Farei Infrequently 2026 0910

September 10th 2026

From the Food Bowl of Tarma Shena

I saw a comment yesterday that stated “resource guarding is built in from the instinct to do their jobs”. 

This could not be a more incorrect statement, guarding and resource guarding have two very different motivations and have nothing psychologically in common. Yes I know some breeds are more prone to this behavior than others but that doesn’t change the “root”.

We’ve talked a lot about resource guarding in the past and the most popular approaches to handling it. I’m going to reiterate that “most popular” and “best practices” are not the same thing. 

I went down a rabbit hole this morning. I don’t mean a leisurely stroll down a slight grade, enjoying the scenery. I mean a head-over-heels tumble, getting caught on roots and hitting my head on a rock once or twice. 

Let me back up a bit by saying that the “guarding” behavior we see in LGDs is a carefully cultivated dynamic of canine social behaviors that allows what would normally be food, to be cared for and included in the “social group”.

Keep in mind this is much the way we have changed predatory/hunting behavior into herding behavior. You can see all the same movements, body language, and communication. But we have “skewed” the behavior to give us control over it and achieve a specific result. 

Still with me? Ok, good!

Now, resource guarding is a naturally occurring behavior and it is rooted in instinct. But in this case we are talking survival versus social. Yes I know social behaviors do increase the likelihood of survival, don’t interrupt, we see resource guarding between the members of a social group because Mother Nature has her priorities straight.

Ok so here was the rabbit hole. Where did the idea of hand feeding as a cure for resource guarding come about? Because if you think about it, you are trying to cure RG with RG… I know in math two negatives can make a positive but dog behavior isn’t math. Digging on the internet can be a grimy job and sorting opinion from fact can get your hands dirty. But I learned a couple of important things. 

Historically, it is believed that we fed wild dogs to gain trust and improve social bonds as a part of domestication. Keep in mind this was not a well thought out plan with “sessions and goals”, it was just two animals doing something to improve what was seen as potentially beneficial to both parties. Dogs got food and humans got an early warning system that grew into actual protection as we selected for those skewed social bonds.

As part of the positive only movement that is rooted in behavioral brainwashing, hand feeding a dog from puppyhood doesn’t prevent resource guarding. What you are actually doing is avoiding the thought from ever entering your dog's mind. This works as long as you keep the environment stable. Your lab with its two brain cells associates you with yummy kibble and as long the pack remains stable this “mentality” will hold. 

You can also take a dog who is already exhibiting these behaviors and start throwing food its way until it relaxes when you walk by through the positive association of “adding value”. Keep in mind that this is very dependent on the individual and the “value” assigned can be very specific and may not extend to all humans or family members. 

These methods have one thing in common, “curing” it. Why can’t we just walk away and let a dog eat in peace? Because we are afraid, that’s why.

Somewhere deep down in our psyche is the knowledge that we are still prey animals and still vulnerable to predators. What I think we’ve forgotten is that those early ancestors grouped around a campfire tossing scraps into the dark wanted a relationship, mutual respect and benefit. 

Somewhere along the way it changed from a partner to a sycophant. Pets.

Here is where LGDs cause a problem (don’t worry, the “doodle-ers” are already “curing it”.) For the most part they are still capable partners who want mutual respect and will demand it in certain situations. This is a necessary part of what makes them good at their jobs. Capability often means more primitive, or let’s say “less domesticated” than our pet dogs. So yes, this can increase the likelihood to resource guard, not because it’s part of their job, but because it’s part of their capability, their mentality, and their expectation of a relationship based on mutual respect.