The canine behavior community is marking a significant milestone with the release of the second edition of "Mine! A Practical Guide to Resource Guarding in Dogs," a pivotal work by globally acclaimed dog trainer and behavior expert Jean Donaldson. This updated volume, published by Dogwise, offers comprehensive, refined strategies for understanding and effectively mitigating resource guarding—a prevalent yet frequently misunderstood behavioral challenge where dogs protect valued possessions, food, specific locations, or even people. The launch of this enhanced edition was a central topic of discussion during episode 60 of The Pawsitive Post in Conversation podcast, featuring Donaldson alongside the program’s insightful hosts, Zazie Todd, PhD, and Kristi Benson. The Evolution of a Seminal Work: ‘Mine!’ Second Edition Donaldson’s decision to revise "Mine!" after a quarter-century reflects an accumulation of extensive empirical data and a commitment to optimizing intervention strategies. The original edition, groundbreaking in its time, provided a meticulously incremental and exhaustive plan, meticulously designed to be navigable even by pet owners without immediate access to professional guidance. Donaldson recalled, "The first edition really had every conceivable sort of step. It was very incremental plans because I was thinking, geez, you know, here’s how many cases I’ve done, and this is going to be people probably doing some DIY with it." The intention was to prevent owners from inadvertently escalating guarding behaviors by ensuring a slow, cautious approach. The second edition, however, benefits from over two decades of additional case studies and extensive consultation with graduates and trainers from the Academy for Dog Trainers, which Donaldson founded. This substantial body of feedback enabled her to distill and refine the core training protocols, identifying essential steps applicable to the vast majority of dogs while designating others as supplementary. This allows for a more "a la carte" approach, enhancing the book’s efficiency and user-friendliness without compromising the safety and effectiveness of the interventions. Donaldson candidly admitted the revision process was "painful" but ultimately gratifying, enabling her to refine both the scientific content and the "more friendly, a little less sort of like… make sure I, you know, put in every conceivable concept in the passive voice" writing style. The updated text, featuring a distinctive blue cover adorned with an illustration of Buffy the Chow Chow, aims to provide readers with a clearer, more direct pathway to resolving resource guarding. It places significant emphasis not only on what actions to take but also on the precise technical execution of those actions, highlighting "little picky, techy details" that are often crucial for successful outcomes. This meticulous approach ensures that even complex cases can be addressed systematically, minimizing errors that could potentially worsen the problem. Demystifying Resource Guarding: Beyond Dominance and Spoiling A core tenet of both the book’s philosophy and the podcast discussion involves the critical debunking of long-standing myths surrounding resource guarding. Historically, traditional dog training frequently misinterpreted guarding behaviors as "dominance aggression," positing that a dog was actively attempting to assert control over its human companions or the household hierarchy. Donaldson adamantly refutes this, explaining that such interpretations are "overkill" and reflect an outdated, anthropocentric understanding of canine social dynamics. "In the old days, it used to be seen as the dog is dominant," Donaldson elaborated. "And this was sort of… it implied kind of an immutable character trait that there was something kind of wrong with this dog rather than he’s just doing a thing that we would rather he not do." Contemporary ethology and animal behavior science have largely discredited dominance theory as a primary driver of aggression in domestic dogs, particularly in interactions with humans. Instead, behaviors such as resource guarding are now understood as natural, instinctive responses to perceived threats to valuable resources, deeply rooted in survival mechanisms observed across numerous species. Furthermore, the misconception that resource guarding results from "spoiling" a dog is also directly addressed. Donaldson clarifies that guarding is not a pathology or a consequence of an owner being "too kind." It is, rather, a "vestigial normal animal behavior" that manifests with varying degrees of intensity in dogs due to the absence of strong selective pressure against it during domestication. Unlike wild canids, where robust resource guarding is essential for survival, its expression in domestic dogs is more sporadic. It often emerges during specific developmental periods, irrespective of the owner’s specific training methods or general treatment of their pet. This scientific reframing liberates owners from undue blame and promotes a more empathetic, evidence-based approach