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What is resource guarding and how to overcome it?

For people that know me personally. I am very candid and transparent about my dog’s (Kobe) behaviour. I often tell people not to do certain things because my dog might or will become aggressive. Although I might sound rude and too straightforward sometimes, my intentions are good, because it’s for the benefit of the dog and the human. 

Am I a victim of Kobe’s aggression? The answer is yes. I often tell myself that I would rather he bite me, than anyone else gets hurt. 

So what is resource guarding? 

Resource guarding is when a dog reacts when they feel threatened by a valuable resource in their possession. It feels that they are about to lose whatever they have, so they take action to guard it. Resource guarding doesn’t (often for my case) always have to end with growling, lunging, biting, or fighting by doing that is to discourage another to take, or get too close to, an object or valued area in the dog’s possession. Sometimes it could be as simple as a look, head turn, or slight baring of the teeth.

Well, the thing is that guarding resources is a natural instinct. We humans guard our own resources too. Access to resources like food, water, and a safe space is essential to survival. It’s hardwired into animal nature to protect the things we believe we need to survive. While it is a normal dog behavior, it’s not a desirable one. Resource guarding becomes a dangerous problem if a dog is willing to bite or fight to keep an item. This is especially worrisome in a home with young children, elderly family members, or if the dog is not predictable in what items they decide to guard. In multi-dog households or environments, resource guarding becomes a problem if the dogs resort to fighting over their resources, and the environment is not managed to prevent these conflicts from escalating.

Guarding toys

So like what Cesar Millan says

 “ There are three degrees of food aggression:

  • Mild: the dog growls and may show its teeth.
  • Moderate: the dog snaps or lunges when approached.
  • Severe: the dog bites.

While it’s easy to assume that all cases of food aggression are a show of dominance, this isn’t necessarily the case. In a dog pack, the alpha dogs always eat first after a successful hunt, and then the other dogs get what’s left according to their pack position.

For an Alpha, showing food aggression is a form of dominance, but for dogs with a lower pack position, it can be a sign of anxiety or fearfulness. Remember, in the wild, dogs never know where or when their next meal will be, so it’s very instinctual for them to gobble up whatever food there is whenever they have it — and to protect it from anything that approaches.”

Guarding toys.

Common Items That Trigger Resource Guarding in Dogs

While most often seen around food items, a dog can develop resource guarding with any item that they deem “valuable.” This might be something we don’t consider very important, like a ball, but that ball could be your dog’s most beloved possession. 

  • Food and Treats
  • Food Bowl (filled with food or empty)
  • Bones and Edible Dog Chews
  • Toys
  • Space (dog bed, crate, their position on the couch or bed)
  • Their owner (from other pets in the home or even from other people)

Signs of Resource Guarding in Dogs

These are the most obvious signs of resource guarding:

  • Growling
  • Snarling (Bare teeth)
  • Lunging and Air Snapping (a no-contact bite)
  • Biting

Kobe my dog, does all the above. 

For mild and moderate case of resource guarding, a dog might show less intense (and therefore less obvious) signs of guarding behaviour. I am not a certified in anything but what I believe is that you will often see these more subtle signs like:

  • Freezing
  • Eating faster
  • Taking item and moving away
  • Braced body position over the item
  • Side eye staring or tracking of the person or pet approaching
  • Raising lips and baring teeth
  • Ears pinned flat against the head
  • death stare

I am trying to let Kobe know that there’s no need to guard food, toys, or space because we are family, and we live together. So now I’m trying to teach Kobe to give up something to me willingly. “Drop” / “Leave it” use a balance training and reward, so that hopefully resource guarding will not worsen over time.

Unfortunately, I started my way of dealing with Kobe’s resource guarding all wrong. So let me tell you that Using punishment and aversives as a response to resource guarding can result in more resource guarding. 

So… Base on my blood, sweat and tears, I’ve concluded what we should NOT to do if your dog growls or shows other signs of resource guarding.

Don’t Punish the Growl

Never punish a growling dog. You can punish away a growl, sure, but all you’ve done is make a dog bite more likely. If your dog learns that growling to express their discomfort at your approach results in an aversive (such as yelling, hitting, a “tap” from a shock collar), and the loss of the item they were guarding, the next time you reach for it, they’re more likely to skip the growl and go straight for a bite. (Which is what happened to me)

If someone keeps stealing my mala shaker fries after asking them to stop, the next time they reach across the table, I might smack their fingers away (or worse … so don’t steal my shaker fries). Ignored warnings will escalate behavioral responses, in both humans and dogs. You don’t want to take away important warning signs that your dog needs to communicate with you.

