Have any of you ever dealt with aggressive resource gaurding (against you)? What's the best way to handle that?
I was unaware that a dog had serious resource guarding issues (I later learned she even growled at her own parents when they fed her). Whenever i would get within 15 feet of her food bowl she would curl around it protectively, teeth bared, low guttural growling, ears pinned, and hackles fully up. I ended up coaxing and locking her into a back room so I could fill her bowl, but it wouldn't have worked if I was there for more than a few days because shes super smart (purebred GSD). I would love to know if anyone has advice on a better way to handle this in the future
I haven't had this specific issue, but I would just bring it up gently at pickup. You can also use this event as a way to remember to ask about food aggression at the meet and greet.
Also, remember you can always call the Rover support line during a visit for some tips on these types of situations!