RESOURCE GUARDING
By Pat Schmidt
Papillons, like many small dogs, are especially prone to resource guarding. There are a number of factors that contribute to this but the main problem is they are so darn cute and so small that we don’t see them as a threat and a five or six pound dog guarding a person, place or thing strikes us as funny.
But let’s not get ahead of ourselves, what is resource guarding anyway and why is it such a problem with our foster dogs? The Whole Dog Journal has a terrific article on resource guarding that you can find at this site, I suggest you go to the site and read the entire article but just the beginning will give you an insight into what is going through your dog’s mind when he guards things like your home, car, bedroom, his food, crate, toys or space just to mention a few. The article deals with dog to dog guarding and modifying techniques but will give you some understanding of what is going through your dogs mind when he becomes involved in dog to people guarding especially when it escalates into aggression or biting.
I especially like these articles and hope you will read both of them. While I don’t agree with all either has said most is beneficial and nothing in either article is going to mess up your dog. The addresses are and Both deal with resource guarding involving people. Here lately it seems I am getting several calls a week from foster parents or adoptive parents about their paps biting and it can usually be attributed to resource guarding. Usually the dog is giving signals prior to the ugly aggression that you are missing until it becomes a serious problem.
Let me give you a list of “dos and don’ts” that will help you deal with resource guarding more quickly and effectively.
DO remain calm. A firm NO is much more effective than screaming at a dog. If you holler you are out of control and the dog knows it. If you aren’t in control the dog will feel a need to take control from you and that will only make a bad situation worse. A good example of how this works can be seen at a training school or dog park. If one dog is behaving erratically the other dogs will attempt to correct the out of control dog. We don’t need your dog correcting you!
DO set boundaries. For example, a dog that is guarding you from friends and family cannot sit on your lap or be on the furniture until his behavior changes. Once a change is made the dog can lose privileges again if the bad behavior returns. You should expect bad behavior to resurface in the resource guarder from time to time and your response should be quick and appropriate to the behavior.
DO become aware of warning signals, especially staring and freezing that signal approaching trouble. Correct warning signals with a firm “No” and divert the dog.
DO correct growling or other aggression with a short time out in a gated place. Time outs should not be in the dog’s crate, his crate is a good and a safe place. It should also be done in a small space. I do time outs in my guest bathroom with a puppy gate not a closed door. I want the door opened so the dog knows what he is missing. Once the time out is over (about five minutes) I love on the dog and tell him he is a good boy. Time outs are only effective when they are done immediately when an infraction occurs. If even a few minutes pass the dog won’t know why you are putting him in a time out. You may have to put the dog in time out fifty times the first day but every day the time outs should lessen.
DO be patient. As with any training or retraining you do with your dog, patience is a must and must be coupled with praise and other positive reinforcement.
DO remove any toys, chewies, or other objects that are causing conflict. If a dog is food aggressive (guarding food) all feeding should be done in the crate. There should not be any food left out after feeding time. Treats that can’t be eaten in a single bite should only be given in the crate. If the dog is food aggressive toward people all food should come from your hands for at least a couple weeks. Then try feeding in a bowl with your hand in the bowl. If there is any aggression go back to hand feeding.
DO work on obedience training, walking nicely at your side, sitting when you stop, sit/stays, down/stays, coming when called. Obedience training, in addition to making the dog a pleasure to be around, instills confidence and compliance. Most dogs that resource guard lack confidence.
DO keep a guarding dog leashed so that you can quickly reel him in and correct.
DOkeep treats by the door so that people coming into your house can reward a fearful dog for coming to them.
DON’T allow the dog on your bed. The bed is not a safe place for your Papillon and Papillon Haven has a policy against having a foster dog in your bed. Having a dog in your bed gives the dog ownership of the bed and indirectly of you. A dog that is resource guarding should spend most of his time on the floor. Go down to his level to give him attention.
DON’T ignore any bad behavior, correct immediately. Bad behavior ignored will escalate.
DON’T ignore stares and stiffening, a stiff, raised tail, huffing, these are all signs of aggression.
I have used the word “correct” a number of times and I want to give you a brief description of what a correction is and isn’t. A correction is NOT a physical form of punishment. Many of our dogs have suffered physical abuse, a physical correction, including a smack with your hand, a newspaper or other object is not appropriate. An appropriate correction can be verbal, a single “NO” for example. It can also be a time out or if the dog growls while sitting next to you on the sofa a swift push to the floor in conjunction with a verbal “NO Growl” is a good correction.
I know you are inclined to feel sorry for some of our dogs, especially those that have been mistreated. Do not allow your sympathy to rule how you work at training your foster dog. You may have to go slower with a fearful dog but you cannot allow resource guarding in any dog because mild guarding can quickly escalate into biting.
If you have a resource guarder that is being adopted, even though he may not have shown any signs of guarding in the past several months, let the adopting person know that he has had an issue with guarding in the past and how to handle that. He may revert back to what he had done in the past when put into a new or uncomfortable situation. Papillons, because of their intelligence, are also very good at testing everyone they meet to see just how much they can get away with; they will surely test the adopter.
Finally, your personal dog may well help you deal with resource guarding. I wish we could put a very calm, confident dog in every foster home to help with the training. Smokey needs only to roll over and look at a misbehaving dog for the bad behavior to stop. Don’t discount the assistance you can get from your well adjusted personal dogs when dealing with your fosters.
Nov. 2014