Resource guarding everything

lalipupper · Feb 6, 2018

Lily is 9 months old now, and I'm trying to nip 'resource guarding' in the bud, but it seems to be getting worse. I don't know if this is part of the Frenchie personality, if she's just being a teenager, if she's learning bad manners from daycare (which she attends twice a week for socialization), or she has some kind of serious anxiety.

It started with her guarding her food. She would make odd 'squealing' noises and snap around my hand, but then would quickly lick afterwards. I began to always have her sit before feeding, and to hand feed her kibble. I would also walk by and drop treats onto her food. If she doesn't eat immediately I take the food up, and will put it down later and begin hand-feeding again to see if she's interested. But, unfortunately the resource guarding has gotten worse.

She will resource guard beds, toys, blankets, treats, food, and even scraps paper or dust that have fallen on the floor. She seems to hate left hands in particular. I have to hide my left hand behind my back when approaching otherwise she tries to bite at it.

I tried the 'exchange' method but she normally has no interest in the treat I'm trying to exchange, only the current item she's obsessed with.

If we give her a treat she will run away and try to 'bury' it in a bed, and will then guard it. If we even walk nearby she will run and put her body between us and the treat. She's constantly on edge. She seems to struggle to eat any meal because she's so worried about someone taking it that she'll sit and stare at the food. We've tried to isolate her to a quiet room with no other animals or people and it doesn't help.

When she's guarding and someone comes close she makes a weird 'worried' squealing noises. Her eyes seem to get really large and she gets tense. She seems scared. She's never broken skin, but has gotten close. Normally her guarding seems very 'neurotic' - she doesn't growl, and when she bites she mostly mouthy/snaps and will immediately start licking the same spot intensely.

I have no idea where this came from but it's getting very frustrating. Before she gets any kind of food, treat or toy she is asked to sit or lay down, knows and obeys heel, etc.

Tgirl · Feb 6, 2018

I would start some obedience with her. Maybe join a basic obedience class. This will help to establish your dominance and build her confidence.

Alice Kable · Feb 6, 2018

I agree, Lily needs some obedience training and private training might be better.

lalipupper · Feb 6, 2018

Lily has completed a novice level obedience course (about 6 weeks in length). It was a small class with only 2 other dogs and a lot of one-on-one instructor time. It was a combination of positive reinforcement training and collar correction. She did really well and graduated successfully, even with her final exam. She heels on and off lead, and will sit, down, and will 'wait' (stay) until released. I will have her sit/down and wait while putting treats or toys down and she won't go after them, but the instant I release her she immediately goes neurotic and tries to chase me off, lol.

It seems like she's worse when she comes back from daycare, but the girls there swear up and down that she's a complete angel.

I guess I will keep working with her and if things don't get better may see if I can have a trainer assess her/work with her.

Cbrugs · Feb 7, 2018

Look up the Nothing in Life is Free technique. You need to let her know that you are alpha, not her.

Good luck and keep us posted!

2bullymama · Feb 7, 2018

lalipupper said:
Lily has completed a novice level obedience course (about 6 weeks in length). It was a small class with only 2 other dogs and a lot of one-on-one instructor time. It was a combination of positive reinforcement training and collar correction. She did really well and graduated successfully, even with her final exam. She heels on and off lead, and will sit, down, and will 'wait' (stay) until released. I will have her sit/down and wait while putting treats or toys down and she won't go after them, but the instant I release her she immediately goes neurotic and tries to chase me off, lol.

It seems like she's worse when she comes back from daycare, but the girls there swear up and down that she's a complete angel.

I guess I will keep working with her and if things don't get better may see if I can have a trainer assess her/work with her.

Everything you explain is the correct course to be taking... so there is something we are missing in her behavior/anxiety. It is best for you to get a trainer/behaviorist in the home to witness her actions. You state she is obedient other than when guarding so this is not something to let get away from you and the sooner you get the right trainer in-home to help the better the chances are that you get it controlled. RG can get elevated very quickly and then becomes more difficult to correct.

You are on the right track by hand feeding, distracting and making her work for her food, but there is something more that needs attention.

Please keep us posted

mattcantwin · Feb 7, 2018

lalipupper said:
It seems like she's worse when she comes back from daycare, but the girls there swear up and down that she's a complete angel.

