Free Tips to Stop a Puppy From Resource Guarding Food

In this Omaha puppy training session, we worked with three dogs. Kiki is a 6-month-old Great Pyrenees mix, Murdock is a 9-year-old Lab mix and Sable a three-legged Husky.

During this training session, we shared tips on how to stop a puppy from resource guarding and body handling while eating.

Why do Dogs Guard Resources?

People do not consider resource guarding aggressive behavior since the dog’s reaction changes once someone removes the resource. Dogs may resource guard for many reasons, including protecting food, people, places, or objects.

This behavior does not indicate poor training or upbringing; rather, it is an instinctual response rooted in survival. Food, being a primary reinforcement, is particularly significant because dogs instinctively guard it to ensure their sustenance.

How to Stop a Puppy From Resource Guarding

After sharing tips on dog behavior, we were ready to tackle the puppy’s resource guarding issue. Stopping resource guarding in dogs and puppies is about helping them understand you are not trying to take their things. You can learn to stop a dog from guarding its food from another dog. Just watch the free positive dog training video below.

Kiki exhibits resource guarding when Aurora approaches her food. She becomes tense, paces, and appears defensive, fearing that Aurora will take her meal. The worst response to this behavior is physically taking the resource away, as it reinforces the dog’s fear.

Instead, the goal is to create a positive association between the presence of another dog and good things happening. We can help Kiki learn that another dog near her food is okay. We did this by slowing Aurora’s approach. We also made sure Kiki felt comfortable during this process.

To start this training, we placed Kiki’s food down. Then, let Aurora approach from a safe distance. Observing Kiki’s body language is crucial—freezing and staring indicate discomfort.

At this point, Aurora walked away. If Kiki relaxes and returns to eating, the next approach happens from a slightly greater distance than before. Over time, this teaches Kiki that another dog approaching does not result in losing her food, but rather brings positive reinforcement in the form of treats and a stress-free environment.

The training involves repeated controlled approaches from different angles, ensuring Kiki does not feel the need to react. If at any point she exhibits stress signals like growling or lunging, it means the process has advanced too quickly. Patience is key, as this training may take days or even weeks. Using a leash for added control can also help ensure safety during training sessions.

By consistently reinforcing this method, Kiki can learn that food is not something she needs to guard. Instead of feeling threatened, she will come to associate another dog’s presence with a positive experience. With time and patience, resource guarding behavior can be effectively minimized.

Stopping Dog Resource Guarding Effectively

This is an easy way to stop a puppy from resource guarding, but it takes discipline. It’s crucial that guardians work at the dog’s pace. If the dog reacts at all, it means the humans pushed too close too quickly. The key to stopping dog resource guarding is to practice good things happening when another dog comes close.

I’d like to see the guardians practice this way of stopping a dog from resource guarding for each meal for a week or two. That way, Kiki will see Sable’s arrival as a good thing to look forward to and hopefully stop resource guarding for good.

To help the guardians remember all the positive dog behavior tips we shared in this in-home dog training session, we filmed a roadmap to success summary video that you can watch below.