Dog Bites When I Take Something Away
This article is about dogs that tend to growl, snarl, snap, and bite when trying to take something away from them, whether its food, bones, toys, or anything else. The technical term for this behavior is “resource-guarding,” and in order to better understand this behavior, it helps to take a closer look into what dynamics are going on in the dogs mind.
Getting more acquainted with resource-guarding and the underlying emotions is important, considering that the wrong approach can significantly exacerbate things.
It is often forgotten that resource-guarding in dogs is ultimately a natural behavior, something that has helped dogs survive and become the domesticated animals with whom we share our modern homes.
However, resource-guarding targeted toward humans is often categorized as unacceptable because, as humans, we place high expectations on dogs nowadays with every little hint of “aggression” not being tolerated. “Dont bite the hand that feeds you” goes the saying.
Also, we live in a time of great liability, where medical bills can easily amount to thousands of dollars. A dog bite can easily lead to a lawsuit and even the dog risks being put down.
Many dog owners find it surprising to learn that resource-guarding is more a matter of fear of losing access to something perceived as valuable (toy, food, stolen items) and a general sense of mistrust in having their owners nearby while in possession of such valuables.
Perhaps, this is surprising mostly because of the outdated notion that dogs who growl when in possession of an item are doing so because they want to be alpha and wish to outrank their owners.
With the dog dominance myth debunked, and a better understanding of why dogs act in certain ways, we can, therefore, deduce that growling and biting when trying to take something away from them is more a matter of insecurity and mistrust. The dog lives in an anxious state of having his possessions taken away.
For sake of comparison, imagine walking down the road when a person walks by and removes your wallet or purse from you for apparently no rhyme or reason. Or perhaps, imagine eating a tasty steak when the waiter walks by and takes the steak off your plate right under your nose.
If this happens often enough, you would likely start living in a wary, hyper-vigilant state, and, therefore, may hold on to your purse tighter or you may eat your steak faster to prevent rude waiters from stealing it. However, if the stealing still happens, you may likely start to lash out and engage in defensive behaviors to protect your belongings.
Are dogs genetically wired to resource-guard or is it a learned behavior? Welcome to the nature and nurture debate! Turns out, most behaviors are the result of a combination of both genetics and the environment.
There may be, of course, many different views on this, but one thing is for sure: resource-guarding is an adaptive trait, which has allowed dogs to survive and be welcomed to our homes.
Its survival of the fittest: if a dogs ancestors “shared” in times of scarcity, they wouldnt have been able to live and reproduce, so its ultimately a trait that has survived the test of time possibly because it can potentially turn helpful in any possible lean times.
Many dog breeders feel that resource-guarding may manifest first in the litter when too many puppies are fed from a small bowl of food, encouraging them to compete. More and more breeders, therefore, take steps to prevent resource-guarding in puppies from an early age, with the exercises being continued by the new owner. Particularly important is training the leave-it and drop it cues.
Resource-guarding may also be inadvertently encouraged by wrong approaches by the owner. Yelling at the dog, chasing down a dog when in possession of something (e.g., keep-away games gone bad), or prying open the dogs mouth to forcefully remove the item, can cause the dog anxiety upon having access to something perceived as valuable. Even the practice of forcing a dog to endure petting while eating food and repeatedly taking the bowl away can backfire paving the path for resource-guarding in an insecure dog.
Finally, harsh, correction-based methods such as scruff shaking or alpha rolling puppies to give up a resource or correcting a growl, will only backfire, increasing anxiety and potentially leading to a dog who suppresses his growling and goes straight to a bite.
How to Stop a Dog From Biting When Taking Something Away
Dealing with a dog biting when taking something away often entails a multi-faceted approach. Because of the risks of being bitten, its important for dog owners to seek the assistance of a dog behavior professional well-versed in dealing with dog aggression and exclusively using force-free methods. Following are ways to stop a dog from biting when taking something away.
In dogs who resource-guard food, its important to rule out medical conditions known for causing a ravenous appetite in dogs. A veterinarian should test for things like diabetes and Cushings disease.
Also, it would be important to gather info on what medications the dog may be on. For instance, dogs on steroids may develop increased hunger as a side effect and this may trigger new behaviors such as poop eating and food aggression.
Other differentials to rule out are medical disorders that may cause pain (like spinal issues, joint pain), causing a lowering of the dogs bite threshold and the inability to move away with a valuable possession from an adult owner or child.
Ruling out medical conditions is important considering that results cannot be attained if there is an underlying medical disorder that needs to be addressed.
As dog owners wait to see a behavior professional, its important to implement a strict management protocol. This means preventing the dog from rehearsing the troublesome behavior by avoidance.
