29/09/2023
Fun fact, I fixed my dogs severe resource guarding issues as a puppy through play.
Yep, play. I knew nothing else would work with a dog like Austin, punishments would make him more aggressive and damage the relationship I had built with him so far, and doing all the standard trust building exercises around food would have been a waste of time, this wasn’t a behavioral issue caused by handler incompetence, it is a strong genetic trait that I needed to learn how to use to my advantage.
To add to that, I was doing EVERYTHING you should do with a puppy to prevent resource guarding from ever developing. He was hand fed every meal, all food resources came from me from the get go, I never did anything stupid like take his food away, or put my hands near his mouth while he was eating. His resource guarding is genetic, because he’s an extremely possessive animal.
A lot of people would have tried to suppress that, punish it, shut it down, but anyone who has worked with me will know that unless it’s extreme aggression with intent to harm, I don’t ever shut genetic traits down, I UTILIZE them to my advantage.
So I learned how to play with my dog in a way that suited him, a way that built trust between us, a way that gave him an outlet to be super possessive but with the clarity he needed to remain under control and happy within the game. It pushed me out of my comfort zone, I had never played with a dog with so much intensity and confidence, and it has massively changed the way I work with dogs ever since.
Resource guarding can be extremely dangerous for both the dog and the handler. What if your dog puts something toxic yet edible in their mouth? You need to get it out. What if your dog gets something stuck in their mouth? You need to get it out. Situations I have experienced with Austin and managed to deal with very easily because of the level of trust he has in me.
If your dog resource guards anything, I’d suggest you hire a reputable trainer asap because it is not something you have to live with for the rest of your dogs life. It can be sorted!
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