Managing Resource Guarding: A Guide to Peaceful Coexistence
Wolfdogs are captivating and unique animals that possess a mix of domestic dog and wild wolf characteristics. Their natural instincts and behaviours can present challenges when it comes to managing resource guarding. Resource guarding occurs when an animal perceives a particular item or space as valuable and reacts defensively to protect it.
In this article, I will explore effective strategies to address and manage resource guarding behaviours in wolfdogs promoting a harmonious coexistence between humans and these fascinating creatures.
Understanding Resource Guarding:
Resource guarding in wolfdogs stems from their ancestral roots as wolves, which were necessary for survival in the wild. These instincts manifest when they feel threatened or perceive a scarcity of resources, such as food, toys, or personal space. Wolfdogs may exhibit behaviours like growling, snarling, lunging, or even biting to protect their valued possessions. For a detailed explanation of resource guarding in wolfdogs, visit my Resource Guarding article.
When I got my first wolfdog Kuna, even at the age of 11 weeks, she displayed intense resource guarding. When living with a wolfdog indoors as a companion animal, this resource guarding can quickly become quite problematic. Kuna would chew on the corners of the couch and resource guard that, she would steal the dish towels and guard those, and of course any food item she managed to get her teeth on was a lost cause as well. Basically, anything that was of any interest to her at all would end up being guarded by her. Over time I also began to realize that if she thought an item was valuable to ME, that would give her reason enough to think the item may have value to her, and that better be guarded as well!
As you can imagine, if left unchecked, you may quickly start feeling as if you have become a hostage in your own home. Thankfully, there are a few strategies to minimize this behaviour over time in order to find a manageable way to live with this instinctual behaviour.
The best way to address resource guarding is to establish a solid foundation of trust.
Building a Strong Foundation of Trust:
Building a strong foundation of trust is crucial when dealing with resource guarding in wolfdogs. Positive reinforcement training methods based on rewards and praise are key to establishing trust and a respectful relationship. Encouraging desirable behaviours while discouraging guarding tendencies can help modify their responses over time.
Early Socialization: Early socialization is essential for wolfdogs to develop healthy behaviour patterns and positive associations with people, places, objects, and other animals. Introduce them to a variety of experiences, people, and environments from an early age. This helps them become more adaptable and desensitized to all sorts of objects, and overall, less likely to guard inappropriate resources. Many times, resource guarding can be triggered by the sheer novelty of an object. If dish towels (Kuna’s favourite) become an everyday part of life, eventually they will lose their allure and become just another boring human object not worthy of their attention.
Teach the "Drop It" and "Leave It" Commands: Teaching commands like "drop it" and "leave it" helps wolfdogs understand that relinquishing items willingly is rewarded. Start with low-value objects and gradually work your way up to higher-value items. Make a big fuss and provide a valuable reward to reinforce the positive behaviour pattern.
Trade-Up Strategy: The trade-up strategy involves swapping a less desirable item for a more desirable one. When a wolfdog guards a possession, offer a high-value treat or toy as an exchange. This teaches them that letting go of one resource results in gaining an even better one. Over time, they will associate positive outcomes with sharing rather than guarding!
Mealtime Etiquette: Resource guarding often occurs during feeding times as food is a very valuable resource. To encourage good habits create a consistent feeding routine and practice the "nothing in life is free" principle. In other words, make your wolfdog work for their food! Ask for a simple behaviour (such as sitting) before meals, gradually increasing the difficulty level. This reinforces their understanding that resources come from you and can be earned through cooperation. Hand feeding your wolfdog can also encourage this relationship of trust around food. They will come to understand that food is willingly given to them from you, and therefore is not something they need to compete with you for.
Create a Safe Environment: Minimize the occurrence of resource guarding by creating a safe and low-stress environment. Make sure your wolfdog has plenty of space and won’t feel pressured or disturbed. If you have multiple dogs, providing separate feeding areas and individual toys to prevent competition can be helpful. Avoid situations where they feel the need to guard resources due to scarcity or direct competition.
Seek Professional Assistance: If resource guarding behaviours persist or become a safety concern, consult a professional animal behaviourist or trainer with experience in working with wolfdogs. They can provide tailored guidance and hands-on support to address specific issues and develop a personalized training plan.
Remember that resource guarding is a natural behaviour and likely one that if your wolfdog displays, you will never totally get rid of. However, through using the above strategies you will be able to create good practices to better manage this behaviour.
Throughout my journey working with wolfdogs for over a decade, you quickly learn which battles are worth fighting and which ones are not. But for those moments where you do need an item back, having spent time practicing the strategies above is invaluable. A lot of my time spent training Kuna was working on some of the skills outlined above. For many months, I would hand feed her all her food. This was a fantastic bonding experience for us both. It created so much trust and understanding of one another. I got to know what things she really liked, her different reactions to different foods, and became very skilled at ready her moods and reactions to things. I spent a lot of time practicing the trading game. Giving her one thing, trading it out for something better. The more you practice these things the better the outcome will be when you really need it to work. If you’re like me, there will come a time when you drop your phone or wallet and a wolfdog takes off with it! There is a lot of peace of mind knowing that all it will take is bringing them a high value item (like a frozen chicken back or sausage) and they will happily relinquish your item in return for the item they truly want. Yes, you are playing into their naughty behaviour at times (and they may steal your things just because they know you’ll get them something better), but that’s just the price you have to pay living with wolfdogs!
Through time and consistency, you will be able to build up trust and predictable behaviour patterns. By employing positive reinforcement techniques, early socialization, and creating a safe environment, you will be able to modify their guarding tendencies over time.
Your wolfdog will begin to learn that they don’t have to work so hard to guard things from you as there is no competition for them. If there is an item they must relinquish when asked, they will be more willing to do so as they will have learned the pattern that there is a more valuable reward at the end if they choose to cooperate with you. With dedication and a compassionate approach, you can create a harmonious and enriching coexistence with these remarkable creatures.
