I'm glad that you are working with a behaviorist! I have a lot of experience with resource guarding and once had a dog who was a severe resource guarder - he absolutely would have bitten people over food if I hadn't been careful and he punctured a few dogs over toys and food. I would clone that dog and have him again if I could. Despite his challenges, he was a demo dog for my group training classes, traveled all over the States with me, and even participated in kids' summer camps. Just goes to show that with the right management and training (in that order), resource guarding does not severely limit a dog's opportunities in life. If I could pick one 'major' behavior problem for a dog to have and it would magically guarantee it wouldn't have any other problems, I'd pick resource guarding.
That said, it is critical to understand and accept that resource guarding is a lifelong trait. You don't 'cure' a dog of it or guarantee that a dog won't growl or bite someone. There are many reasons for this. So although the behavior can be reduced with the right behavior modification plan, your behaviorist should prioritize reasonable expectations and lifelong management (ex. "no matter what, always feed Fido in a different room")
That said, it is critical to understand and accept that resource guarding is a lifelong trait. You don't 'cure' a dog of it or guarantee that a dog won't growl or bite someone. There are many reasons for this. So although the behavior can be reduced with the right behavior modification plan, your behaviorist should prioritize reasonable expectations and lifelong management (ex. "no matter what, always feed Fido in a different room")
