Food Aggression Or Resource Guarding. by Samantha Triplett
Food aggression, or the resource guarding of food, is triggered by the defensive drive in a dog. This is a drive that all dogs possess. It can be defined as a dog feeling threatened, and there- fore reacting in a defensive nature towards the subject dog that it sees as a threat. Once a dog channels their defensive drive, the subject dog typically backs off. This backing off relieves the pressure that the threatened dog was feeling, and that, in itself, is a reward for the threatened dog. Now some dogs can be more defensive than others. This is due to genetics and past experiences. Certain breeds are by nature, more intense than others, but any breed can display defensive behaviors. Poor breeding can lead to behav- ioral problems as well. Typically with food aggression
or resource guarding of food, we see these behaviors starting at a young age. There are subtle signs, such as yawning when another dog approaches, freezing up, hair on the back rising, growling, showing teeth, etc. More intense reactions would be lunging and/or snapping or actually biting. Since the signs of resource guarding can be displayed at such a young age, it is crucial for breeders/owners to attempt to deter this behavior from the start. Often when breeders are feeding puppies after being weaned off of their mother’s milk, they will feed them in a commu- nal bowl. If feeding raw, often they will allow the puppies to eat a large piece of meat together. These dogs start to realize that they must eat quickly if they want to eat. If one puppy is eating too close to another, one’s defense drive might kick in, warning the other puppy to back away from its food. We also need to realize that dogs are pack animals. Often, we like to humanize our dogs, which can lead to conflict in our relationships. If a dog were feral, they would have to fight off other predators from eating their food. To a dog, a human approaching them while eating food can be very similar to a predator approaching in some situations. This is not to suggest that this is an acceptable behavior, however it could be in a dog’s nature as a pack animal. There are a few things you can do to prevent food aggres-
milk, do they feed the puppies from separate bowls. At home, have your puppy eat from your hand in the
beginning. This teaches your puppy that food comes from you. As the handler, you are the dominant member of your pack, and you determine when everyone is fed. After working on this, you can start putting the food in a bowl and moving your hand in and out of the bowl as they eat. These techniques teach the dog that you are not a threat. Another great concept that helps with deterring defensive behaviors towards the handler is by making your dog handler-dependent. This establishes that your dog must please you (with obedient behav- iors), to receive the resources that they desire. Starting with consis- tent obedience from the begin- ning can truly help. If rescuing a dog, typically you
do not know their exact tempera- ment until they have settled in. You also do not know the dog’s background, lineage, or how they were raised. Therefore you may see some of the minor signs of food aggression after the dog has settled in. Start hand-feeding your new rescue dog right away. Also, get your dog into an obedience program to ensure that they became handler-dependent. If you have a dog that already
Photo illustration of Jimmy Choo by Rafael Mantesso U
shows intense signs of resource guarding, or food aggression behaviors, you should seek help
from a professional behaviorist and your veterinarian as soon as possible.
sion. If purchasing a dog, question breeders to determine if they have ever encountered food aggression or resource guarding with their dogs. Ask if they have ever shown other defensive behaviors before. Ask if when they wean off of their mother’s
www.TheNewBarker.com
Samantha is a professional dog trainer specializing in obedience training (basic and advanced) and behavior modification (correct- ing unwanted behaviors such as resource guarding, dog/people aggression, chewing, eliminating in the house, separation anxiety, bark- ing and more). Her company, STK9 Training Co., also specializes in personal protection dog services and narcotic detection services. Call or email Sam at 727.744.5914 or
STK9TrainingCompany@gmail.com
STK9TrainingCompany.com
Summer/Fall 2017 THE NEW BARKER 63
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