Can you try no daycare for a few weeks to see if makes a difference?

lalipupper · Feb 8, 2018

Thanks everyone... The last couple of days have been much better with the guarding behaviour, but it seems like a cycle, where eventually she'll revert to guarding. She had daycare yesterday and actually had a great evening at home with no issues. When it's at its worse she guards literally everything, when it's at its best she's only edgy around her food.

I'm going to keep my eye on it and will continue with hand feeding, distracting etc. I do know the trainer I'd go to for help and she'd be willing to come into my home. If her behaviour regresses or doesn't improve I'm going to ask her to come in. She is also willing to take dogs into her own home for 'boarding' and will work with them while boarding, so I'd be curious to see if she has the same guarding behaviours when not on her home turf.

2bullymama · Feb 8, 2018

lalipupper said:
Thanks everyone... The last couple of days have been much better with the guarding behaviour, but it seems like a cycle, where eventually she'll revert to guarding. She had daycare yesterday and actually had a great evening at home with no issues. When it's at its worse she guards literally everything, when it's at its best she's only edgy around her food.

I'm going to keep my eye on it and will continue with hand feeding, distracting etc. I do know the trainer I'd go to for help and she'd be willing to come into my home. If her behaviour regresses or doesn't improve I'm going to ask her to come in. She is also willing to take dogs into her own home for 'boarding' and will work with them while boarding, so I'd be curious to see if she has the same guarding behaviours when not on her home turf.

Great!!! Keep us posted please... good luck

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lalipupper · Mar 9, 2018

Hi all. Since this thread she was removed from daycare and her guarding has all but stopped. She is eating and playing normally. We discovered the daycare was leaving her in an outdoor concrete kennel alone for hours (it's winter here) with no toys, water etc. It certainly taught us a lesson that even businesses that present a professional front can be different behind the scenes! She's back to her old self again.

mattcantwin · Mar 9, 2018

Terrible daycare.

Glad to hear Lily is doing so much better.

2bullymama · Mar 10, 2018

lalipupper said:
Hi all. Since this thread she was removed from daycare and her guarding has all but stopped. She is eating and playing normally. We discovered the daycare was leaving her in an outdoor concrete kennel alone for hours (it's winter here) with no toys, water etc. It certainly taught us a lesson that even businesses that present a professional front can be different behind the scenes! She's back to her old self again.

ANGERING!!! So sorry she was treated so badly.... happy you removed her from that place

Cbrugs · Mar 10, 2018

Wait...what!!! Omg! I would have lost my sh*t!! How did you find out? I hope you posted a negative review so people know. That is just awful. Thankfully you found out and now she’s back to normal.

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2bullymama · Mar 10, 2018

Cbrugs said:
Wait...what!!! Omg! I would have lost my sh*t!! How did you find out? I hope you posted a negative review so people know. That is just awful. Thankfully you found out and now she’s back to normal.

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We would be tag-teaming!!! I worked at a dog daycare and we NEVER did anything like this... we had separate areas for dogs that had these issues, but they were in the same room, could see all the others and given toys

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Cbrugs · Mar 10, 2018

2bullymama said:
We would be tag-teaming!!! I worked at a dog daycare and we NEVER did anything like this... we had separate areas for dogs that had these issues, but they were in the same room, could see all the others and given toys

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This is just absurd. If this is how they treat the dogs in their care, they shouldn’t be in business.

I think this is also a good lesson that when they start acting strangely, it means something is going on.

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lalipupper · Mar 10, 2018

Thanks guys... honestly, I was shocked. The daycare seemed to have changed owners at some point. They had a big social media presence until about 2 years ago - really active FB, tons of photos, videos, and great reviews, and then they all just...stopped. I didn't see any negative reviews since, and they have a really great 'front area' when you walk in that is clean and newly renovated. I didn't feel the need to do a walk through (bad idea!)

After her behaviour started I really started to wonder what was going on. When I'd pick her up they'd always tell me she did great, was great with the other dogs, was the 'sweetest frenchie', so as far as I know she wasn't causing any issues.

