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Resource Guarding and Rescue Dobes

1K views 3 replies 2 participants last post by  MeadowCat 
#1 ·
As most of you know, I do rescue work with Doberman Pinscher Rescue of PA. Resource guarding has always been a problem in adopting dogs out with this issue. Unfortunately, sometimes it does not end well and we are trying to figure out a plan and suggestions for an adopter. We usually try to avoid taking in dogs with this issue but sometimes we do not know until they are in. Like Kaiser, who just came in. He came to us as an emergency situation from a murder/suicide situation. He was the shooter's dog so we don't have a way of knowing his background. He is only 2 and we are confident we can work with him.

That said, some of our savvy foster homes can recognize triggers and manage the environment to avoid them or properly distract a dog away from them to avoid a standoff between dog and human, which is setting the dog up for failure. Alternatively in some cases, a dog with resource guarding is pulled from an inexperienced foster home who has become fearful of a dog that has growled at them and ultimately our only option in these cases is to send the dog to a kennel. This situation does not seem to be in this type of dog’s best interest for behavior modification work. But, surprisingly, we have found that these dogs do very well in a kennel, but revert to resource guarding when placed into a new foster or adoptive home. In addition, when these dogs seem to be doing well, either in a savvy foster home or a kennel, they seem revert or regress after being placed in an adoptive home.

Just wondering if anyone working with rescue dogs have had the same issues and do you have any recommendations on how to modify this behavior and ensure it can be transferrable to a new adoptive home? One thought is to buy a few copies of "Mine" and make sure the new home reads it thoroughly and understands it before the dog goes home with them.

I have read through the resource guarding threads and have sent them to our volunteer is working on this issue but also wondering if anyone has any other suggestions. Or, if anyone has gotten a Dobe from another source and has run into this problem and has found a successful solution, your comments would also be helpful.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.
 
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#2 ·
I'm sure you already have read the recommendation for Jean Donaldson's book "Mine! A Practical Guide to Resource Guarding in Dogs." I've found that to be a really solid book that is a step by step guide.

Are you looking for ideas on resource guarding against *humans* specifically, or other dogs, or both?
 
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#4 · (Edited by Moderator)
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