Resource Guarding can be one of the trickiest behavioral issues to modify and manage because there are so many variations.
Some dogs only guard their food
Some guard toys
Some guard bones
Some guard anything that hits the floor
Some guard whatever it was they just stole
Regardless of what your dog guards and to what degree, the process is the same.
There will be adjustments for management and time needed to modify the behavior, but ultimately it is all about teaching your dog that giving up something is far more profitable then guarding it.
And, occasionally, the guarding will pop up for the rest of your dog’s life during stressful periods, or high energy/excited play, but by keeping your dog’s skills in good working order, you will be able to easily resolve any guarding issues.
We were all a bit worried when our son arrived in our home with the ‘Super villain of Resource Guarding’ living there. However, by teaching Pinball good solid commands, and slowly allow him and my son to spend managed time together, we saw things we never expected to see. This video where Charlie Brown Takes a Dive is a great example of how far a resource guarding dog can come with some skills, management, and persistence.
In the end, if your dog guards things, training good skills then working with a good behavior consultant is essential to take those skills and turn them into more positive behaviors.
Brody and Baby-L – The bond builds and the reports come in
Jessica’s first reports come in:
JDP October 22, 2018, 9:03 am
Things are going well.
This weekend was sweet – I was on the couch giving Logan a bottle when Brody asked to snuggle. He burrowed right in with us, but I had a pillow in between the two just for an extra buffer. Logan was also sleepy and not grabby at that particular moment. Since they were both calm, it was a nice 10 minutes! Then Brody got hot under the blanket and crawled out for some air 🙂
Brody burrowed in right next to Baby-L
When our dog is calmly snuggled next to us with our body (and even an extra pillow) between dog and baby, we can insure all stays calm and safe as we continue to build their bond.
Trouble passing other dogs…
Because Brody also had some trouble passing other dogs when out walking, we worked on a desensitization and counterconditioning protocol. Taking baby and dog out for a family stroll is a great way to build a positive association – almost like a date night.
Brody walking nicely with his little boy…
JDP October 24, 2018, 8:01 am
One more thing that happened last night that made me explode with pride!
I was walking with Baby-L in the stroller and Brody beside us. A woman with two big, lunging dogs was approaching us. I crossed to the other side of the street to give everyone more space. As I crossed the street, another big dog was in his front yard – he is on an invisible fence and he started barking and running up and down the front yard. We were in the middle of these two.
I did “LOOK AT THAT!!! LOOK AT THAT!!! Those are silly dogs! Hooray!!!” and marched us all right in between all those crazy dogs, and Brody just trotted alongside the stroller – no reaction at all. I heard the lady with the dogs on leash say “Look, you guys – THAT is a good dog.”
Wait a minute. Someone used MY dog as an example of a GOOD DOG!? Once we got past the madness, I had a little party for Brody right in the street. I was so proud of him!
A family adopted a six-month-old puppy who was anxious and afraid. When she was introduced to the family’s young cousins (four-years and eleven-months — TODDLERS) she seemed curious. But then barked and lunged at them when they made sudden movements. They had expected their toddlers and dogs to be safe together.
The family tried to ‘firmly correct’ their dog’s behavior, but it didn’t work.
Correcting the dog will NOT teach the dog the right thing to do. Nor will it teach the dog to love the child, it will probably do the opposite.
It is not uncommon for a rescue dog to have no positive experiences with small children. Even dogs who have had good experiences with kids, will still be triggered by the movements of a toddler.
Regardless of new-rescue-dog or dog you’ve had for years, all toddlers and dogs need to be supervised and taught how to be safe around each other. For some dogs this is a quick lesson but for others with fears and anxiety, this can move at a slower pace.
Slow and steady made Pinball safe around Indy
This process will include desensitization and counterconditioning when a dog already has some anxiety around children. Or good socialization when a dog is simply unfamiliar with small children.
What is it about toddlers that gets to so many dogs? This question should be asked more often. But because many people feel their good dog can or should withstand anything their child has to throw at her (literally and figuratively), the question is not asked, and without questions there can be no help in the form of answers.
I knew even before having a toddler that they are bundles of energy with quick, unsteady bursts of movement. The literature about toddlers is filled with buzzwords that should scare the dick- ens out of anyone approaching this milestone: defiance, pitching fits, tantrums, and getting into everything. From the dog’s perspective many, if not all, of those can be difficult to process.
Quick, unsteady movements are triggers for your dog’s predatory or flight instincts.
Dogs have been honed by nature to react to quick movements for survival. Such movements signal that their dinner awaits. Your dog may not be looking at your toddler as a prey animal, but they are still programmed to chase anything that moves quickly and erratically. Think squirrels, bunnies, and even darting deer, and then ask if your toddler’s play movements resemble any of these animals. In this stage your toddler is triggering a very primal instinct in your dog. Some dogs learn not to chase the child, but they are in the minority. Most homes with toddlers and dogs report multiple nippings of ankles, pants legs, and hands as children move through the house.
So, what can you do?
Brody learning his little boy L is fun and not dangerous
Teach your dog to love your child.
