Resource guarding is the term used when your pet becomes defensive or protective over an item that they really value. This can be a treat or a food bowl, toys and beds, or a special chair in the household, and even humans can be the cause of guarding issues.
Whether your dog is growling when they have a bone, your cat is swiping or hissing at other pets, or your rabbit is charging and biting when you feed them, these can all be problematic situations as owners, and it is important to seek the help needed to manage your pets’ behaviours.
Pain should always be considered where any behavioural incidents occur, particularly if possessiveness or guarding incidents are very sudden or unusual for your pet, so we always advise a veterinary visit to rule out a missed medical need.
We can, however, also share some tips and advice below for those of you who are getting to grips with your pet’s possessive behaviours.
Small animals and resource guarding
Resource guarding can be recognised as ‘possessive aggression’ in prey animal pets, which include rabbits and guinea pigs. It can be commonplace for rabbits to display territorial aggressive behaviour.
This could range from protecting spaces like food bowls or sleeping areas, and not only is this an issue for owners, as attempting to provide necessary everyday care can be tricky if they are behaving possessively, but the aggression can also be targeted towards their companions.
Taking the time to try and understand the reason for your rabbit or guinea pigs’ territorial behaviour can be a good starting point- we can sometimes misunderstand our small pets’ communications where aggression can in fact be their response to being afraid.
Good housing and welfare considerations can ensure your rabbits and guinea pigs are generally more content and less likely to display aggressive behaviour.
Rabbits and guinea pigs need plenty of space to move about freely, access to toys and enrichment, plus company which can all help manage any frustrations.
Remember that they are prey animals, and it is important to build trust and confidence in your pet rabbit and guinea pig to ensure they are not afraid of you entering their home or living area.
Giving your small pet space and choice and keeping noise levels low when interacting with them can help manage their stress and eliminate an aggressive fear response such as charging or even scratching and biting.
Rabbits and guinea pigs are highly social animals and thrive on the company of others, but it is crucial to ensure harmony by providing separate food bowls, enough hidey houses for each animal to have their own space, and more than one water access which can help to eliminate housemate arguments and possessiveness. Consider removing bowls if they cause an issue and changing to scatter feeding (spreading their dry pellet food on the enclosure floor or into a hay pile) can help encourage more natural foraging behaviour and harmonious mealtimes.
Consider appropriate accommodation size too, as overcrowding can cause grumbles within a guinea pig community, especially males.
A guide to guinea pig housing | Guinea Pig Awareness Week will give you some great advice on good guinea pig housing.
Neutering is also an important consideration for your rabbits to, which can help with hormonal territorial and guarding behaviours- you can read some great information about rabbit neutering benefits here: Neutering – Castration and Spaying | Rabbit Welfare Association & Fund (RWAF)
Cats and resource guarding
Resource guarding in cats, whilst much less common than dogs, can still occur. This can include protecting items such as scratching posts, litter trays, beds, food or food bowls, toys, or people.
It can generally be caused by factors including lack of socialisation, underlying stress, or the cats’ perceived lack of resources, which is why multi-cat households can often see a rise in guarding or protective behaviours.
It is crucial to ensure you provide the appropriate number of resources, such as food bowls, beds, or toileting areas, within your house for the number of cats owned which can also help prevent guarding behaviours. The image below demonstrates how many items are required depending on the number of cats.
To help, you can try and pinpoint the cause of any potential stress factors and attempt to manage them – if a cat is stressed because of a new baby in the household for example, allowing the cat access to a quiet room or space away can be useful in eliminating the need to resource guard (although, it is important to note we do not recommend shutting them in or this can create more stress!), and it can even be a good idea to consider introducing herbal calming sprays or diffusers to your household.
Here at the Shelter, we are big supporters of Pet Remedy, a natural calming agent that can help to encourage a pet’s resilience to stressful situations and promote their wellbeing.
Each cat adopted from us goes home with a pet remedy starter pack, to help with any potential stresses of the transition to a new home and you can even purchase the products in our on-site reception shop.
Dogs and resource guarding
Resource guarding is a term most used in the dog world; a natural survival technique where dogs in the wild relied on scavenging and protecting items of value, but these behaviours can be problematic when presented within the home by a pet.
Prevention is always better than cure, so teaching your dog that it has nothing to fear from a young age is the best option. Our ‘Puppy Workshop’ can give you great tips on how to prevent resource guarding amongst lots of helpful tips for a happy and well socialised pup!
If your dog is already showing signs of guarding, it can help to follow some of these safe practices while you seek professional support from a certified behaviourist:
Set expectations for visitors/household members– if you know that your dog is likely to growl or snap at people when they are eating or with a particular resource, be sure to communicate this clearly when visitors arrive, to ensure they are aware to leave your dog alone. Ensure your dog is given plenty of space whilst they are with their favourite items.
If your dog is comfortable in a separate room, this could be an option, particularly if you have young children visiting who may find it difficult giving animals’ space. Crate training can be a great way to help create a safe space for your pooch to enjoy their treat or food without fear of people approaching too.
Removing the item – If it is possible and safe to do so, remove the item that causes resource guarding before visitors arrive and put it somewhere safe and away from your dog.
Teaching the ‘Leave it; command can help, exchanging the item they value for an equally tempting high value treat, as opposed to just taking something away from them. Our team at CAS can advise the best methods to teach this command to your dog.
Other dogs- In cases where resource guarding may be targeted at another dog in the household, each dog should have access to a bed or sleeping space of their own, toys should be tidied away after supervised play sessions, and food given at separate times or in different rooms where possible can help prevent any competition.
Never punish – you should never punish or shout at your dog when they resource guard, as this can in-fact worsen the behaviour by elevating the dogs fear and stress levels.
For those in need of some direct practical support, our canine behaviour team are now hosting an ‘Understanding Resource Guarding’ workshop, aimed at those who want to learn more about dog resource guarding as well as tips on how to manage this behaviour through practical and theory-based teaching.
As well as understanding more about what resource guarding is, you will be given tips to prevent guarding behaviours worsening, and you will leave with an information pack which will include a special offer on one-to-one consultations with our behaviourists if you would like further individual help and support for your dog.
