Picture this: You are having a chill evening lounging on your comfy West Elm couch with your dog by your side, resting and you get up to get a snack, but when you come back to sit on the couch, your dog growls at you .

How could you!

If this scenario sounds familiar, you might be dealing with resource guarding. For dog parents in Singapore, understanding and addressing this behavior is crucial for a harmonious household. Let’s explore what resource guarding is and how you can manage it effectively.

What is Resource Guarding?

If we define resources as per the below it makes it easier to put it into context:

This allows us to remove the stigma of this behavior. It’s entirely natural for animals to guard things they value.

Both dogs AND humans!

Think about it:
Do you lock your door at night?
That’s you guarding your home from anyone coming in and stealing your possessions.

Do you hesitate a bit when someone reaches into your plate to take a fry from you? I know I do!
That’s me not being happy about having one less yummy fry to myself.

Do you put in a password to lock your phone?
That’s you guarding your privacy.

As you can see, guarding resources, or things, or people or spaces that we hold dear is an entirely natural behavior.

Human Perspective: What It Looks Like

“It’s ours!”

Your dog may display aggressive or protective behaviors over things they value. This can look like growling, snapping, or even biting when someone approaches their prized possessions. It can be pretty alarming to see your sweet pup turn into Gollum from “The Lord of the Rings” over their food bowl, a bone, a favorite toy, or even some old used Kleenex.

So why is it that its so distressing when your dog displays it?

I haven’t seen any studies on this, but my best guess is that it could be because most of our resource guarding takes place to protect our valuables from “others”.

When our dogs guard against us, it can often feel like a betrayal because they see us as “others”, while we see them as “ours”. Whether fortunately or unfortunately, dogs are uniquely positioned in most households: At best they’re considered valued family members, almost like children, and at worst they’re seen as property that is owned. In either scenario, having your beloved or owned property treat you with distrust can be a shocking and concerning experience.

Dog Perspective: What’s Going Through Their Head

 Please don’t!

From your dog’s point of view, resource guarding is a survival instinct. In the wild, resources like food and safe resting spots are scarce and worth protecting and this is hard wired into most animals (even us!). This instinct can often get exacerbated if as a young pup you practiced taking things away from them (for their safety or otherwise), or putting your hands in their food bowl, or even removing them from spaces where they were comfortable without any trades.

So when your dog growls over their food bowl, they’re not being naughty or rude; they’re just worried they might lose something important. They’re communicating their big feelings by saying, “This is valuable to me, and I’m afraid you’re going to take it away.”

What Are Things Dogs Can Guard?

Dogs can guard a variety of things, including:

Food and Treats
The most common items. Your dog might hover over their bowl, growl when you get close, or snap if you try to take a treat away. In more subtle instances, you might find a dog scarfs down whatever they were eating when you approach.

Toys
That squeaky toy or yak chew can become a prized possession worth guarding.

Resting spots
Beds, couches, or even specific spots on the floor can become territory they don’t want to share. Often in these cases, possession is 9/10ths the law. I.e. if you were there first, they might not kick up as much of a fuss as if they were there first and someone else approached them.

People
Sometimes, dogs guard their favorite humans, becoming possessive when others approach. At times this can be seen as protective behavior and often dismissed or happily accepted, but you’ll often see resource guarding behavior being directed towards specific people, rather than anyone and everyone.

Random Objects
Socks, Q-tips, Kleenex, old slippers, matchboxes or lighters…you name it. Often it can be anything the dog has in their possession that they’ve now attached value to.

What to Do

Management Protocols
First and foremost, manage the environment to prevent resource guarding situations. If your dog guards their food or chews, feed them in a quiet, private space where they feel safe and don’t interrupt them.

Keep valuable toys out of reach when other dogs or children are around to reduce the chances of conflict.

If your dog is guarding specific spaces, ensure they have alternate safer spaces to call their own, and restrict access to the ones that they would have to share with other household members (i.e. couches, beds, etc)

Trade. Don’t Take
One of the golden rules of dealing with resource guarding is never to forcibly take away the guarded item. Instead, offer a trade with something of higher value. If your dog has a toy, offer a delicious treat in exchange. This way, your dog learns that giving up the guarded item results in something even better.

Work with a Professional
Resource guarding can be tricky to handle on your own. Consulting with a certified dog trainer or behaviorist can provide you with a tailored plan to address the issue safely and effectively. They can guide you through desensitization and counter-conditioning techniques that are grounded in positive reinforcement to help your dog feel more comfortable with people or other dogs around their valued items.

Meet your dog’s needs
Often resource guarding can crop up due to underlying health issues – think: a dog in pain is less likely to want to give up a comfy spot on the couch – so its always a good idea to rule out any medical conditions at the onset. Additionally, a dog might be more likely to develop big feelings about valuable objects if they’re needs aren’t being met sufficiently in other areas. In particular, dogs are creatures of habit and thrive on patterns and routine. Our busy lives in SG can often be chaotic, causing insecurity in our dogs, which can lead to guarding behaviors. Check out my post on meeting your dog’s needs here.

Living in a fast-paced city like Singapore, comes with its unique challenges which can sometimes exacerbate resource guarding behaviors in our dogs. However, with the right approach and professional coaching, you can help your dog learn to share and feel more secure. Remember, resource guarding is a behavior, not a character flaw, and with patience and the right techniques, your dog can learn to relax and trust that their valued items are safe with you.