Understanding Resource Guarding Aggression in Dogs

Why dogs resource guard

Some dogs display what we call resource guarding aggression and will defend their right to have desirable items such as food, sofas or even you! Dog aggression is rarely pleasant to live with.

Reason to fight: Limited resources

When resources are in short supply, demand increases. Dogs tend to value resources that they need to survive. Resources such as food, shelter and companionship are very valuable commodities in the animal world and most animals will do all they can to secure these resources and to hold on to them once they have them.

Most dogs that live in modern, human households want for nothing. They have all the food they could ever wish for – and more. With access to sofas, beds and any number of luxurious shelters, they have our company and perhaps the companionship of other members of their species and other domesticated animals too.

This does not stop them from coveting resources. The innate desire to secure life-preserving possessions and relationships remains strong. Perceived precious items are worth resource guarding.

Most dogs are generous in their sharing capacity. They allow their humans to share their resting spots – usually our sofas! They do not flinch when our hand comes near their food bowl. A small number of dogs, however, refuse to share their resources. Often there will be one particular resource that they are particularly motivated to guard.

Common items that dogs guard

1. Dogs who Guard Food

Food. especially coveted items that are not readily available, such as bones, treats and chews are commonly guarded. The dog will growl when the threat approaches or even bite.

Food-related aggression is more common in dogs that:

– live in multi-dog households, perhaps not surprisingly, as competition for food may be more severe.
– dogs that are acquired when older, perhaps due to previous competition or to a reduced food supply
– dogs that are fed from the dining table may also be more likely to covet and protect this limited resource.
– households with women are also more likely to have food guarding canines.

2. Dogs who Guard Toys

Toys, perhaps those associated with food such as treat balls but also other items specific to their likes and activities, are resource guarded by some dogs. Some dogs will guard tennis balls because they enjoy fetching them and do not want any other dog to take them.

Other objects may also be guarded. Some of these may have no perceivable value in owner’s eyes but the dog still covets them. An old sock, for instance, may be previous to your dog, although useless to you.

3. Dogs who Guard Space

Spaces may be resource guarded by some dogs, especially areas that are associated with particular comforts like sofas or beds or particular spots such as gates or doorways. Dogs may guard one particular spot or an entire area, a behaviour generally referred to as territoriality.

4. Dogs who Guard People

Some dogs show resource guarding towards people, especially owners who the dog is attached to, when other, potentially threatening people or dogs approach.

Dogs that exhibit resource-based aggression within the home, usually directed towards their owners, are sometimes referred to as dominant aggressive. It has been thought that these dogs were trying to increase their status levels and become top dog. This has now fallen out of favour as a theory of why some dogs show aggression towards their humans. Instead, dogs are more likely to be aggressive towards their owners due to resource guarding, due to fear or due to redirected aggression.

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Multi-dog households and resource guarding behaviour

Dogs in multi-dog households may be more likely to be experience competition for resources from the other dogs. One dog may control all resources and the others have to wait their turn to eat or receive human attention.