to intervention. Kristi Benson underscored this point, drawing a relatable parallel to human interpersonal boundaries: "If you didn’t consent to have somebody take your thing or if you didn’t consent to have somebody move your body… Why is that any different? But you know, people think differently about dogs. They moralize about it." Key Concepts in Training: Warmup and Comorbidities The updated "Mine!" introduces or reinforces several pivotal concepts for effective modification of resource guarding. One such concept is "warmup," a term typically associated with physical activity but uniquely applied here to the context of dog training. Warmup, in this context, refers to the dog’s readiness to perform a desired behavior within a training session, often after several repetitions have prepared them mentally. However, as Donaldson emphasizes, real-life situations frequently demand that a dog perform "cold"—meaning, without prior prompting or preparatory repetitions. "We want it cold," Donaldson asserted, referring to the desired behavior of not guarding. "We don’t want the dog to aggress at all. And in real life settings, when we’re going to approach the… first time… we want him to not guard." This distinction is critically important because a dog that performs reliably in a structured training session might revert to guarding in an unprompted, everyday interaction. Consequently, the book’s strategies are meticulously designed to achieve "cold" performance, thereby ensuring consistency and safety in all daily scenarios. Another crucial insight discussed is the concept of "comorbidities"—other behavioral issues that frequently co-occur with resource guarding. Donaldson and her colleagues at the Academy for Dog Trainers playfully refer to dogs exhibiting these combined traits as "Don’t touch me, don’t touch my stuff." This colloquialism highlights a common correlation between resource guarding (the protection of items or locations) and sensitivity to body handling. While not universally present, this pattern is significant enough to warrant trainers checking for both types of issues if one is initially observed. Understanding these potential interconnections facilitates a more holistic and ultimately more effective training plan. Prevalence and Impact of Resource Guarding Resource guarding is a widespread behavioral issue, impacting a substantial segment of the global dog population. While precise statistical figures can vary by region and study methodology, veterinary behaviorist reports and scientific literature consistently indicate that between 20% and 40% of dogs may exhibit some form of resource guarding, ranging in intensity from subtle body stiffening or freezing to overt growling, snarling, snapping, or even biting. The ramifications extend beyond mere inconvenience, significantly affecting the human-animal bond, disrupting household harmony, and posing potential safety risks. Unaddressed resource guarding can lead to fearful interactions, restrict a dog’s freedom within the home, and, in severe cases, tragically result in rehoming or euthanasia due to bite risk. The podcast discussion meticulously clarified a crucial distinction: guarding directed at humans versus guarding directed at other dogs. While intervention is strongly recommended for human-directed guarding—regardless of whether it involves food, objects, or locations—inter-dog guarding often necessitates a more nuanced approach. Donaldson advises, "if dogs are guarding against people… we want to get in there and fix it and change it." However, when dogs guard from each other, "the first line of defense is to do nothing." This hands-off approach is generally appropriate if no dog is sustaining injuries or experiencing persistent fear. Dogs, often more adept at interpreting canine social cues than humans, can frequently manage these interactions among themselves without human interference, much like humans navigate minor disagreements. This perspective aims to alleviate owner anxiety, normalizing certain levels of canine conflict that do not pose a significant threat to welfare. The Broader Landscape of Dog Training: A Call for Professionalism Jean Donaldson’s profound influence on the field of dog training is undeniable. As the founder of the Academy for Dog Trainers, she has been a driving force in professionalizing the industry and championing humane, science-based methods. Her earlier seminal work, "Culture Clash," was lauded as a groundbreaking publication that courageously challenged traditional, often punitive, training paradigms. It advocated for a deeper, more empathetic understanding of canine behavior through the rigorous lens of modern ethology. The book was recognized by The Association of Pet Dog Trainers as the number one training and behavior book, solidifying Donaldson’s status as an unparalleled thought leader. In 2017, her "Dog Training 101" course for The Great Courses further expanded her reach, delivering accessible, expert instruction to a broad public audience. The proliferation of comprehensive resources like the updated "Mine!" and the increasing availability of qualified trainers underscore a positive evolution within the industry. However, Donaldson issued a stark warning that the dog training landscape remains a "jungle," characterized by a wide spectrum of competence and ethical standards. She strongly advised pet owners seeking assistance for behavioral issues, particularly those involving aggression such as resource guarding, to "immediately get yourself into competent hands." This necessitates being a "smart shopper" and diligently vetting trainers, utilizing reputable resources such as the Academy for Dog Trainers website or the Pet Professional Guild, both of which rigorously advocate for force-free, evidence-based methodologies. The inherent risk of engaging an unqualified trainer, who might employ outdated or potentially harmful techniques, could not only fail to resolve the problem but potentially exacerbate it, worsening the dog’s behavior or fostering fear and mistrust. Case Studies and Anecdotes: Learning from Experience The podcast discussion vividly illustrated the abstract principles of resource guarding through engaging personal anecdotes and compelling case studies. Kristi Benson shared her experiences with Archer, her dog who exhibits guarding behavior over "super gross" objects and his preferred spot on the couch, necessitating a strategic "cookie prompt" rather than direct physical intervention. Zazie Todd recounted an early, memorable interaction with her Shih Tzu, Pepper, who, upon arriving at his new home, growled at her husband after his food was placed down, clearly anticipating its potential removal—a behavior that was readily resolved once trust was established. Donaldson herself shared a particularly challenging early case involving an Old English Sheepdog. The owner’s initial assertion that "my dog guards everything" proved, remarkably, to be an accurate description. This dog would guard "no matter what piece of matter you put next to this dog, even something he didn’t like, if you put it within his sort of radius, you could not approach the dog with anything." This extreme case, which resulted in significant bites to the owner, represented a complex but ultimately successful navigational challenge for Donaldson early in her career. Perhaps the most cherished "spicy guarder" for Donaldson is Buffy, the Chow Chow adorning the cover of "Mine!". Adopted as a "reject" puppy who failed shelter tests for guarding at merely five or six weeks old—a behavior often pejoratively termed "demon seed" in young puppies—Buffy ultimately became a living testament to the remarkable modifiability of resource guarding. Despite her early tendencies, which were "modified really readily" for human interaction, Buffy retained a distinct "spicy streak" that allowed her to playfully guard items from other dogs "just for sport," illustrating that guarding, when non-injurious and properly understood, can sometimes be an integral part of a dog’s unique personality. Looking Ahead: Education and Community Engagement The publication of "Mine!" second edition and the insightful discourse on The Pawsitive Post in Conversation underscore the unwavering commitment within the animal behavior community to educate and empower pet owners. Podcasts such as this serve as vital platforms, delivering expert knowledge directly to the public, fostering a deeper understanding of canine behavior, and promoting humane, effective training practices. Looking to the future, Zazie Todd announced exciting plans for Bark! Fest 2026, a forthcoming book festival dedicated to animal lovers, where Jean Donaldson is scheduled to make another appearance. Such events are crucial for community engagement, facilitating direct interaction between leading experts and a passionate audience, and continuing the vital dialogue on critical topics in animal welfare and behavior. The podcast conversation concluded with Donaldson’s intriguing non-dog-related book recommendation, "The Eagle and the Hart: The Tragedy of Richard II and Henry IV" by Dr. Helen Castor. This historical account of a power struggle over the English throne, described by Donaldson as a "wrestling for the… ultimate resource," offers a fascinating, albeit unintentional, parallel to the core theme of resource guarding, illustrating the universal nature of competition for valued assets across species and throughout history. Ultimately, "Mine! A Practical Guide to Resource Guarding in Dogs" stands as an indispensable, updated resource for anyone navigating the complexities of canine resource guarding. It offers not only practical, science-based solutions but also advocates for a transformative paradigm shift in understanding, moving away from punitive, anthropomorphic interpretations towards an empathetic, highly effective approach grounded firmly in modern behavioral science. Its continued impact will undoubtedly foster stronger, safer, and more harmonious relationships between dogs and their human companions for years to come. Post navigation Dogs and Cats, Breeds and Behaviour: Quick Questions