So if your dog guards in particular specific items, these items should not be provided, or for edible items, they should be provided only when the dog is inside a crate or behind a barrier such as a baby gate.
While strict management can help prevent incidences of resource-guarding, it is not a treatment plan, and therefore, in most cases, it isnt sufficient to tackle the problem.
Treatment for cases of resource-guarding in dogs requires the implementation of behavior modification. What does behavior modification for dogs who bite when taking something away entail?
The most effective procedures are based on desensitization and counterconditioning techniques. Desensitization entails exposing the dog to low-grade situations taking a step-by-step, systematic approach. Counterconditioning, on the other hand, entails creating positive associations so to change the dogs underlying emotional response.
Please Note: Behavior modification may not always be suitable for all cases. In such cases, management may be necessary long-term. Consult with a professional for an assessment and consideration of prognostic factors for rehabilitation.
Behavior modification is an advanced skill that requires years of experience to implement correctly. It requires carefully reading the dogs body language for the most subtle signs of stress to ensure the dog doesnt go over threshold.
It is important to go slowly at the dogs pace to prevent setbacks of any progress made, and most of all, its important to ensure safety. Also, along with behavior modification, its important to still institute management as needed. Behavior modification, therefore, comes with risks. For this reason, its important to work along with a behavior professional. This cannot be emphasized enough.
There is no 100 percent safe way to relinquish something in a dogs possession, so caution is always needed!
What to do when your dog steals and protects something
If your dog has something they are not supposed to have, do NOT:
None of those actions will be helpful. Any type of punishment is very likely to make your dog even more defensive and will substantially increase the odds of your being bitten. Dog bites are very damaging to the relationship we have with our dog. Both you and the dog will lose trust in one another, and it may take weeks and months for this trust to be restored, if at all.
If your dog has something they are not supposed to have, calmly assess the situation. Dogs steal things. I find that these items tend to fall into one of the following three categories:
In the first two cases, you want to get the items back from your dog as easily as possible without you or the dog becoming injured or traumatized. The best way to do this is to offer a trade with a high-value piece of food such as a piece of deli meat or cheese. Yes, technically, this is rewarding a behavior you do not want; however, it is the easiest way to retrieve the object without you getting bitten.
If the dog has something in category three and you do not feel that you can safely get it away from the dog by trading them for something better, I would just let them keep what they have. Consuming a napkin or paper towel will typically not be harmful.
After you have possession of the object, you should start planning on how to prevent this type of behavior in the future.
Signs of guarding behavior include those shown in the video above, as well as:
Because resource guarding is a behavior that can result in a dog bite, and because a dog bite can cause irreparable damage to both you and the dog, I recommend that you meet with a reward-based certified professional dog trainer or certified dog behavior consultant as soon as possible. You are unlikely to resolve this problem on your own. In my 20+ years of experience working with people and their dogs, I do not believe that dealing with this type of behavior can be learned from the internet, a book, or a video.
FMI – How to Choose a Dog Trainer – http://blog.greenacreskennel.com/2017/01/08/how-to-choose-a-dog-trainer/
FMI – What Should I Do When My Dog Growls? – http://blog.greenacreskennel.com/2015/07/18/canine-behavior-what-should-i-do-when-my-dog-growls/
FMI – Reward Based Training versus Aversives – http://blog.greenacreskennel.com/2017/04/25/dog-training-reward-based-training-versus-aversives/
Dog Possession Aggression: What To Do
It is inherent for dogs to want to protect what belongs to them. Particularly if it is something that she highly values.
For example my pup Juno is fine with me having a seat next to her when she is enjoying a Bullystick. But, on occasion, she finds a real treasure and her body freeze momentarily when I move close and she will give a low growl. I heed the warning and give her space.
If you are unsure whether your pup is resource guarding or if her behavior is normal puppy biting, the following resources may be useful:
However, because Pup Parent’s dog is just 9-weeks old, they could be dealing with normal puppy behavior. Puppies both explore their world with their mouths and are are often nippy and growly when they play.
This is because play often mimics fight behavior but with lots of inhibition and play gestures to signify it’s all in fun. New puppies can learn to inhibit their bite and learn alternatives with time and practice.
How can you tell the difference between play biting and aggressive actions? Let’s look at the differences below.
As I mentioned above, puppy biting is normal. I have yet to meet a puppy that doesn’t interact with people and other dogs with her teeth (and I have met thousands and thousands of puppies over the years)!
Having said this, puppy teeth are sharp and they can be quite painful and destructive. They may chew on our shoes, furniture and walls despite having their own chew items. Additionally, play often involves play fighting, which can sometimes be difficult to distinguish from actual fighting.