Inconsistent resource guarding

[P3LH]

Has anyone encountered anything like this? I’m giving it it’s own title, as I’ve never encountered it before. I’ve only ever known black and white dogs, either resource guarders or not.

Corgi Sherman tank was very resource guardy as a pup, over her crate and food. They’re a headstrong breed anyway so it wasn’t too much of a surprise, they also are quite good obsessive. We’ve worked quite relentlessly on things especially regarding food as she was really awful and had terrible manners around her food bowl.

Each time we work on things, she improves. When we work continuously at things, she improves. In the end, either way, she reverts back. There isn’t a rhyme nor reason to it. There isn’t anything that triggers it. It’s not a case of we stop bothering and she reverts, it just one day happens.

After a period of relative calm, she caused a huge issue at dinner time this evening and I got a nasty bite to my wrist for my troubles. She will obsessively guard her food (or dropped food as was the case today) and doesn’t give it up. Then, some times - she is fine about everything and very relaxed.

She doesn’t share toys with the other dogs but isn’t bothered about people taking them. Not bothered with beds or anything like that either. Just food. But it’s really bad when it’s bad.

I just struggle to be able to unpick the triggers or rationale behind it all. I’ve never known a dog that can be fine for a period of time and then revert back to it all over again and you literally have to go back to square one.

I’m just intrigued as to if anyone has experienced something like this eg in phases, and has any advice - not so much about general resource guarding as we are kept well equipped with tools for this. I just can’t fathom the ‘regression’ as it were that she frequently experiences with some of these things.

God loves a trier, and that she certainly is.

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

Without knowing exactly what happened it is hard to advise. Our Rottweiler will guard toys from the other dogs, if she feels that they are valuable. We don't allow that, so if she is guarding we remove what ever it is. I often will hold her collar at the back to keep her head away from the toy if I think she might make a grab for it, in case of accidents, although she doesn't really guard from people.
I guess the Corgi's guarding goes in phases, depending on how valuable she thinks the item is and whether she thinks someone else wants it. Maybe she felt that another dog was likely to grab the food. If it was dropped, she knew really that it wasn't for her, which is perhaps why she got over-excited about it.

Do you use the 'Leave' command before picking the item up?

 

[CorvusCorax]

Genetics. They always go back to what they learn first or how they react innately, particularly when under any stress (read also, excitement).
I have one who could take a direct hit from a nuclear warhead and then do the exact same thing ten minutes later, because that's just the way he's wired. His desire to do, is stronger than any reward or punishment. Every day is square one with him.

Possession is something that can't be fixed or cured; just managed and channelled, or else we'd not have a lot of the breeds we have today performing the functions they were bred for.

If she's that bad I wouldn't have her anywhere around the kitchen/table at mealtimes and not around when her own food is being prepared.
If she automatically thinks you're going to come in and take stuff off her, the relationship needs a bit of rewiring also, IMO.

 

[MissTyc]

My terrier resource guards when he's tired, so "after 6pm" he will guard water bowls, food, high value locations - mostly against other dogs, but when he was younger he would have a go with a human too ... The rest of the day he shares everything cheerfully. Now we know his triggers, it's easier to avoid situations, and the less times it happens, the more he forgets about it again ...

 

[P3LH]

Interesting re genetics. Dam famously wouldn’t allow litter near toys etc as I learned later on, caused issues. It was very much an engrained issue when she came home at ten weeks, not your standard teaching puppy something - it felt already a problem parallel with a rescue resource guarder we had years ago.

It’s strange as she is so willing to give things up, some of the time. Then will randomly, with no real context, react.

Situation today, and it hasn’t happened for a while - I went into the cupboard where the food is kept, looking for extension cord for lawn mower. Knocked dog food bin, some food spilled out. She went to go for it, I told her to leave - she did. No issue. I picked it up, turned my back to put what had spilled back, one of the other dogs walked past (not near as such) and she lunged, snapping. Later on, some time later, I had fed the dogs (they are fed apart), she had finished and left the bowl, came over wagging her behind to say hello, I then went to move the bowl away (which she had ‘lost interest in’) and she snapped at me.

again, first time in ages anything like it’s happened. I think maybe she is just one of those dogs where it will come and go as an issue, so will just accept and move on - and as you say CC, prevent the circumstances where possible.

 

[Karran]

Is it that the bowl itself is an extra trigger? If she is happy to leave food spilled on the floor but reacts to food that's in a bowl?

I know with Mrs Spaniel she will leave chicken bones if spotted on a walk and I tell her, or I can take them out of her mouth if she snaffles them on a walk before I spot them but food in a bowl is a different story!
But also if I feed her in a kong/lickimat etc I can remove it. It's just the bowl itself is a big trigger.

 

[Gift Horse]

I had a red English Bull Terrier who was inconsistent with resource guarding, he was very unpredictable.
He came to us after 6 years in rescue kennels. I don’t know his history other than he was picked up by the dog warden with a badly damaged leg which was amputated. He was the trickiest dog I’ve had, we carefully managed him rather than trained him but he had a happy few years with us.