Don’t “Play” With Their Food and Chews

Someone once told me after I expressed my concerns with Kobe’s Resource guarding issues is that: “To prevent resource guarding, we’d always stick our hands in our dog’s food bowl while they were eating, or randomly take away their chew. That way, they know who’s boss and that the food or chew belongs to us.” Instead of fixing the issues, now Kobe will just bare teeth and snaps when I reach for the bowl or lashes out even if I was just standing there or walking past him.

All you’re doing is annoying your dog and teaching them that when you reach for something, they’ll lose it. So please don’t be like Me.

Don’t Leave Out Items That Your Dog Might Guard

Kobe loves to guard hard chews or any form of treats that takes time to eat, so I DO NOT GIVE HIM ANY. I will just remove the opportunity of him guarding. Don’t leave items lying around that your dog might find valuable enough to guard. I pick up his food bowls between meals after he finished eating and have walked away.

Once I gave Kobe a Kangaroo Rib. He took it up my sofa to enjoy it for a while, and I went to the kitchen to grab a drink and return back to the sofa just to sit down and continue my Netflix. I wasn’t even gonna take the chew, or to touch him, but he side-eyed me and gave me a low growl, and bared his teeth slightly. I immediately stopped myself from sitting down, and I called him into the kitchen and trade him with an air-dried mince lamb and while he’s enjoying it, I quickly rush to the sofa and remove the rib, and then never bought those ribs again. BUT IF only all my resource guarding encounters with Kobe were that simple. 

So now you’re wondering, did I manage to successfully desensitise the behaviour? 

I am still working on it as I’m writing this article. 

Every day I’m risking my hand getting bitten, or chewed off. But it’s all about being consistent. It’s not about you being afraid that you might get bitten, and just allow your dog to do its thing even if he is the sweetest thing on earth and that One behaviour is undesirable, and that’s ok. NO ITS NOT OK. 

Kobe my dog, he doesn’t have a lot of self-confidence, so every day I am trying to build up his confidence and teach him that his food and space are safe with humans around. 

Theres are a few guarding behaviour that I’m known of, as of now.

  1. Guards his food.
  2. Guards any treats that cannot be eaten immediately.
  3. Guard his space when he’s resting. 
  4. Guard his bed, during bedtime. 

SO what is my own process of desensitisation and conditioning training? I am not certified, and all dogs work differently, so here’s mine:

Part 1

For food guarding aggression a friend advised me to let my dog work for its food, and hand feed IF I CAN. 

First week of desensitisation for food aggression. 

Sit stay before mum mum

I put Kobe on a sit-stay command right in the middle of the living room where’s he doesn’t feel cornered. I stand about a meter away in front of him while he is having his meal. Each day I move a bit closer to him to test the threshold of the aggression.

Second Week of desensitisation.

I have already made sure that he is now cool with me hanging around while he is having his meal. Now I proceed to his food bowl while he is eating. 

At first, he isn’t very comfortable with me making eye contact with him while he is eating off from the bowl I am holding. So I will avoid eye contact while just holding the bowl while he is eating. Every day I will move my body bit by bit to face him and eventually let him realise it’s ok to make eye contact. 

Third Week of desensitisation. 

I will ask Kobe to go back in sit-stay halfway while eating. Then remove the food bowl, and put it back again, and eat on command. Just to let him know that it is okay, the food is gonna come back.

Fourth Week of desensitisation.

I made Kobe do a bunch of tricks to work for his food, and I start hand feeding.  And his food is used as a form of treat to reward him for doing tricks.  While hand-feeding Kobe. I will often make some physical contact bit by bit. To make him realise it is ok to feel all these things while eating because the food won’t run away. 

And now I am just doing this everyday. 

As for guarding treats that cannot be eaten immediately. I just don’t buy that kind of treats anymore. 

Guarding his personal space while sleeping.

First week of desensitisation for personal space aggression. 

The nun awaken?

This period I am trying to find out how close can I be around him while he is resting. And when he starts to growl or side-eye me. I will stop and just sit there use my phone, and once he realise I’m just sitting there minding my own business, he falls back asleep. So for the first week, I just sit at the rough distance that we both establish to be okay for me to hang around.

