Is Your Dog Guarding You?
Your dog may or may not actually be guarding you!
A dog displaying reactive/aggressive behavior in the presence of a person may:
be guarding the person (defense of others)
does the dog react the same if the person is not present?
be guarding a resource (defense of a resource, e.g. resource guarding person)
may not be about you, but rather more about protecting what you provide!
Depending on context the dog may be protecting its territory.
Understand that all aggressive behavior is caused by the need to establish control. With aggression displays (e.g. growling, barking, lunging, etc…) it is for the purpose increasing the distance between them and the target. With acts of aggression it is for the purpose of gaining control of territory, resources, protection of others, or protection of self.
Dogs that are not acting out of fear believe the environment allows them this behavior. These dogs are easy to identify by the amount of control they have over their owner, and the owners inability to control their dog. These dogs show an unwillingness to accept the owner′s authority, in at least some circumstances that are important to the dog.
Guarding breeds often will start to bark at strangers near their home at about 9-10 months of age. Territorial displays differ from fear aggression. We can control this behavior by understanding each breed type and seeing that our training is designed to put those instincts and behaviors under control. A dog can be both territorial and fear aggressive so it’s important to get fear under control. If a dog’s behavior is strictly territorial (vs fear, over-arousal, etc.) the behavior can provide clues about their relationship with their owners or the people they live with.
A dog needs to realize that they are not responsible for the humans and the territory, but rather they are responsible to the humans. A dog that realizes they are responsible to the humans does not believe the environment allows them the liberty to act in an inappropriate manner. Dogs should feel responsible to us, not for us and should accept visitors into the home as long it is clear they are invited guests. I’m sure it goes without saying, you need to act calm and under control (not concerned) around people your dog does not trust. You don’t need to establish an authoritarian relationship to be considered the one responsible for the territory, guests, etc., you just need to lead. Dominance: Alpha's & Leaders.
Finding A Balance: The 60 page book "Finding A Balance" by Suzanne Clothier is a great place to start.
It’s important to understand we do not “fix” normal. We can have a dog with guarding tendencies that is not reactive or aggressive. Our dogs’ genetics and previous learning gives opportunities for behaviors to develop, but the environment we establish gives the dog the opportunities to develop and practice both good and bad behavior thus strengthening it. Those things practiced become habits and/or patterns of conduct that are hard to break. One of the first questions I look to the dog for an answer is how does the dog perceive their role within the environment and what are the dog’s expectations of how to act?
Dogs that are not under our verbal control should be closely managed and supervised in areas/circumstances where their behavior would be inappropriate. This includes occupying areas near entrances and exits where the behavior can be more intense. The reoccurring theme is we want to remove any further practice/rehearsal of inappropriate behavior. If we do not have full verbal control over a dog when they are not in a high state of arousal there should be no expectation that we will have any control when they are arousal or worked up over something in the environment. Training with dogs exhibiting inappropriate “guarding” behavior starts with a solid foundation of control training in every area of life. (Dogs are either under our control, or out of control) When we get the training right we can place those instincts under our control regardless of what else is occurring or activating the dog.
Our goal is to always be in control and when necessary “take control” and not “fight for control.” All reactive/aggressive behavior is caused by the need to establish control.
Understand dogs do what they have been taught, or what we permit them to do.
It’s important for you to be in control and remove opportunities for dogs to practice (or continue to practice) the wrong behavior. Behavior that is practiced becomes stronger and opportunities/patterns create habits and expectations. When a negative behavior is predictable, prepare by limiting the chances of the behavior occurring with management not confrontation.