As is customary, I give the dogs their evening chewies. Deuce eagerly dashes to the living room, settling into his usual spot on the carpet, where he happily chews away. Rio, on the other hand, heads to the dog bed in the kitchen. I take this opportunity to gently ask Rio to release her chewy, aiming to show her that I’m not a threat and have no intention of taking away her prized possession.
But Rio, ever cautious, tightens her grip on the chewy and turns away from me. Not wanting to reinforce her fear, I decide to leave her alone. It’s not about winning; it’s about teaching her that she can trust me. If I were to force her to let go, I’d only confirm her suspicions that I’m a threat trying to take her chewy away.
Instead, I wait for the next opportunity to teach her that giving up her bone voluntarily comes with big rewards. The following evening, I give Deuce his chewy and hold onto Rio’s. We walk to the fridge, where I keep their treats, and I pull out some chunky hotdogs. Rio watches closely as I extend the chewy to her but keep a hold on the other end. With the chew in her mouth, I ask her to “drop it,” which in our training means to release from her mouth.
She quickly complies, and I reward her with a hotdog for her good effort. We repeat the exercise: I let her hold the chewy while I maintain a grip on it, and when she releases it, she gets more hotdogs and finally, her bone. We end the mini-training session with Rio peacefully enjoying her bone.
This process of holding onto the bone rather than relinquishing it completely is a preliminary step in teaching her that releasing an item leads to positive outcomes. It’s essential to start these exercises correctly to ensure that both you and your dog are safe and that the dog learns that giving up something valuable means they’ll either get it back or receive something even better in return. For example, when Rio brought in a dead bird the other day—a definite no-go—I was able to exchange it for something more suitable.
It’s crucial to distinguish between teaching a dog to “share” and teasing them with a prized possession. In the former, the dog willingly surrenders their item, and this choice is rewarded with something of high value, followed by the return of their possession.
Resource guarding is a term used to describe behaviors that dogs display to warn you that what they have is theirs and they’re not interested in sharing. These behaviors can range from body-blocking, slowing down or speeding up their movements, growling, baring teeth, air snapping, and potentially biting.
These warnings should always be taken seriously. If a dog guards an item, my recommendation is to ALWAYS defer to the dog at that moment and take steps to teach them otherwise once the situation has calmed down.
When a dog is in a defensive mode, it’s not the time to assert dominance or try to prove who’s in charge. Remember, YOU are always the boss—so take the high road by diffusing aggression rather than escalating it. Handle the situation in a way that prevents biting while setting up scenarios where your dog learns that your presence around their prized chewies is always a reason to celebrate.