The Resource Guarding Special
Heating on, gloves on in Scotland… meanwhile, the London contingent is virtually housebound due to the heatwave! They do like to moan, and rightly so! It’s either too hot or too cold to do what they want to do with their dogs!
So after the weather update to enthral you all, Lez is in branded attire as usual, Ross is too hot to bother, and they share a quick pupdate on Roixzan the Rottweiler puppy, who somehow managed to stay quiet in the background for the whole recording!
And then… BOOM! Resource guarding. That’s the topic.
German Shepherds or Rottweilers, who resource guards more? Or maybe the Cocker Spaniel or Cockapoo? Guard dogs guard. No shit Sherlock!
Why are people surprised?
It’s all about what the individual dog deems important. The owner can’t just upgrade it or swap it out because they think something else should be more valuable.
A milk bottle top or a random book might be the highest value reward in the world to that dog. It’s about what the dog perceives, not what the human decides.
Resource guarding is normal and natural behaviour, influenced by the individual dog’s drives, genetics, experiences, and learning history.
Dog aggression can escalate rapidly because it is so effective. It works very well intraspecifically, but not always so well interspecifically!
And for those who didn’t know… Dachshunds have little legs and big jaws!
They finish off with a quick chat about Fusion27, swerving Crufts 2027, before the Scottish contingent turns the heating up and the Londoner heads off for another cold shower!
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Lez and Ross have both been in the industry professionally for well over 20 years and each has been involved with dogs for over 40 years.
Whilst sensibly they have stayed away from the ‘limelight’ regarding TV offers, they have regularly been on national and local radio, spoken at national events at NDWA, CFBA, and Kennel Club / Crufts events as well as bespoke speaking engagements for the Dog Safety Education Executive (DogSEE).
Ross wrote for Dogs Monthly Magazine for over 12 years and Lez was the first lady feature writer for a national Shooting Magazine (both Sporting Gun and Sporting Shooter).
They were also 'study buddies' and were the first in the UK to achieve a Masters Degree (Professional Practice) in Canine Behaviour and Psychology in 2011.
They work well together and apart, support and work with dog rescue organisations and train professional dog trainers and behaviourists. Different as chalk and cheese, but maybe not as different as they like to think.
Intrigued? want to know more? then check out our websites...www.rossmccarthy.com ~ www.lezgraham.com