# Sudden guarding behavior



## rbabydap (May 18, 2021)

My vizsla is about 10 months old, and in the past week has started to guard toys, treats, and the communal water dish. The water dish is what is confusing/concerning me the most. she has always been a little protective of treats she is currently chewing on, not with me and my partner, but with our two other dogs. They are 12 and 13 years old, a small terrier and a toy poodle. She gets along great with them normally, and it has seemed up until now that she has fit right in the middle of them dominance wise. With the terrier being the most dominant and the poodle the most submissive. In the past if she has barked or lunged towards them to grab a toy I have taken the toy away, or put her in a short time out in her kennel. Is this the best way to try to handle this? As far as the water dish, should I pick that up if she is getting territorial with it? is this a normal teenager testing the limits type of behavior?


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