Resource Guarding

[Agility Dogs]

I've been thinking about resource guarding of food and wondering how to stop it amongst my 3.

The 3 of them can have their nose in my bowl licking up any scraps after I have finished and there is never an issue. I can put their food bowls 30cm from each other and go inside - no problems. This holds true regardless of whether it is mince/veges/yoghurt, chicken or turkey frames/necks, whatever, they are fine.

I always give them a biscuit, pigs ear or bone before I go out and that is where the behaviour changes. Wikki runs and hides up the back of the yard. CK and Xena growl and snarl at each other until one of them finally backs down and heads off to where they can't see the other. Even then Xena gives a warning bark every 30 seconds or so.

The other week I had run out of food and just gave them a bone each for breakfast and low and behold - no problems or guarding - same bones as always.

I thought it might have been the context of breakfast that changed their behaviour so this morning I intentionally put their feed bowls (turkey necks) close together and fed them - no problem. Then just before I left (as I always do) i got out their brisket bones and took them out the back, making really sure the dogs knew what they were and why they were getting them. (Had my work shoes on.)

I asked each of them to do their trick of the week (like I do before breakfast every morning) and then put their bone in the bowl.

NO PROBLEMS, BARKING OR GROWLING. Go figure - who would have thought something so simple could completely change a dynamic.

Just thought I'd share an every day success.

(BTW - I was standing close by in case the experiment failed and escalated a problem. This doesn't make any difference to the behaviour I've had up until now though.)