How to stop my dogs fighting over bones and resource guarding?

Pipo is being aggressively protective of his bone. I would take away that bone and not allow him to have it while this other dog is in your home. I would also look into keeping them apart as much as possible. He isn't neutered, and dogs who aren't neutered can become territorial over their toys and home, leading to aggression. Keep them separated as much as possible during this visit will help prevent any further incidents of aggression. Feed them in separate rooms, and definitely do not allow this other dog near Pipo's food while he is eating. If you do face another situation where he has a toy the other dog wants and Pipo is getting upset, immediately remove the other dog from the room, and Pipo from the toy. Do not reach for the toy as he will likely bite again. If you are going to be babysitting other dogs in the future, I would consider neutering Pipo, as that cuts down and can eliminate hormonally related aggressive behaviors such as territorial aggression.

Until you are able to consult with a qualified trainer, I would advise feeding them separately. (Feed them in separate rooms, and pick up the food after 20-30 minutes if they don't eat it right away). Don't leave food out for "fair game" feeding. When the possibility of a fight over food is removed in this manner, it can alleviate stress for everyone. Thank you for asking Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This is of course unacceptable behavior and it is called food aggression. This is usually corrected with appropriate training. I would highly recommend you consider reaching out to a dog trainer who can work with you in person to correct this. Best of luck!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Five is not old. It sounds like he is being protective of the bone and he is walking away with it because he doesn’t want anyone to take it. Since he is being aggressive about it, I would recommend finding a way to get the bone away from him and not giving it back. If he cannot play with his toys in a safe manner then he cannot have them. I am afraid the behavior could get worse. Good luck and kisses to Dartos!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Unfortunately, this is a tough one. My two thoughts are: trades and avoidance. Trades Carry a really desirable treat (whatever he loves) with you on the walk. Give the command “sit” and give him the treat. Do this occasionally throughout the walk. Then, if you come to the bone, immediately tell him to sit and offer the treat. Hopefully he thinks it’s preferable to the bone and drops it. Avoidance If possible, can we go a different route? Stick to sidewalks where you can see things more easily? Or consider a comfort fit basket muzzle for walks that doesn’t allow him to eat anything. There are cute shapes or you can decorate and bedazzle them to make them look less scary. Best wishes to you and Blanco!

Hi there. Many dogs will freeze and growl, snarl, or snap if they have something valuable (like a bone or bully stick) and they're afraid you might take it away. This is actually quite a normal behavior for dogs, and is just their way of trying to protect their stuff :) To help Sam learn that you're not a threat, you can try walking by and casually tossing him a treat occasionally while he's chewing on his bone. This way, he learns that good things happen when you approach - so no need to growl! NEVER reprimand him for growling, and never try to forcibly take the bone away, as this will only teach him that he was right to be wary of you approaching and is likely to make the problem worse. If you want more detailed information about how to work on this problem, I highly recommend the book "Mine!" by Jean Donaldson.

Resource guarding over toys or other items is very common in groups of dogs, and is even considered to be fairly normal behavior by many trainers. Most dogs don't like to share valued possessions with other dogs! This is a very difficult thing to address successfully through training, so in most cases the simplest option is to simply keep toys, sticks, etc. picked up and put away when groups of dogs are playing to avoid any issues :)