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

For this Plattsmouth training session we worked with four-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, such as Saint Bernards. You may not be able to stop them physically.

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 dog behaviorist apprentice along. I used some dog behavior tips during the greeting. You can see whether or not they worked 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.

I went over some dog training tips. I wanted to help Bernie learn self-control and respect for personal space. This was important for his guardians. Then, I focused on a problem Bernie had: 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.

Resource guarding is not an aggressive behavior. However, a dog may act aggressively if his warnings are ignored. 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 his things, we can boost his confidence. 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 help his guardians. This also includes using the anti-resource guarding strategy from the video. They will have all the tools they need to stop him from resource guarding for good.

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.