Week 7

[Day 49] Understanding and defending resources: Why dogs need to learn to share

October 1, 2024

Time to read 9 min

Basic obedience: Day 49 of 56

This video and training is part of the Grunge Obedience Concept, a structured programme to promote obedience and the bond between humans and dogs. The concept is carefully didactic and methodical to ensure that each exercise builds on the previous one for maximum effectiveness. It is crucial that you carry out the training in the intended order to achieve the best possible results for your dog.

Resources are a central part of our dogs' lives. They include everything that is essential for their needs: food, toys, places to sleep and even us humans as caregivers. Defending these resources is a natural behaviour that is deeply rooted in the evolution of dogs. It is not only about protecting what is essential for survival, but also about dealing with competition and social structures.

In this article, we look at the theory and canine perspective behind the concept of resources and resource defence. Why do dogs defend their resources, even when they live in abundance? What role do frustration and aggression play in this context? And what can we dog people learn from this behaviour in order to better understand our dogs? We address these questions and shed light on the background in order to create a deeper understanding of this important topic.

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What are resources for dogs?

Resources are everything that has a certain value for dogs and helps them to fulfil their needs. This includes not only obvious things like food and water, but also toys, places to sleep and sometimes even us humans as caregivers.

What a dog regards as a resource varies from dog to dog. For example, one dog may be attached to its favourite toy, while another dog shows no interest in toys. This perception depends on experience, personality and also genetic factors.

Resources as "fuel" for needs

In biology, a resource is defined as something that a living being needs to fulfil its basic needs and ensure its ability to survive. For dogs - and animals in general - resources such as food, water and shelter are not just useful commodities, but essential elements for survival. These resources are closely linked to their evolutionary development and in many cases determine their behaviour.
Food is the basis for survival and therefore one of the most heavily defended resources. Even the ancestors of our dogs, the wolves, had to deal with limited food resources in the wild. Within a pack, food was not distributed evenly, but was regulated by clear hierarchies: Animals of higher rank had priority access to food. These hierarchies were crucial to minimising conflict within the pack and ensuring that the pack as a whole remained viable.

This biological heritage is still visible in our domestic dogs. Even if they live in an environment where food is not scarce, they often retain the behaviour of protecting or defending resources such as food. From an evolutionary perspective, this made sense: animals that were able to successfully defend their resources had a greater chance of surviving and reproducing.

Toys may seem less important from a human perspective, but for dogs they are an important resource that is closely linked to their behaviour and social development. For many dogs, playing with an object is a way of releasing excess energy and acting out their natural hunting or searching behaviour. Toys often replace the "prey" they would pursue in the wild and provide dogs with mental and physical stimulation.

This link between play and resources can also be traced back to evolution: In nature, chasing a prey animal would be a combination of physical effort, strategy and the brain's reward system. Toys simulate this process and give the dog a meaningful task that is closely linked to its natural needs.

In addition to food and activity, a safe place to sleep is also a critical resource for dogs. In the wild, it is essential for survival to find a protected environment where they can rest and regenerate without being disturbed by predators. These instincts are also present in domestic dogs: A dog that is in its bed or resting area will often regard it as "its territory" and may defend it if it feels threatened.

From an evolutionary perspective, the defence of resources has developed into an efficient strategy in dogs - as in other social animals. By defending food, protection or other goods, they secure their basis for survival. This behaviour is closely linked to the reward system in the brain, which releases endorphins when defence strategies are successful and positively reinforces the behaviour. At the same time, it is a social strategy: the ability to successfully secure resources can influence the dog's reputation and position within packs or groups.

Even though our domestic dogs no longer have to fight for their daily survival, this deep-rooted behaviour can still be seen in everyday situations. Food is hoarded, favourite toys are defended and a quiet place is claimed. This behaviour reminds us that our dogs are biologically and evolutionarily closely linked to their ancestors. By understanding these origins, we can better understand their actions in everyday life and treat them with respect.

So dogs defend resources for a reason - it's their way of making sure they have access to the things they need for their well-being.

Why do dogs defend their resources?

The defence of resources is a behaviour that is deeply rooted in the evolution of dogs. In nature, resources such as food, water or shelter were limited, and an animal that could successfully secure its resources had a better chance of survival. This behaviour has been passed down through generations and is still an integral part of dogs' behaviour today - regardless of whether they live in an environment of abundance or not.

Within a pack, as was the case with the ancestors of our dogs, the wolves, resource defence played a decisive role. Higher-ranking animals had priority in the use of food and other important resources, while lower-ranking animals had to learn to wait for their access. These hierarchies helped to minimise conflicts within the group and regulate the distribution of resources. It was rarely necessary for conflicts to escalate - threatening gestures, growling or fixation were usually sufficient to clarify the hierarchy and thus access to resources.

