# Resource Guarding



## Feralpudel (Jun 28, 2010)

Puppylove, Fozziesmom has been dealing with this. She has been working with what sounds like an excellent trainer, and has posted detailed descriptions of her work with Fozzie:

http://www.poodleforum.com/23-general-training-obedience/8744-fozzie-resource-guarder.html

Best of luck on working through these issues with Strawberry. With a foster, it is hard to know what her history is, and how entrenched this problem is. But we have faith in you!


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## fjm (Jun 4, 2010)

I was going to suggest FozziesMum, too - and if you can help Strawberry through this you will hugely improve her chances of happiness in her next home. I would be wary of pushing her until you have talked with a professional, though - I believe it is very easy to make the behaviour worse if you go about things in the wrong way.


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## Purley (May 21, 2010)

I don't profess to be a dog behaviour expert, but my oldest Shih-tzu, the one we lost to heart failure earlier this year, guarded everything. If he found a piece of paper on the floor, it was "his". If you touched him when he was eating, he would growl. I don't know if he would bite because I never gave him the chance. I would get hold of his collar and lift his front feet off the ground and take whatever it was I wanted him not to have. That worked when he didn't have the thing in his mouth. He seemed quite happy after he didn't have to guard the thing. Once it was gone - it was the end of it. 

A dog person friend also suggested giving him something in exchange. That worked too. I also saw an episode of the dog whisperer, where he used an item such as a tennis raquet, to get the dog away from whatever it was he was guarding. I know lots of people don't like the dog whisperer's ideas, but I did try using a broom handle. I preferred to use something to take the item away from the dog -- and I preferred to do it without risking getting bitten.


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## Locket (Jun 21, 2009)

DEFINITELY follow Fozzie's thread. Excellent trainer/methods being used! (and awesome work Fozzie's mom!)

With resource guarders, you want to avoid making them feel MORE threatened. Grabbing their collar, yelling, invading their space are all ways to get bitten. Positive methods are the best (and only) way I would work through guarding behaviour.


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