# Resource guarding for the first time, is it due to adolescence?



## Dechi (Aug 22, 2015)

@PeggyTheParti has been having similar issues with her dog and having success at behavior modification, although she is still working on it. I’m sure she’ll have advice for you.


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## PeggyTheParti (Sep 5, 2019)

As our trainer explained it to us, yes, some dogs will “try on” resource guarding in adolescence—possibly because their anxiety around certain items has increased due to perceived value or a history of having them taken away, possibly due to hormonal fluctuations which can cause nesting behaviours, possibly because they’re “testing boundaries,” as adolescents tend to do. 

In all the research I’ve been forced to do thanks to Peggy, I’ve come to see this as a decidedly insecure behaviour.

You mention taking things from Winnie’s mouth and then giving them back. Do you also reward her for this? Because the act of taking something from a dog breaks all sorts of unspoken doggy rules. I’ve been observing Peggy in play a lot, and this is one thing only very rude dogs do.

I know we’re not dogs, and our dogs don’t _think_ we’re dogs, but I call it “watering the seeds of resource guarding” when we repeatedly take items from our poodles. They are so smart and sensitive, and their memories are long. Eventually some might say, “Nope! No more!” and growling is a first line of defense.

On that note, don’t ever punish for growling. That’s when you end up with a dog who goes straight for a bite.

Has Winnie ever had a chicken foot after the groomer’s before? A chicken foot is an extremely high value item, which can create stress. Being groomed is _also_ extremely stressful; it’s also tiring. All combined, this means a significantly lowered threshold. Research “trigger stacking” if you’ve not already.


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## WinnieThePoodle (Sep 1, 2020)

PeggyTheParti said:


> As our trainer explained it to us, yes, some dogs will “try on” resource guarding in adolescence—possibly because their anxiety around certain items has increased due to perceived value or a history of having them taken away, possibly due to hormonal fluctuations which can cause nesting behaviours, possibly because they’re “testing boundaries,” as adolescents tend to do.
> 
> In all the research I’ve been forced to do thanks to Peggy, I’ve come to see this as a decidedly insecure behaviour.
> 
> ...


She has had chicken feet before but not after a groom. I did let her sleep when she came back from the groomer as she was tired so I thought she was rested when I gave it to her. I like to be able to take things out of her mouth to check if its still safe to continue chewing. If it's ok she gets it straight back. If not I'll swap it. I don't do it every time as some things I know how they wear down so don't need to. I wasn't actually going to take her chicken foot, I just got a bit close and she must have thought I was going for it. Why would she have done this to me but not my husband?


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## cowpony (Dec 30, 2009)

WinnieThePoodle said:


> Why would she have done this to me but not my husband?





WinnieThePoodle said:


> I like to be able to take things out of her mouth to check if its still safe to continue chewing. If it's ok she gets it straight back. If not I'll swap it.


Are you perhaps doing more safety checks than your husband, so she thinks you are a potential treat thief and he isn't?


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## WinnieThePoodle (Sep 1, 2020)

cowpony said:


> Are you perhaps doing more safety checks than your husband, so she thinks you are a potential treat thief and he isn't?


Yes, that would explain it. He has opened her mouth to pull out things that she shouldn't have eaten but she is so much better at 'leave it' and 'drop it' now that he hasn't needed to do it anymore, whereas I will monitor her chews.


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## PeggyTheParti (Sep 5, 2019)

Definitely read through my resource guarding thread if you haven’t already. Even just the last couple of pages. You’ll see that Peggy happily traded a found toy/treasure for a treat from our friend, in a situation where she likely would have guarded it from my husband or me. That person has never “stolen” anything from her before, whereas we have.


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