Second Week of desensitisation.

I start to move closer to him. And now I am almost right by his side. He starts to get angry at me when he feels me around him physically. Meaning if his butt touches my thigh, he gets angry. So I just hang around 1-2cm away from his body and mind my own business again.

Third Week of desensitisation. 

I start to put my hands on him. Just placing it on him gently and slowly without moving. 

Fourth Week of desensitisation.

The patting on the chest is a way of me coping my fear.

I start to do mini intermediate stroking sessions. Maybe between 5-10 seconds I will stop and freeze my hands on him. And if he shows he is ok, I will do another 5-10 seconds and repeat. 

So now I am still trying to desensitise the personal space when he has tired aggression, I just recently got bitten again after being too confident and trying my luck. 

Key is that you just have to keep working on it even if you’re scared. I am scared, but I love Kobe. So I will do it.

Selfie while he is going to sleep. That took some courage for me.

Its all about rehabilitation. Being patient is the key.

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Brand Highlights Community Stories

7 Paws – Known for grooming skittish dogs

With the amassed groomers you find on Facebook or Instagram, it is not easy to find one which you can trust. Especially when you own a skittish or fearful pet, or one which absolutely HATES grooming. #beentheredonethat

Meet 7 Paws, a small team of 2 humble groomers located at Serangoon. Known for grooming skittish dogs and Singapore Specials, we can just tell that they are superb at handling various types of dogs. However, note that prices are not fixed and begin from $35, depending on the breed and temperament.

7 Paws Facebook

“We groom skittish or fearful dogs”

Have you been turned down by groomers due to your dog’s behaviour? At 7 Paws, the groomers are confident in handling different dogs without compromising their welfare as well as the safety of the staff. Rest assured that they are highly experienced and patient, with nearly half of their customers being fearful dogs.

First, the groomer will find out about the dog’s breed and temperament from the owner. Next, they will identify the trigger which makes the pet uncomfortable during the grooming session and work about it.

7 Paws Facebook

“We do take Singapore Specials as well”

Just because they were once strays does not mean that grooming is unnecessary. 7 Paws are highly experienced in handling Singapore Specials and have worked with different shelters to provide many Singapore Specials their first ever groom.

It’s time to pamper your little special furkid with a relaxing bath, a proper pawdicure and a good ear cleanse!

7 Paws Facebook

“We do non-GA tartar removal”

Poor dental health have been linked to heart diseases in canines. It is crucial to keep up with your dog’s dental health with regular tartar removal. 7 Paws is currently the only known groomer which provides tartar removal services without the use of general anesthesia. This is especially useful for dogs who are not able to go under general anesthesia due to health reasons.


Question: My dog is not comfortable with other pets, how will it go?

7 Paws respects the decision of every customer. For pet owners who wish to separate their dogs for reasons including behavioural issues or personal preferences, do inform them beforehand and they will make the necessary arrangements. Generally dogs will not be crated, unless requested or when safety is compromised. Pet owners will be informed about it as well.

Question: Is tartar removal without general anesthesia really effective?

Non-GA tartar removal should only be used as a form of maintenance for dental health. Do consult a vet if you wish to explore dental scaling under general anesthesia. 7 Paws recommends doing occasional tartar removal along with dental scaling with the vet to keep your pet’s dental health in top condition.

Question: It is inconvenient for me to bring my pet over to Serangoon just for grooming. Any other options?

7 Paws provide transport services for pets islandwide at only $10 per way! That’s even more affordable than a Grab ride from Jurong to Orchard ? 7 Paws will head over to your pickup location and bring your pet over to their grooming outlet. You may choose to pick up your pet at the store or opt for return transport.

It was a joy speaking to Josephine from 7 Paws and learning about how dedicated and knowledgeable they are in the grooming scene.

7 Paws is located at 468 Serangoon and are closed on Tuesdays. Make a booking with these amazing groomers and let the team pamper your furkid!

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Community Stories

My China Adoption Story: From the Streets to the Sheets

May the story of Yumi bring you the positivity and strength you need to get you through the most difficult and tiring of times.

Meet Yumi, the strongest and cutest fatty adopted from China. It was his Gotcha Day recently so I finally got some time to sit down and write his story, about how he overcame all odds and came out a happy little warrior despite all he has faced.

