Advice re: Resource guarding ?

[carfar]

Hello! first post here, although i posted a bit on the nest when I got my pup and received great advice.

I need advice about resource guarding. My dog (small cavalier Spaniel) seems to be "guarding" me and the couch. He's never been bad about his toys and or food, but he'll growl if you move him out of the way on the couch, and he will even come over from across the room to bark at the cat if the kitty comes to sit on my lap. We already make him ask permission to be on the couch by having him sit ( or down) and wait for an "ok" release command to come up, and he can't be up there with out one of us and will get off on command. Once he is up, if we need to rearrange him or anything, he lets out a growl.

Not sure what my reaction should be when he does this, should he have to leave the couch, do we tell him "no" for growling (I've heard not to train out a growl, as then they may bite w/o warning?) or when he comes to "yell" at the cat when it's cats turn for some snuggles?

I don't want this to progress.... Any suggestions ? TIA!

[sparrowgreen]

I'm no resource guarding expert, but I might try not letting him on the couch at all for awhile. And then maybe gradually reintroduce and see how it goes? Trying to apply the same principle I use when one of mine is guarding something inappropriately, which is that they lose whatever it is for awhile.

[carfar]

Thanks for the thoughts. I was thinking the same today. Bummer because he's a great couch snuggler.

[RoxMonster]

We're working with an animal behaviorist at home because our rescue has a lot of fear and anxiety issues. One of the issues she also has is guarding me. Although she loves my H and is affectionate with him, whenever he puts an arm around me, hugs me, comes in to kiss me, etc., she will jump in between us or nose her face between us, then crawl over me if I'm sitting down in order to "protect" me.

Our behaviorist suggested associating the person/thing/behavior she is guarding with a positive. So she had us work on hugging and when the dog would approach, throwing a highly-valued treat off to the side. Keep doing that over and over again. We just started working with her three days ago, so no telling how well this will work long term, but we have gotten Roxie to be OK with us hugging/touching standing up. It seems now just to be an issue if H "comes at me" from above, like I am sitting and he is standing. She has never growled, but is definitely guarding me.

So work on having someone (or your cat) come sit with you/near you on the couch and immediately throw a high-value treat off to the side and tell your dog to get it (if he doesn't on his own). Keep doing that to get him to associated someone sharing the couch with you as a good thing.