decreases when they have the food. ETA Can't give more of a behavioural perspective without knowing the dogs in question- this is just guessing! Edited November 18, 2008 by Cosmolo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kelpie-i Posted November 23, 2008 Share Posted November 23, 2008 The more he practices this behaviour, the better he will become at it. As such, he may commence broadening the situations in which he displays this behaviour due to arousal levels. Do not place him in a position where he can practice this behaviour would be the first bit of advice, second, as suggested, tighten leadership with him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doit4thedogz Posted December 2, 2008 Share Posted December 2, 2008 Does anyone know if there is a typical pattern with a dog that resource guards?Ie would a dog that turns on another whilst waiting for food to be dished up at dinner time be this way in all situations? If in scenario B you tossed a hand full of kibble and allowed a free for all between dogs would the same dog allow another to eat kibble within inches of it's face or would the behaviour be displayed in this instance as well? My dogs would only get agrro over raw chicken, meats,etc. But with kibble they could eat out of the same bowl or on the floor next to each other. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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