From the Streets to the Sheets

Yumi is the only dog in our house that wants to sleep with humans. The poodles like to sleep by themselves in their crates or on their own beds, but Yumi will always want to climb onto our bed and plop his fluffy butt against me and sleep. No matter how I sleep, he will always make sure to have one part of his body touching me. When he sleeps on my bed by himself in the morning after I wake up, he will move up onto my pillow and sleep on that instead. While it may not seem like it, Yumi is actually a very needy dog, that craves the constant accompany of us.

Backstory: Health and Burns

Yumi was rescued from the streets of Shanghai, China, and when he was found he was in extremely bad condition. He was found covered in fleas and ticks (suggesting he has been on the streets for a very long time), starving badly to the point where you could see his bones, his teeth were mostly gone, his legs were all injured resulting in him not being able to walk normally and most scarily, he had two big burn marks on his back.

No one knew where he came from and what has happened to him. Was he abandoned? Did he run away from his previous home? Was he a lost dog who never found his owner? All we knew was that we had a badly injured dog that needed to be taken care of.

These two burn marks covers approximately 20-30% of his entire back.

The vet said that Yumi’s had suffered 4th-degree burns, and he could never be able to recover in those areas. After all, it was literally “griddled” and the skin felt like a piece of plastic that was completely rid of any fur.

Coming Home

This was right after arrival at Changi Checkpoint as he was clearing entry. He was still really confused and worried at this stage.
This photo was taken right after Yumi arrived in Singapore at Sembawang Quarantine Centre and he has pretty much settled down by then.

My mother spent about 6 months nursing him back to health while arranging for his immigration to Singapore. On 29 August 2016, he was brought to Singapore to start his new life. He was finally allowed to go home on 27 September 2016 after clearing quarantine.

Bringing him to the vet confirmed all our suspicions about his legs, Yumi had Grade 4 luxating patella in both knees and his front paws had healed at the wrong angle after being broken (probably due to the lack of medical care when he was stray). What we were told was that we had to be prepared for arthritis to take a toll on him once it sets in. We also had to be super careful about not worsening his conditions.

Aggression and How We Dealt With It

Being a previously abused dog, Yumi inevitably had signs of aggression. He has specific triggers which set him off, causing him to go into a panic and snap at whoever is near him. However, it was through his reactions that helped us to determine his triggers and slowly mitigate his fear.

For example, he does not like any form of sticks, be it long or short. As long as he sees a stick, he will run away and bark fiercely at it after finding a secure spot that protects his body. We try to have him get used to it slowly and help him to understand that not all sticks are a threat to him, but it’s not been an easy process. Unfortunately, some fear is just super-strongly ingrained, and there’s minimal which can be done to make him no longer fear it. But thankfully, our efforts did pay off slightly, as he is now relatively calm with a few items, and can be relaxed even beside them.

In addition, probably as an effect of his days of being a stray dog, Yumi resource guards. He does not allow others near him when he is eating and used to give off warning growls when we approach him during meal times. Thankfully, after years of coaxing, he is now able to eat beside the other dogs without worries and is even willing to share with Yuzu sometimes.

Yumi is very close to Yuzu, and he is always very gentle with her and watchful over her.
Despite being an abused dog, Yumi still gets along very well with everyone.

Still a Happy Little Boy

Despite the adversaries he has faced, Yumi is still always a happy and cheerful dog, and is always happy to meet new friends where he goes. We know that he isn’t young anymore, but he always exhibits puppy-like behaviour with his excitement and curiosity. He is very protective of his family and does not allow anyone to threaten us (human or dog). If the humans got into a fight, he will come in the middle to break up the fight (forever the peacekeeper of the family).

Despite being abused, he does not let his past demons stop him from being friendly with people. He is still quick to warm up to people and is absolutely loyal and loving to the very core. In fact, he won the hearts of all the staff at the quarantine office in his 30 days because of how loving he was towards him. No matter where he is, he always has fun.

Quarantine life? So what! I can still have fun no matter where I am.
Day 1 of meeting his new sister and boom, best friends!
Just keep smiling, no matter what happens. One day, everything will be better.

What I’ve learnt from Yumi is that no matter what happens, always stay happy. Despite having so many injuries on his body, he is still smiling and having fun every single day. He never lets his trauma deprive him of his happiness every day, and continues running around despite his joints aching.

I recall once seeing him at a dog party when he was running with some Spitz when he suddenly just buckled and fell to the ground. I panicked and was about to run over to pick him up when he just got up and continued running around with the other dogs happily. I was worried, and still am constantly worried about his joints, but I never want to deprive him of his happiness and interactions with other dogs. All I can do is to do it in a controlled environment, where he can safely play without getting injured.

