Resource Guarding?

[Becky and Wilson]

OH just sent me this on email.....

Paisley started off eating her dinner today and picked up a piece of kibble and took it to the kitchen door and ate it, whilst looking up the kitchen. At first I thought it was really cute and funny.
 
After about 4 or 5 goes at this she had a good old munch (which took about 10 minutes and she ate about 10 pieces of kibble). The others had all finished and been out for a pee etc by this time and I'd ate my lunch.
 
I went into the bathroom to freshen up and have a pee and I noticed that Paisley had laid down by her bowl and was facing up towards Wilson and Isla (with her back to me). I thought ok, she's just having a breather as she usually does, but then I heard her growl...not just a growl either it was a proper deep long growl. So I walked past her which made her shut up. I stood in the living room and waited for a bit, I watched as Isla just sat in her bed and Paisley sat there next to her bowl growling with her lips flared and staring right at Isla....bless poor little Isla, she cowered her head and didn't know where to look! She might not be able to hear but the visual signal that Paisley was sending her was unmistakable.
 
Anyhoo, Wilson being the bumbling idiot that he is thought Paisley was acting 'odd' and therefore needed a paw in her face - so he walked directly up to her (which produced an even louder growl, which turned to a snarl) and just lifted his paw up and clonked her on the head. This of course sent Paisley into a mad frenzy of ear flapping, spitting snarling, jumping and biting. Which meant Wilson did the same, and the kitchen was nearly obliterated in a monumental dog fight.
 
And the worst bit....poor little Isla ran away! She took one look at Paisley in psycho mode and ran up stairs! I had to go and get her and give her love and cuddles!

Now my first thought was, well at least she shut up when OH was near her so she's not guarding from us.  But OH thinks that she will eventually start growling at us if we dont stop her doing this to the other dogs.  I also thing that Wilson deserved a snap from Paisley as she was obviously giving enough signs for a deaf dog to understand to leave her alone so Wilson should have got the hint too! 

OH thinks that Paisley is purposefully NOT eating her food JUST so she can guard it from the others!  This seems a little odd to me, so I have suggested we shut her in another room for 30 mins (maybe sit in there with her) to let her eat her food so she has no contact with the others so doesn't feel threatened and see how that goes.  She has gradually been getting slower and slower at eating (used to woof it down) so I thing she just prefers to take her time with it but is worried that the others will eat it if she doesnt do something about it!

What does everyone else think?!

Oh and by the way, Isla has on several occassions over the last few months managed to get her head in Paisley's bowl so she does have reason to be concerned! IFSWIM!

Thanks

Becky

[bibathediva]

  ..really sorry Becky shoudnt laugh but the line *and just lifted his paw up and clonked her on the head* made me laugh...can just imagine Wilson thinking*whats up with you woman get a grip of yourself...here this should snap you out of it *

Have to say Paisleys a brave woman taking someone the size of Wilson on  ...sorry i have been no help..except Lola does guard things from Biba but doesnt do it to us as we have always swapped stuff from her to prevent this...and now she will just leave when asked...although my 2 have never had a problem with food guarding  ... they were feed seperatley until just recently...i would do as you suggested and feed her on her own for a while and add goodies to her bowl so she  doesnt see you as a threat to her food 
hope they are all ok...including your OH 

[Cob-Web]

Poor Paisley 

I think leaving her on her own to get on with it is a good idea - and she may eat quicker of she doesn't feel she has to keep her eyes open for *thieves* 

She has obviously been bothered by something; maybe the fact that Isla has had her nose in her bowl.........I am sure it could be solved with time and patience, and they could eventually all eat happily together, but if it is easier to avoid the problem than try and overcome it, then I tend to opt for that solution - life is too short 

(and  to Wilson for being so typically male and not reading the signs that were so obvious to Isla  )

[joanne_v]

I agree, feed her separately but also hand feed her at each meal so she learns that food comes from you then gradually give it to her in her bowl and add stuff too. If I had fed Lily with all the others to start with it would have been fights every night as she was soooo possessive of food but now I can have 5 or 6 dogs in the kitchen, they each have their own spot and a certain order of feeding. They know not to steal from each other and I allow them to give warning noises if anyone goes too close (usually Krumble cos he eats the fastest then likes to try it on). With new dogs ie. fosters/boarders I stand in the middle to supervise so they learn the ropes.

It takes a while for them to stop resources guarding (took Lily a year!) but she's a 'special' girl. Maybe it was a one off with Paisley but a few weeks of hand feeding separately then gradual re-introduction with the others should help.