Resource Guarding is one of the most natural behaviours, for us humans and for our dogs.
🐶 It’s just that when our dogs do it, let’s say ‘excessively’ from our point of view, it doesn’t fit into our lifestyle.
💜 The key to addressing resource guarding is understanding, not confrontation.
➡️➡️ Instead of punishing your dog for growling or snapping - simply behaviours that communicate their discomfort - focus on:
✅ building trust (counter conditioning)
✅ management (avoiding situations where your dog feels the need to)
✅ positively teaching new skills that will allow you and your dog to easily navigate these situations (drop, leave, hand target, back, off, etc).
🛑 also rule out underlying heath niggles (you’d be surprised by how much GI issues or pain/ discomfort can play into resource guarding behaviours).
🐾 and ensure your dog’s basic needs are met, from providing them with a safe place to rest to being able to eat in peace.
THIS WAY
THIS WAY..for when you need to direct your dog in a general direction but don’t need them to come to you.
I use this verbal cue when the dog is off-lead to let her know “to come in my general direction” as well as for on-lead, as an ‘emergency exit’ behaviour to quickly get out of a potentially tricky situation.
Adolescent Dogs
Working with adolescent dogs is a wonderful, and also often challenging, training category on its own!
The key to the kingdom is to help the human understand what their dog can and cannot offer at this developmental stage.
Patience and managing the dog’s environment is a large part of it, while continuing to reinforce the right behaviours and provide outlets for what your dog needs during this tumultuous time (we’ve all been there after all, I know I have…..sorry Mum…).
If you need help with your teenage dog, I offer an ‘adolescent dog survival’ training programme to help you and your dog navigate this developmental stage.
When The Going Gets Tough…. Force-free management tools for when things get messy
You are working with your reactive dog on making the world a less stressful place for them…
You are out and about socialising your puppy….
You are training with your adolescent dog, ironing out a couple of teenage tricky behaviours…
One moment the world is at peace, then suddenly something happens that sends your dog into melt down frenzy (out of fear, over-excitement, frustration…).
In this heightened emotional state most dogs struggle to respond to a cue, and management is key.
The following force-free management tools will help you to swiftly, and positively, get out of a potentially messy situation.