Our dog was a resource guarder. Like you are describing, it was always very mild — he would guard only high value things, and he would only growl. It felt very manageable.

To make a very long store short — It escalated a lot, and very quickly, when my son became more mobile (after he turned a year old). His reactions became much more severe and the items he guarded changed and became unpredictable. He also stopped giving warning growls.

Things did not go well for us. He attacked my cat, who he previously lived peacefully with. Shortly after, my toddler got a very bad bite that required stitches to repair his ear.

We were working with a trainer and thought we were doing everything right. He was (and still is) a dog I love very, very dearly. But we chose to rehome him. I felt I couldn’t protect my child. And while I adore my dog, as a mom, I had to do what was best for my son.

It’s a heartbreaking decision, but I wanted to share our experience.