Applying Neuroethology to Create a LEGS-Based Framework for Resource Guarding

How can neuroethology help us think differently about resource guarding? This course challenges traditional approaches that focus mainly on reinforcing a dog for not guarding a specific item. Daniel introduces a broader framework that looks at resource guarding through the brain, behavior, evolutionary function, and L.E.G.S.

Participants will examine guarding as a meaningful behavior connected to safety, value, context, learning history, genetics, and individual self. Rather than treating guarding as a behavior to simply suppress or replace, this presentation explores how to understand the conditions that make guarding more likely and how to support the dog’s welfare while reducing risk. The course offers professionals a more nuanced way to think about resources, motivation, threat perception, and behavior change in real-world homes.