This is a self-paced online course with video demonstrations, downloadable training plans and worksheets. Learn about food and object guarding (dog-human), what not to do, and simple exercises to help you teach your dog to be comfortable when you’re near them and their treasured items. Help your dog be comfortable eating meals, chewing bones and enjoying favorite toys when you’re nearby! And teach your dog the useful skills drop it and leave it to help them remain safe. Please note: This course is meant to help prevent resource guarding.

Course curriculum

  • 1

    Chapter 1: Introduction

    • Welcome!

    • FAQs and What to Expect

    • How To Navigate Through the Course
  • 2

    Resources

    • Get More Help

    • Downloadable Handouts
  • 3

    Chapter 2: Learn About Guarding

    • What is Guarding?

    • Why Is it Important to Help Prevent Guarding?

    • What Does Guarding Look Like?
  • 4

    Chapter 3: Prevention Exercises

    • Prevention Exercises

    • Assessing Your Dog’s Food and Toys

    • Exercise 1: Food Bowl Bonus

    • Food Bowl Bonuses Quiz

    • What NOT to do

    • Exercise 2: Treat Toss Bonuses

    • Happy Anticipation?

    • Exercise 3: Trading Toys and Chewies

    • Trading Toys and Chewies Quiz
  • 5

    Chapter 4: Essential Skills for Sharing

    • Teach Your Dog to Drop It

    • Drop It Quiz

    • Teach Your Dog to Leave It
  • 6

    Wrapping Things Up

    • Thank you!

Instructor(s)

Jessica Ring

Jessica Ring is the owner of My Fantastic Friend, LLC based in Western North Carolina. Jessica helps you bring out the best in your dog for a happier life together. She strives to provide the most effective, efficient, humane and up-to-date training solutions to her human and canine clients. She offers private and group training for puppies, basic skills, tricks and enrichment, as well as consultations for behavior problems. Online options available. Jessica is a Canine Behavior Consultant (PCBC-A) through the Pet Professional Accreditation Board, a Certified Professional Dog Trainer (CPDT-KA), an honors graduate of Jean Donaldson’s Academy for Dog Trainers (CTC), a Pat Miller Certified Trainer (PMCT), an SA Pro Trainer and a Fear Free Certified Professional. Prior to becoming a dog trainer, Jessica was a graphic designer and university professor. More information can be found at https://www.myfantasticfriend.com

Why This Course?

My goal is to help you bring out the best in your dog for a happier life together. One way I can do that is to help you reduce conflict and create more harmony around resources — things your dog finds valuable such as food, toys, chewies and other objects. Unfortunately, there is a lot of bad information out in the world surrounding dogs and their valued resources — practices that can actually be quite harmful and backfire, needlessly creating even more conflict, or conflict where there was none. I created this course to bring you good, useful, helpful information — practices that can help prevent and reduce conflict between humans and dogs. I’ll guide you through effective, efficient strategies to help you teach your dog to be comfortable when you’re near them and their treasured items. And I’ll go over some of the common bad advice that’s out there so you know what to avoid.

Ready?

Now is the best time to teach your puppy or dog to love when you're nearby and they have a treasured item.

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