[SSpiro]

Every day with my new rescue is an education for all of us.

Turns out he has resource guarding issues with bones and treats. Not sure about food yet.. It starts with the growling and goes to lunging.

This MUST be repaired, obviously.

Any recommendations from experience?

[Dogstar]

"Mine: A Guide to Canine Resource Guarding" by Jean Donaldson is good. This is an issue to be careful with, and I'd strongly recommend consulting a GOOD trainer who can use positive methods and desensitization to work through this.

[SSpiro]

Great info. Thanks!

[SSpiro]

Just an update.. We experimented last night with him and his food. No guarding issues with the food. How weird.

We fed him from our hands, as well as let him eat out of his bowl. While he ate from the bowl, we petted him, gently pulled on his ears, stuck our hands in the bowl, and grabbed the bowl from him while he was eating and got no negative responses other then curious why it was taken.

So it seems to only be related to the bones and treats. When he's chewing on a bone he seems in a zone; I wonder if thats related..

[Lorina]

While it's not getting to the core of the problem, I'd start by not giving him bones or whichever treat he guards. At very least, only give them in his crate where he can't/won't be disturbed.

My dog had resource guarding tendencies. Still does, to a degree, but going through an obedience class helped us bond. He had to learn to trust me and that I was the bringer of all that is good, yummy and fun in his world. NILIF helps, too.

He guarded certain treats (and only if they were too large to eat all at once) and certain toys (hard rubber balls especially), so he doesn't get those toys anymore, and all treats are broken up into bite sized pieces. Learning "leave it" has helped a lot. And if he manages to pick something up (like a discarded chicken bone) without me noticing, I can now take it off him.

[madkad]

I have always found feeding the bone in the hand why they bite it then remove and redo doing this can help over time, this shows that you have full controll over their food and that they can trust you holding it, but note that at the start to be very carfull I have started this from a young age and its worked doing it with a older dog will or could be dangers at the start so see how they act while you are doing it.

I have also found that not stoping the work once you have started as this will make it like they have won, remember the pack leader of the pack controls all food and when to have it, also with water.

The dog that bites and grouls isnt your do this is an animal with its pray even just walking towords your dog and your dog holding there head over food/bone is prey drive. I walk up to my dogs big and showing that I am meaning biz, they now drop their bone for me and let me remove it from the floor, the only dog that doesnt do this is my 18 week old dog and she is hard work in alot of other ways, but it all takes time and no backing down.