I went to pick her up one night and asked if I could see where she went all day ie. beyond the mysterious metal door that she went through in the morning. The girl wasn't very happy and said, "Uh, I guess I could show you really quick." I went behind the building and I saw:

1. 100% mud with random concrete sidewalk steps scattered around. The girls were wearing rubber boots to get around.
2. A very small fenced in grass area - except the fence was broken in multiple places and had been poorly repaired.
3. Multiple outdoor kennels - 6x8 (maybe) chainlink fence with concrete sidewalk on the floor. Exposed to the elements, no food, water, toys etc. Dogs were in each one (separated) and all were barking. I saw Lily cowering in the corner of one literally shaking from cold, completely silent.
4. She showed me 'inside' the barn. The barn was literally out of a horror film... Dark, damp, dingy, with a single hanging incandescent bulb. Kennels were along both walls - again, each full of barking dogs. It was filthy.
5. We walked back out and the girl went to get Lily out of the kennel. It was like she didn't even know who I was, she was terrified. She cowered and tried to go to the other corner and the girl literally dragged her out of the pen, to my complete horror.

It felt like a doggie concentration camp. I left a message the following morning and said she would no longer be in.

When she was a tiny pup she spent a long weekend at another local boarding facility and it was like night and day. The woman was lovely, was happy to show us around, everything was clean (as it could be, lol), they had some toys for them to play with. She gave a full recounting of her weekend when I picked her up. She showered her with love, even gave her a free groom and a little kerchief. Unfortunately their pick-up hours weren't optimal, so I went with this other place.

I feel so, so terrible that I was leaving her there.

EDIT: The weirdest part was when dogs came in for board their owners would naturally bring their beds and favourite toys. They would put it all in a bag and put a piece of tape with their name on it, then leave it on this shelving in the front room. I don't think it ever went back with the dogs in their kennels, but when the owners came to pick them up they'd say they slept on the bad, had the toy, etc. Their website said they got 'daily kongs, play sessions, trail walks'... complete BS.

2bullymama · Mar 10, 2018

lalipupper said:
Thanks guys... honestly, I was shocked. The daycare seemed to have changed owners at some point. They had a big social media presence until about 2 years ago - really active FB, tons of photos, videos, and great reviews, and then they all just...stopped. I didn't see any negative reviews since, and they have a really great 'front area' when you walk in that is clean and newly renovated. I didn't feel the need to do a walk through (bad idea!)

After her behaviour started I really started to wonder what was going on. When I'd pick her up they'd always tell me she did great, was great with the other dogs, was the 'sweetest frenchie', so as far as I know she wasn't causing any issues.

I went to pick her up one night and asked if I could see where she went all day ie. beyond the mysterious metal door that she went through in the morning. The girl wasn't very happy and said, "Uh, I guess I could show you really quick." I went behind the building and I saw:

1. 100% mud with random concrete sidewalk steps scattered around. The girls were wearing rubber boots to get around.
2. A very small fenced in grass area - except the fence was broken in multiple places and had been poorly repaired.
3. Multiple outdoor kennels - 6x8 (maybe) chainlink fence with concrete sidewalk on the floor. Exposed to the elements, no food, water, toys etc. Dogs were in each one (separated) and all were barking. I saw Lily cowering in the corner of one literally shaking from cold, completely silent.
4. She showed me 'inside' the barn. The barn was literally out of a horror film... Dark, damp, dingy, with a single hanging incandescent bulb. Kennels were along both walls - again, each full of barking dogs. It was filthy.
5. We walked back out and the girl went to get Lily out of the kennel. It was like she didn't even know who I was, she was terrified. She cowered and tried to go to the other corner and the girl literally dragged her out of the pen, to my complete horror.

It felt like a doggie concentration camp. I left a message the following morning and said she would no longer be in.

When she was a tiny pup she spent a long weekend at another local boarding facility and it was like night and day. The woman was lovely, was happy to show us around, everything was clean (as it could be, lol), they had some toys for them to play with. She gave a full recounting of her weekend when I picked her up. She showered her with love, even gave her a free groom and a little kerchief. Unfortunately their pick-up hours weren't optimal, so I went with this other place.

I feel so, so terrible that I was leaving her there.

EDIT: The weirdest part was when dogs came in for board their owners would naturally bring their beds and favourite toys. They would put it all in a bag and put a piece of tape with their name on it, then leave it on this shelving in the front room. I don't think it ever went back with the dogs in their kennels, but when the owners came to pick them up they'd say they slept on the bad, had the toy, etc. Their website said they got 'daily kongs, play sessions, trail walks'... complete BS.

HOLY CRAP!!

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Cbrugs · Mar 10, 2018

Just awful. I would definitely let it be known what is going on there. People are buying a lot of money to take their dogs to daycare and what you describe sounds like they need to be out of business.

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