Free Tips to Help an Adopted Dog with a Resource Guarding Problem

For this Plattsmouth training session we worked with 4 year-old Saint Bernard, Bernie, who was recently adopted into his fifth home. His family set up this dog behavior training session with me to help a dog with a resource guarding problem.

Teaching control is important for any dog. However, it is crucial for giant breeds like Saint Bernards. You may not be able to stop them physically so teaching and training the dog to control itself is really important.

Are Saint Bernards Aggressive?

Saint Bernards are generally friendly and gentle dogs, known for being patient with children. While they are not usually aggressive, Saint Bernards can become territorial or aggressive if not properly socialized or trained. Without proper socialization, they may become wary of strangers and other dogs. Luckily, they are eager to please, which makes training easier.

Saint Bernards are naturally alert and quick to notice unusual activity. They can also experience separation anxiety and may become destructive if left alone for long periods. Since they are large dogs, they need plenty of space to move around.

Since we thought we might meet an aggressive dog, I brought my apprentice along to observe. I used some dog behavior tips during the greeting to help Bernie feel more comfortable. You can see the results in the video below.

It only took us a few moments to see that this was not a case of dog aggression. While Bernie needed a little polishing, I did not spot any signs of aggression during our three hour session. This is often the case for a dog with a resource guarding problem as once the resource is removed, the aggressive behavior stops.

I went over some dog training tips to help Bernie learn self-control and respect for personal space. These lessons were important for his guardians and for Bernie. We covered a number of dog behavior fundamentals such as marker words, hand tageting, dog consent and more before I turned my attention to the main problem: resource guarding.

Tips to Help a Dog with a Resource Guarding Problem

Resource guarding is a common behavior issue in dogs and puppies. It occurs when they feel insecure and fear that their resources, such as food, toys, or space, might be taken away. Challenging a dog or taking the guarded item from them can make the problem worse, as it reinforces their fear and the behavior.

Sadly the most common mistaek people make with a dog with a resource guarding problem is to take away the item. The dog’s entire behavior is a result of their concern you may take their stuff. So taking things away form a Resource guarding dog is the last thing you should ever do.

Resource guarding is not an aggressive behavior. However, a dog may act aggressively if his warnings are ignored or punished. That is why we only use positive dog training techniques. Those methods are reinforcing and uplifting versus being supressive.

If you have a dog with a resource guarding problem, you should check out the video below as I go through my process of rehabilitating a dog with a resource guarding problem in the video below.

By helping Bernie understand that people are not a threat to take his things, we can help prove to him that we are trustworthy. This will help him stop feeling like he needs to guard his belongings.

Easy Dog Training Techniques

Teaching Bernie to drop things on command will also help his guardians. If done properly, it teaches the dog that even if they give us stuff, its not a negative for them.

Teaching dogs to drop things is also a part of the anti-resource guarding strategy discussed in the above video. Once Bernie has this trick down, his guardinas will have all the tools they need to stop him from resource guarding in the future. Or at a minimum the path to help a dog with a resource guarding problem.

I was extremely pleased with this session. Bernie responded well to all the dog training techniques we used. It was wonderful to see someone with the right setup rescue this dog.

Bernie is a really great dog, he was just in the wrong homes and environment. Now that he has a good guardian, space to run, and other dogs his size to play with, he is in a great place. It is always nice to see.

We wrapped up the session with a Roadmap to Success video where I cover all the highlights we went over in the course of this session. You can watch it and get some additional positive dog training tips by clicking the video below.