training
Puppies Being Puppies Sally Bradbury provides tips on how to prevent resource guarding in puppies and how to address play biting
© Can Stock Photo/Antonio_Diaz
© Can Stock Photo/mexitographer
Allowing a puppy to eat in peace and feeding dogs separately if there are more than one in the home, can help reduce instances of resource guarding
Guardians can teach their puppies to drop toys and other items that they may be inclined to guard by using treats as a reward
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Giving vs. Taking
reventing food guarding at mealtimes is usually pretty straightfor ward: simply allow puppy to eat in peace. If you have more than one dog, feed them separately and teach them that the presence of a human near their food bowl always means they are there for the sole purpose of adding a tasty treat to the bowl. Don't be persuaded that you need to take your dog's food away or put your hand in the bowl while he eats to make him tolerate or accept you being nearby – because you risk doing exactly the opposite and triggering resource guarding. What can be slightly more difficult when you have a puppy is pre venting guarding of found or “stolen” items. Puppies tend to investigate everything they find by picking it up in their mouths, whether that be stones from the garden, the children's toys, or anything that you hap pen to have left within reach. This can be particularly relevant to gun dog breeds because they are hardwired to pick up and carry and like to have something in their mouths. By forcibly taking an item from your pup's mouth – especially if ac companied by getting a little cross with him for picking it up – you run the risk of teaching him to avoid you, and when caught, to guard the possession that is now his and you are trying to “steal.”
Ensure your tug toys are long enough and soft enough for your puppy to happily bite. Your toy should touch the floor while you are holding the other end. This allows you to animate the toy and keep the game low to the ground and not encourage jumping up. It also puts distance between teeth and hands.
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BARKS from the Guild/September 2020
The solution here is to teach your puppy to “give” so that you never have to “take.” To do this, sit on the floor with a pile of toys and encour age your pup to bring them back after you have rolled them away. By sitting on the floor, you will not be tempted to move towards him. When he comes close while he is holding something, tell him what a good boy he is while giving him rump or shoulder scratches. Do not put your hand near his mouth. Do not want what he has in his mouth. At some point, he will probably drop the toy and then you can throw it again. If he's a foodie, then a food reward for dropping is a good plan. Don't use food as a bribe though; only fetch it from your pocket after he drops the toy. Once your pup is happily bringing toys and dropping them in your lap or your hand, add in other items, coasters, tea towels…anything that he might like to “steal.” Then, start working with him to fetch stationary items as opposed to something you threw for him. Next, generalize this to anywhere in the house. Leave things for him to pick up and deliver to you, so you can praise and reward him for doing so. You should, if you approach this the right way, end up with a dog that will bring you anything he finds – regardless of whether he should have it or not – while satisfying his need to find, hold and carry. Some people may consider it a chore to have their dogs bringing things to them all the time, but it's preferable (and safer) to “stealing” and guard ing and it can be toned down later, if required, by only rewarding the behavior if you actually ask him to “fetch.” If your puppy is already guarding “stolen” items, then it is even more important that you don't leave anything dangerous or valuable within his reach while you work on the above. If he does get hold of something, then either ignore it and let him have it if it's safe. If it isn't,
