Will Shakespeare

Guarding is an instinctual behavior for dogs. It is useful to us when they warn strangers who intrude on their (and our) territory. One of the earliest benefits dog provided to man was to serve as an early warning intruder alert system.Territoriality is, simply stated, guarding space. It is the dog?s way of saying ?this space has value and it belongs to me and my pack.? In fact, dogs guard all sorts of things, some tangible, such as food, others intangible such as space.When they guard these items from outsiders it can be helpful. I leave my home knowing my dog will be alert to an inappropriate intrusion. Dogs also guard tangibles and intangibles from one another. You shouldn?t expect to see a submissive dog take a bone or scrap from the alpha or dominant dog. Should he try, guitar songs he?ll face a swift correction. But that?s rarely necessary because in the structure of the dog pack, it is clearly understood who is entitled to what and when.But what happens when that clear understanding is lacking between a dog and members of his human pack? The results can be a disaster?a dog who guards something against his very owners.In this article we?ll concentrate on space guarding behaviors. In the dog pack, if the dominant dog wants to walk from point A to point B, he will do it even if he has to nudge a lesser dog out of his way. If the more submissive dog protests, what he is actually doing is challenging the authority of his leader by trying to guard the space he occupies. The same event may transpire in our homes. Your dog helps himself to a place on the sofa.