Positive, Force Free Resource Guarding Solutions for Puppies

For this Omaha puppy training session we worked with Noko, an 11 month old Australian Shepherd puppy who resource guards bones from one of her guardians. We shared a number of force free resource guarding solutions for this caring family.

After talking with the guardians about Noko’s daily routine, I realized she was not getting enough exercise.

She needed more mental stimulation, structure to develop motivation so she wants to listen to and respect her guardians. But before the session, anytime Noko demanded attention from her guardians, she got it. We recommend petting dogs with a purpose to break them of this habit.

Force Free Resource Guarding Solutions

I suggested that the guardians add some rules. They should use premacks to create motivation. They can also use pets with a purpose. It is important to reward Noko for desired behaviors when she shows them on her own.

We discussed the basics of modern force-free puppy training. This training can help motivate dogs and strengthen their respect for their owners.

The main problem the family wanted help with is Noko’s habit of guarding bones and high-value items from the family’s daughter.

When you want to stop a dog from resource guarding, helping them feel comfortable is an often overlooked factor. The rules and structure we covered early in the session will help with that.

Easy Way to Stop a Dog From Resource Guarding

My preferred way of stopping resource guarding in dogs is to help them understand that no one is a threat to take their things. We want the dog to believe that when they have valuable items and a person enters the room, good things will follow.

You can learn an easy way to stop a dog from resource guarding by watching the free positive dog training video below.

If your dog struggles with resource guarding, there are effective, safe strategies to help shift their mindset. Resource guarding is a natural behavior in dogs. It often comes from their instinct to protect things they value, like food, toys, or spaces.

It’s important not to confront this behavior by forcefully taking away the item. Doing so can increase the dog’s fear and mistrust. Instead, use positive reinforcement to create new connections. Help your dog learn that good things, like treats, happen when someone comes close.

This means slowly getting the dog used to things by using distance, timing, and repetition. Always keep safety in mind with tools like a tether or leash. Over time, with consistency and patience, dogs can learn to feel more secure and relaxed around their resources.

The family should practice this secret to stop Noko from guarding resources whenever she shows this behavior.

A trick that will help the guardians achieve this is to tether her before giving her a bone or high value item.

This way, the family can feel sure that everyone will stay safe if Noko acts aggressively while guarding resources.

The best thing about this trick to stop resource guarding in dogs is that anyone can do it. Even if you are not a professional Australian Shepherd puppy trainer.

Teaching Tricks and Cues for Stopping Resource Guarding in Dogs

Another thing that will help is to build up the relationship between the family’s daughter and the dog. I’ve found a great way to achieve this is to have the guardian teach the dog some new tricks and cues.

Since our goal was to build a solid foundation for the dog’s behavior, I suggested the guardian drop her daughter off at one of our nearby trainer’s homes. Watching the trainer work with her own dogs during the first visit can help set a positive tone.

Once that foundation is in place, she can return with Noko, and the trainer can guide them on how to work together effectively.

To help the family remember all the things we covered in today’s in-home puppy training session, we filmed a roadmap to success video that you can watch below.