Kennel Garuding

[Haley, Yeti, and Phin]

Hello everyone!
We have always had an issue with Yeti guarding. First it started with a bully stick, which was easy to just take away and never give him again. For a long time that was the only thing he ever guarded, until he got ahold of a sock he wasnt supposed to have. Around this time he started guarding things he got that he wasnt supposed to have (socks, towels, paper, literally anything). We try to keep things out of his reach so again, this wasnt a HUGE issue unless he got ahold of something randomly. When we got Phin things remained basically the same. About 6 months ago, Yeti started guarding their food. Neither dog are overly eager eaters, so we free feed. I know it gets a bad wrap, but thats just what worked for our family at the time. When we brought Phin home, we started putting their bowls in the kennels because they didnt eat the same food. When we got Phin onto the same food as Yeti we just left the bowls out for them to graze throughout the day.  We kennel them when we are not home, so if we knew that we would be gone a long time without anyone to come over to let them out (hardly happens) we would throw a dish of food in their kennels just incase they got hungry. Randomly, Yeti started guarding his kennel. The only thing i could think of was he was guarding the food in his kennel, so we stopped giving them food in their kennel period. Yeti then started guarding his food outside of his kennel, which i have regulated by having 4 or 5 dishes of food out for him (reasoning being he cant guard all the dishes at once) This has helped, but if you get close to him while hes eating (sometimes) he will let out a deep growl. Lately, he has not been wanting to come out of his kennel. This is SO SO SO unlike him. He never used to go in on his own, seriously never has done it until recently. When we go up to his kennel and ask him if he wants to come out he gives us the same deep growl. Taking his kennel away is not an option, so I came on here to ask if anyone has dealt with similar behavior.  Any advice would be sooo greatly appreciated.

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

Separate rooms for feeding is exactly what I thought of also, J.  Haley, feeding is a huge part of nothing in life is free - not just toys.  You appear reluctant to get a trainer to help you, but I think an experienced dog person helping you would do wonders.  You are probably doing small things that allow Yeti to behave as he does rather than small things that would have him respect your leadership.  An unbiased observer (like a trainer) would notice those things and help you change them.

[Haley, Yeti, and Phin]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RAdRH6xwA2E&feature=youtu.be

Here is a short clip of Yeti getting upset for no apparent reason. I didnt realize he had laid down under the barstools. I moved mine (the noise scared him it didnt hit him or hurt him in any way) and he growled. I got my phone out and started to record. This behavior happens anywhere not just in his kennel. I have no idea why he gets like this, as its never been a huge issue before. This is the behavior i am really trying to correct. It is to the point where Matt and I can tell when he's upset (he gets very still and has a look in his eye) but I am afraid to leave him with people (when we go out of town) because they dont know him like we do.

Side note: I know i didnt have to touch him here but i was trying to get a reaction on video so i could explain easier. There are times though when we do need to move him or do need him to get up and get this exact reaction out of him. 

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I didn't see him growling because a stool was moved. I saw him growl after being petted/prodded for a little while by someone's hand. I also think I heard a little squeak/cry a few seconds prior to that. 

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Yep, just watched it again. He clearly cried/whined right before he growled. 

[J and Riley (and Luna)]

I heard that too. I wonder if it's not just behavioral? Sore back or something so doesn't want to be moved?

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I could believe that if it weren't for a long history of resource guarding and outright threatening warning behaviors. Two years ago, he was growling and baring his teeth at Haley when she tried to take a sock away from him. Read the discussion I linked above. 

[J and Riley (and Luna)]

Well that is a different story then.  I'd be inclined to get an in home trainer to visit at this point.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

And it appears to me that he does have a reason...he is resting and doesn't want to be bothered. Although that would still be unacceptable to me, if I petted Jasper when he was lying down and he growled at me.

[Haley, Yeti, and Phin]

Exactly why I want to get this under control. We know when and when we shouldnt bother him, but if people are over and dont know, things could get bad quick.

[Stacy]

I haven't read the whole thread, but I'm curious. Does he do more than this "I'm irritated with you," growl? I ask because Katie has been a talker since she was 8 weeks old. Especially when we're in bed at night if I ask her to move she grumbles at me. But she doesn't do anything beyond grumbling about it. She's also a noisy player. She growls with her toys in her mouth, always has. I don't think it's a precursor to aggression, she's just vocal. She also growls at me when she gets something she's not supposed to have, but I would not call what she does resource guarding. And probably growling is the wrong word to use. She's really just making noise. She's trying to get me to play keep away with her. If I don't notice that she has something she whines at me until I play. And when I finally "win" the game she lets me take the sock (99% a stray sock) with no issue. 

[J and Riley (and Luna)]

Luna was very vocal too and not a mean bone in her body.   She only "talked" (growled) really during greeting and at play though, not like the video of yeti while she was just resting.  The only time she did that was when our daughter learned to crawl and was bugging her and we did desensitization training to end the defensive behavior.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

It really is important to read this whole discussion including the link to a previous discussion I posted above. This is not playing, or talking, or even grumbling. There is a history of resource guarding with warnings (including teeth baring).