My dog snaps at visitors without warning. Is it resource guarding?

Question

We recently took in a 2 year old j.russell/basset hound cross. He's perfectly behaved with us however has snapped at a couple of friends, once when they tried to pick up his food bag and once when they went into their own handbag. There's no growling or warning beforehand. IT definetly appears to be a territorial instinct reaction. Is there any advice on how to stop the snapping or on how to react when it does happen to discourage it happening again? Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Medium (23 - 60lb) | Male | neutered | 2 years and 6 months old | 26 lbs

Menolly Cote, DVM, CVA · Accepted Answer

I'm sorry to hear of your concerns with Bailey. That is a scary situation and I commend you for reaching out for help. Bailey is a lucky dog. The behavior you are describing is called resource guarding. It can occur with food, toys or even people. I would recommend consulting with a positive reinforcement behaviorist in your area. They will be able to help you figure out exactly what triggers Bailey has and how best to work around them. It is very important that you do not try to forcibly take away anything that Bailey is guarding as this could result in him biting. It is important to teach him that whenever we take something away he will get something better in return and that we are the source of positive things and not punishment. This is a good resource for getting started but I do think it's worth consulting with a behaviorist. https://positively.com/dog-behavior/aggression/resource-guarding/

My dog snaps at visitors without warning. Is it resource guarding?

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