A funny story about Yumi which I just remembered. I once thought he went missing at a pet cafe. One second he was running around and the next he disappeared. I kept calling for him and went around looking for a tiny white Pomeranian before suddenly hearing the party beside us ask me “Is this your dog?” while pointing to the fat little Yumi who was hiding among a bunch of Samoyed, stealing some of the birthday cake from that party… He just invited himself into the party and the Samoyed accepted him. *speechless* Cut the story short, he ended up celebrating the birthday for the Samoyed and was even in their group photo lol.

The forever tamjiak Yumi with his pawtner-in-crime hiding behind him.

Nowadays, Yumi is getting older and is no longer as puppy like or moves as much as he used to. He still has random bouts of energy but he no longer keeps up with the other dogs. It’s a truth we have to accept, that our pets will grow old and eventually leave us one day. But until that day comes, I will make sure that Yumi lives everyday of his life happy and loved.


Just to add:
Please do support adoptive causes and adopt instead of buying if possible. Put a smile on a dog’s face, and allow him to feel happy and have a home again. If you wish to buy a dog, please do make sure you’re purchasing from an ethical breeder, not a pet shop or puppy mill. A pet is for forever.


For more adorable Yumi photos, check out his Instagram at @yu.mi.zu

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Community Stories

How To Deal With Aggression In Cats

Aggression, a feeling of anger which may result in hostile or violent behavior. We are no strangers to this, we’ve all felt it before. Normally, we minimize hostile behavior with communication and persuasion, but what should we do if we can’t? This is our story, on how we’ve learnt to stop violent outbursts and understand where the attention was lacking.

Lyra

I adopted Lyra when he was about 3 months old, he was extremely hostile to us, hissing and on guard 24/7, watching us. After about 2 months, he was accustomed to his new human owners but still wary, and would attack me by lunging forward, aiming for my neck, if he was upset at something I did. As he is a Bengal, I understood that he is more instinctive and that may be the reason why he would aim for the neck. Additionally, Lyra is also a very needy cat, he would get upset and start biting me before I left for school, this biting worsened when I started working shifts as I was leaving at odd hours. As such, he could not track me and worries that I will not return. I spent hours researching on ways to stop these ill behaviors, and failed countless of times. After 1 year, this is the method that works best for him.

Healed Scar on My Cheek

All cats have a cycle of “Hunt, Eat, Groom, Sleep” (Galaxy, N.D.). This cycle needs to be met for a cat to be well- adjusted. Some young cats are playful and crave stimulation. When it is not play time, you may be the only thing it sees moving and be mistaken as a play thing which sparks their excitement.

Hunt

To stop a cat from viewing you as a prey, you will have to redirect it’s attention. Start by having a toy on hand with you, as a standby if you are being hunted. Once your cat targets you, wave the toy in front of it’s face, say ‘bite this instead’ and give it the toy, slowly but surely it will understand to target the toy rather than you. It may be tedious but trust me it will pay off.

Lyra Chowing Down on a Fake Apple Toy

Eat

After hunting, cats will prepare to kill and eat their prey in the wild, but for domesticated cats, they do not get the satisfaction of that. So, after each playtime, it is best to give them a reward to help them achieve satisfaction. Lyra’s go-to would be 1 liquid stick treat. I would recommend either 1 liquid stick treat or a few dry/ jerky treats, about 5-6 pieces.

Eating His Favorite Treat

Groom

After the cat is contented and satiated, it will move on to the grooming phase. In this phase, the cat proceeds to clean itself, just like a shower before bed time. You can help the cat, by brushing it to further aid with relaxation. For Lyra, he prefers for me not to disturb him.

Sleep

The cat may choose to take a short nap, fall asleep completely for the night or even just laze awake. This is when the cat develops safety and security. Waking up from a uninterrupted nap is the best feeling in the world, it helps them feel safe knowing they will be unharmed.

Non-Defensive Sleeping Position

This cycle will repeat itself forever. The most important part would be the conditioning of the hunt and the reward. A huge part of this, is you, the owner. Loving and providing attention to your pet is just the first step. Look out for non-verbal cues to further aid your bond with your pet. Hopefully, this will help you understand more about what your pet wants and needs from you to prevent ill behaviors. Feel free to ask me questions if you have any!