food and toy guarding tactics

[katej215]

Hey guys

So I posted recently on our new rescue dog and how well he is doing. Still very early days but one thing we have been managing from day 1 is his food and ball guarding. Generally feeding is not an issue as he is given peace and quiet to eat on his own and he is now raw fed, which is I think may have helped slightly, as he is very absorbed in his food plus once its gone its gone, unlike scattering kibble on the grass or a snufflemat ...so that 'residue' tenseness /guardyness once he's finished eating does seem to have diminished slightly.

Our issues are more around either balls or if I give him a chew (which i sometimes do if he looks interested when Hattie gets hers), but he dosen't often eat them, but guards nevertheless....so at the moment he is lying in the doorway asleep, but strategically placed to protect the uneaten chew which is outside...I can easily distract him with high value treats, so before I was throwing cheese and he was coming in to take cheese from me with a wagging tail, though still tense and then going back to sit by the chew...I guess my question is...is leaving a chew or ball lying around for a while so i can throw treats just heightening his overall anxiety or should i just do this for very short periods ? Or should I not have the articles around at all? OR do i just get a load of balls and chews and scatter them everywhere? Hattie my other dog is not remotely guardy but she is such a sensitive little soul i would worry about her getting roared at if they both crossed paths over the same ball / chew if they were scattered everywhere.

I do have a ball in his crate in the car which is working well as he gets 'ball time' but then is happy to come out of the crate and leave the ball when I need him to. He really isn't keen on the crate when its in the house though, even though i've never shut him in, fed him inside it etc

[Nettle]

Early days, as you say.

I'd be sure to give him nothing to guard just now. Try again in a few months. He's still settling in, and when you've had nothing, or had things taken off you, you get guardy.


Many POWs had food issues decades after they came home.

[katej215]

OK lovely, thanks for the clarification Nettle