More help with resource guarding...

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More help with resource guarding...

Posted : 7/18/2006 7:40:15 PM

I am back with another question on resource guarding Angry

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So - Wesley has been making very good progress at home. He can be called off even a delicious RMB - he will come to me for a treat and then I can go get the RMB while he sits and waits... and I can usually go over and take the RMB, give him a treat and return the RMB. The success rate continues to rise as we continue to work on the resource guarding protocol suggested in "Mine!..."

What has stumped me is the unexpected acquisition of a high value item (ex - in the park this morning someone had a squeeky toy - not against the rules, but IMHO a terrible idea... Wesley got it, took it to a corner and guarded it. The woman went to get it from him, I told her not to, that I would do it, I approached and as I reached down and said "give" - he growled. I told him "ah ah" and then backed away, called him, told him"drop" which he did - I praised to high heaven and gave him a treat I had hidden in case of emergencies). I guess my problem is that I knew that there was a chance he wouldn't have given me that toy (especially with other dogs around - which always adds stress...). Any ideas on how to practice and train for that type of situation?

luvmyswissy

Posted : 7/18/2006 10:53:11 PM

You handled that situation beautifully and it worked, congratulations. I don't know if you can create and practice all situations. That item may only have become high value because he took it from another.

You can't take a chance and allow a stranger to take something from your dog but heres a story. When my dog was resource guarding if he got into the cat food it was valued. My DH and I could not grab his collar or leash to move him off that bowl without him growling. But one day my Mother in Law was visiting, she knew nothing about resource guarding or that our dog was a guarder. That day, he got into the cat food and my Mother in law yelled, hey !and grab him and pulled him off - he didn't growl or act even a bit disurbed by it. Sometimes the grarding (IMO) has to do with our fear and for my Mother in Law, she had none.

spiritdogs

Posted : 7/19/2006 6:55:22 AM

Sometimes the grarding (IMO) has to do with our fear and for my Mother in Law, she had none.

Actually, I'll go ya one better. The dog also didn't know how scary your mother-in-law could be. She was an unknown quantity - he already knew how far he could get with you & DH LOL. Maybe less to do with your m-i-l's lack of fear and more to do with your dog's level of insecurity about her. The combo worked fine in this case.