Was he resource guarding?

[Keeps]

So I give Cooper knuckle bones to chew on. The past few times we've taken it outside on a grassy patch by the sidewalk. He's in heaven because he loves his bone AND loves laying on grass (we live in an apartment).

The previous few times he did great. Just chewing away, ignoring people and dogs that walk by while I read my book.

But tonight some guy we don't know wanted to pet Cooper and just sat right by him. I said he's preoccupied chewing his bone...I should have said leave him alone, he's busy. So the guy sits down and pets Cooper, Cooper gets up a moves a few feet away. The guy is still petting him and then stands up. Cooper barked at him, not super loud but loud because he's a Dane. The guy was fine about it and left, obviously knowing that was his cue to leave. I took back Cooper's bone and told him to lay down in a stern voice. I think he thought the guy was going to take his bone.

Cooper listened to my command and let ME take his bone no problem, as usual. After a few minutes I gave him back his bone. Next, a jogger with a Great Dane goes by. Cooper gets up and barks at them. I think he thought they wanted his bone too.

Two strikes, so we're back in the house and the bone is put away.

So, he always lets ME take anything from him no problem whatsoever. I wish I had told the first guy to leave him alone but hindsight it 20/20. I corrected his behavior (I think) both times right away by having him lay down and taking the bone away. But what should I do to make sure he isn't resource guarding with strangers? Is that what you would even call it? I feel like that should be his time with his bone and he shouldn't have to worry about random people taking his things...but I don't want him acting like that.

[GoingPostal]

Well honestly if you were sitting at a nice place, eating a steak, do you want a stranger to come up and hug you? Your dog got up and moved very politely even with a high value resource and a stranger, you should be pleased you have such a tolerant dog and smacking yourself for not stepping in when he showed he was unhappy about it. Also if he's worried about people taking his bone, how do you think doing exactly that is going to help the issue? It seems to be humans first response to resource guarding in dogs and it often reinforces their fears and completely backfires. Guy came by, bothers dog while he's eating, you allow that, then you take bone away, what did that teach him?

[angeldane]

I think he was somewhat guarding his food but the guy really pushed him, then he was punished so he didn't want more people to come near him, I don't think he barked at the jogger because he thought they were going to take his bone, he thought because someone was coming by he would loose his bone to you. He got confused, to him people passing bye meant he'd loose his reward I highly doubt he related his barking to loosing his bone. He seems very smart. I would work on giving him things when people come by or even go back and sit on bench when people want to pet him insist they give him a treat first. You can go back out give him a bone to chew and when people pass buy and he ignores them give him a reward, if someone comes bye to pet him, ask him to leave his bone and go into a sit, and have person pet him. I would try and avoid allowing random strangers pet on a dog that is eating.

[Keeps]

<<<Well honestly if you were sitting at a nice place, eating a steak, do you want a stranger to come up and hug you? >>>

That's what I was thinking...

OK thanks guys. I thought I might be over reacting but a Dane bark can be kind of scary so I didn't know if I should work on that.