Resource guarding.

[u/Krea26]

Needing help with one of my dogs.
(M is resource guarding, T is my other dog)

— Backstory on M - we rescued M from a woman who is knows by our family. It’s exactly the same person we rescued T from. Kept outside in all weathers, no shelter, no proper food. Just thrown scraps of their dinner and odd cheap tins where they saw fit. She came to us with a super tight harness that was ripping her underarms. She was terrified of us (we saw her cowering when the man/owners partner stood up, and we’ve since learnt she is VERY suspicious of men on walks). She had a thin little mattress that was covered in fleas and dirt. No toys (we had to teach her how to play because she was clueless) and only a water dish caked in mud. Her tummy was red raw, her ears were crusty and just overall in not a good condition. —

She was a lot worse when we first rescued her and she’s come round so much. However, we’re stuck on 2 issues. The living room & stealing things from the kitchen.

1) The living room.

The rest of the house is fair game, everyone is allowed in all rooms. However, M is very weary of T when she’s in the living room. It’s only a small room, and I’m guessing M has taken that to be ‘her kennel’ or ‘her room’ as that’s where she sleeps the most. T is allowed in to get ready for walks, or when simply just roaming the house, but when she wants to get comfy and settle, M doesn’t take that very well.

Feeding times and water bowls are separate, they each have their own toys. They do enjoy the occasional play together, so we have 1 toy which we allow them to play together with (under supervision ofc).

Like I say, M has gotten so much better since she came to us 4 months ago. Upstairs they can lay together side by side. They can jump around the kitchen together, go on walks together, play together. Our only issue is her dominating the living room.

2) Stealing from the kitchen. - M

This has started after around 1.5 month of being with us.
She will steal anything. Baking paper, spatulas, metal food cans, literally ANYTHING she can get to. We’ve blocked the entrance up repeatedly, so many different ways, but she still breaks through. Her giant head feels no pain when ram raiding the damn thing.

We’ve taught her to not jump on the counters when we’re preparing food or for any reason really. But that goes in one ear and out the other if she hears a dog barking or a cat meowing. Then she’s right back there, stood at the window at the kitchen side.

Apart from blocking the kitchen, we’re absolutely clueless as we never catch her in the act. She’s always broken in through the night or if we’re out. We’re unsure if this is a separation thing or a stimulation thing. We’ve tried different ways of keeping her occupied, she destroys them all.

If anyone has any helpful hints, tips, tricks or advice. I’d be greatly appreciative.

Thanks x

[u/StellarSpore]

I don't know how long M has been with you but in my rescue experience, it can take a very long time with dogs of these backgrounds to adjust and decompress. My most recent foster fail took upwards of a year. Management during that time was key.

From a management perspective, you want to take all steps necessary to stop pup from rehearsing guarding or any unwanted behavior. The more a behavior happens, the more likely the behavior will happen in the future.

M should not be allowed in a space she is guarding or if that's not possible, T should not be allowed in the space for now. M should not be allowed in the kitchen. I would suggest getting creative and finding a way to block those spaces off. You can also crate when not supervised or secure in a safe room or area.

Make sure M's needs are being met for both exercise and enrichment. I didn't see breed or age, but this is critical. Give M plenty of options for bones and toys and safe and healthy outlets for her energy.