However, between different species, such as between a dog and another animal, the defence of resources can be far more intense. While intra-species conflicts are often settled through social communication, inter-species conflicts often involve the physical assertion of claims. In the wild, this could mean that competitors were killed in order to ensure their own survival. Even if such scenarios rarely occur in modern day life, the behavioural patterns that support this strategy are still present in our dogs' genetic heritage.

What a dog perceives as a resource varies from dog to dog. While some dogs hardly ever defend resources, others show clear behaviour to protect seemingly insignificant things such as a toy, a chew bone or even a place to sleep. This behaviour strongly depends on the dog's personality, its previous experiences and also its environment.

Although dogs in our western world do not experience a lack of resources, the defence of food or other goods shows that it is a biologically ingrained behaviour. This behaviour is not necessarily a problem, but an evolutionary remnant that was essential for survival in the past. The challenge for dog people is to understand this behaviour and deal with it respectfully.

Frustration and its connection to resource defence

Frustration is a common cause of resource defence and plays a decisive role in the development of aggression. It occurs when a goal or expectation is not met. For dogs, this can mean that they do not have the time or opportunity to utilise a resource that they consider important. This frustration is then often turned into aggressive behaviour to secure the resource.

A typical example of this is when a puppy 's food is taken away without preparation or training. Many dog people believe that this is a good method of exercising "control". In reality, however, the puppy learns something completely different: it associates the situation with the need to eat its food as quickly as possible, as it could be taken away from it at any time. This fear of loss often leads to the dog later defending its food or other resources with resource aggression - a behaviour that is completely man-made.

A dog that repeatedly experiences frustration often develops an increased distrust of its environment and the people around it. If he is regularly prevented from enjoying a resource or deprived of it without compensation, this feeling is reinforced. Over time, this becomes a fixed pattern of behaviour that makes it difficult for the dog to give up resources calmly or to share them at all.

Another problem is that frustration is often caused by misunderstandings. Many dog people do not realise that the dog is not acting against them in a situation, but for themselves. For example, if a dog growls because it is defending a toy or a chew bone, it is primarily communicating that it feels uncomfortable and is not prepared to give up this resource. Instead of responding to these signals, many people react with pressure or even punishment - which further increases the dog's frustration and intensifies the aggression.

The key to avoiding frustration and resource defence is to understand the dog's perspective. Dogs act out of experience and expectations. If they learn that resource defence is not necessary because they are rewarded for giving up or are offered alternatives, frustration is significantly reduced.

By recognising how frustration arises, we can better ensure that our dog develops trust in us and learns that their resources are safe - whether we are around them or controlling them at times.

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Summary

Resources and their defence are a natural part of our dogs' lives. They protect what they consider important - whether it's food, toys, a place to sleep or even us humans. This behaviour has deep roots in evolution and is closely linked to survival and social order within groups.

The defence of resources is not a "problem", but a normal expression of their needs and their perception of the environment. However, frustration caused by misunderstandings or mishandling can turn this behaviour into aggressive behaviour. Especially when dogs learn that resources are not safe or that they are "punished" for giving them away.

It is up to us, as dog people, to understand this behaviour and respond respectfully. Instead of causing frustration, we should show our dogs that resources are safe and that sharing or giving them away does not lead to a loss.

In the further course of the training plan, you can refer back to the exercises already shown (days 42 to 48) for the "off" signal to gently teach your dog that resources do not have to be defended. Equipped with this knowledge, you can understand your dog better and work together with him to create a harmonious everyday life.

[Day 43] Learning "out": How to teach your dog to safely release objects

[Day 44] Stimulus control in dogs: Training for a reliable "off" in every situation

The authors: Paulina & Lui

Paulina and Lui are the heart and soul behind Vitomalia [Dogstraining & Store]. Her journey in dog training began with the adoption of her first list dog, Vito. This experience sparked her deep interest in teaching other dog owners about dog behaviour and training. Initially this was just a hobby, but with the adoption of the American Pitbull dog Amalia, who had been relinquished several times due to severe behavioural problems, her passion developed into a true vocation. Amalia's particular behavioural challenges intensified her interest in dog training and behavioural therapy. This turning point led Paulina and Lui to leave their original career paths, undergo intensive further training and dedicate themselves entirely to the subject of dog training. Their work with human-dog teams also revealed a gap in the dog market: there was a lack of safe, high-quality dog accessories specifically for medium-sized and large breeds.

From this realisation, Vitomalia [Dogstraining & Store] was born, a combination of their commitment to professional dog training and the need for quality dog accessories. Paulina and Lui bring their personal experience, extensive knowledge and passion for dogs to every product to help human-dog teams live together.