While you are training, keep them separated by baby gates to prevent mistakes. Give your dog Super High Value Treats when they are watching your child. You can set your dog up with great toys, or durable chews they like. All of these will help your dog make the association that when the child appears, they will have great fun!
Don’t let you child grab at or run towards the dog. This can scare your dog and they will then have to choose how to respond to that fear. Fight is one of the first choices a dog can make when afraid.
Train your dog to know an escape route so you can quickly and easily send them out of the way of the toddler.
Teach your dog how to settle near your child and PAY your dog WELL for all the little zany things your child might do.
Pinball settling on the other side of a baby gate while my son behaves like a traditional toddler doing zany things. Note that Pinball is unconcerned and gets treats for his troubles.
If you take your time and do this right, your dog and baby can grow old together safely.
Brody is safe and content with his little boy L – and L even has a stuffed version of his favorite dog!!
Please Don’t Bite the Baby, and Please Don’t Chase the Dog has more suggestions than I can fit a blog.
For more helpful tips, on keeping baby safe around dogs, pick up a copy here or…
The difference between Wait and Stay can mean the difference between successful management vs everyone running down the street chasing the fluffy lighten-bolt that is their dog.
Dog training commands should be simple, but can often become complicated and confusing for the dog (and human too).
For example, if one handler uses command “X” to mean one action for their dog, and then another person uses command “Y” for the same action, our dogs are left having to remember which word which person uses for which command. And, handlers are left wondering why their dog isn’t understanding and preforming simple commands.
“Say what?”
The dog’s internal response is probably the dog version of, “Honestly, I’m not sure what either of you mean.”
To make life easier for everyone, dog, handlers, parents, kids, dog-sitters, trainers, etc., it is imperative that everyone in the house use the same command for the same behavior.
The Wait and the Stay commands are often used interchangeably.
In a home with low distractions, one dog, and no kids, this is probably not a huge problem. However, when we start layering the distractions like kids, other dogs, many visitors, etc., the difference between Wait and Stay can mean the difference between successful management vs everyone running down the street chasing the fluffy lighten bolt that is their dog.
The definitions of Wait and Stay in standard dog training are…
Wait – Hang on a second or two, (a short duration) then receive a follow-up command or release word.
Stay – Hold position, freeze in place for an undetermined length of time (could be awhile).
The difference is often hard to see at first, but in the dog’s head it is a major difference in difficulty.
Wait is something a dog can usually achieve even when they are cranked up by exciting visitors, or stressful situations.
However, the Stay is harder to hold depending on how stressed or excited a dog might be.
To understand this in terms we humans experience, we need only look to air travel. We experience differences in difficultly between a short fifteen minute wait to board our airplane, verses the delayed flight that could be hours. One is much harder than the other for different reasons for different people, but in the end, the two different lengths of delay are very different demands on us.
Here are some sample situations where I would use the Wait and Stay commands differently:
Wait
Dog wants to go outside
Ask for wait before opening the door.
Door is opened only if dog holds position for a few seconds
Aunt Millie is knocking on the door
Ask for a wait
Door opens if the dog is holding position
Once Aunt Millie is in, the dog gets the go say hello command.
Baby drops toy
Ask dog for a wait
Pick up toy before dog gets there, or redirect the dog with a touch command.
Stay
In an elevator
Ask for a stay
Dog freezes in place for the duration of the ride regardless of the number of people getting in and out
At the veterinarian
Ask for a stay for the examination, shots, blood draws
Your veterinarian will thank you
At a traffic light
Ask for a stay
Dog freezes in place for the duration of the light regardless of the distractions that go by, like bicycles, skateboard, other dogs, etc…
Your dog will learn the difference between these two commands because once you have an understanding of what the commands are, you will mark and reward the appropriate behaviors.
You give your dog the WAIT command and he holds a position for a short duration – Praise and Reward.
You give your dog the STAY command and she freezes in place for an interval between one and three minutes – Praise and Reward.
Recommends “Please Don’t Bite the Baby” as a resource for ‘dog-owning’ parents.
For those of you who don’t subscribe to the PleaseDon’tBitetheBaby blog, I am cross-posting:
Once again Pat Miller CBCC-KA, CPDT-KA has written a lovely article for the Whole Dog Journal that offers families with dogs some great tips on keeping kids and dogs safe around each other.
If you subscribe to The Whole Dog Journal, you will see the March 2018 edition with the article: “Kidding Around, Combining kids and dogs in your family can be magical and heartwarming, or cause a devastating tragedy…”
If you don’t subscribe to WDJ, I highly recommend you do, and not just for this article, there is so much more.
At least a half a dozen times a month I recommend WDJ to new dog families and even established dog families for the journal’s ongoing commitment to information on training, behavior, health, various products from harnesses to toys, and the annual food guides are invaluable.
Thanks go to Pat Miller and The Whole Dog Journal for reminding families of the some of the ways they can make their dogs and kids safe together. And, thanks go from me for the nice nod to Please Don’t Bite the Baby, and Please Don’t Chase the Dogs.
Every family can work to make their kids and dogs safe around each other with some management, training, and time.
