Is ignoring my puppy's resource guarding growl the right approach?

Question

Sadie is 7 months and she still resource guards (selectively) despite being handfed, always trading up, and giving her other treats when she stiffens around the treat she is guarding. If she sees me approaching when she has a particularly special treat, she growls and continues to if i remain in the immediate vicinity. I typically just ignore her growling and act natural as if I'm not concerned. Sometimes I even eat my own meal while she's there and she quiets down. Is this the right approach? Pet's info: Dog | Yorkshire Terrier | Female | spayed | 7 months and 7 days old | 3.4 lbs

Jennifer Summerfield, DVM CPDT-KA · Accepted Answer

Yes - in general, it sounds like you're doing all the right things! Some dogs are genetically hard-wired to have a stronger resource guarding response than others, which means this issue can be harder to treat in these individuals. If you want to continue working on the problem and hopefully make things better over time, I would strongly recommend the book "Mine!" by Jean Donaldson - it gives very detailed instructions on how to set up a training plan to work on resource guarding issues, so that you can work on the problem in a more systematic way. You could also consider working with a veterinary behaviorist who can evaluate her in person, and may be able to help you tweak your current plan a bit to get better results. You can search for a board-certified veterinary behaviorist in your area here: www.dacvb.org

Is ignoring my puppy's resource guarding growl the right approach?

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