Today's Topic: When your dog starts to exhibit resource guarding tendencies, it can start to feel like you're dealing with a completely different dog.  And what can make the situation worse, is a lot of the advice out there telling dog parents to exert their dominance over the dog to make them bend to their will, which can often make the situation worse.  That's why we invited certified professional dog trainer and the founder of Big Momma's Dog Training, Nicole Costanza, to the pod, to discuss if a dog is born with resource guarding tendencies compared to a dog developing them due to the environment they found themselves in, why some dogs develop resource guarding tendencies later in life, effective training tips on how to deal with resource guarding, whether that resource is a bone, a food bowl or even a human, the most common and misguided myths on how to deal with resource guarding, and so much more! 

Guest Bio: Nicole Costanza has been professionally dog training for nearly 9 1/2 years and has multiple certifications, including being an AKC CGC Evaluator and Certified Trick Dog Instructor. She has taught myriads of group classes and private lessons throughout the years. She is one of the few dogs trainers in Monmouth County, New Jersey who assists with dogs and their owners who experience reactivity issues. Nicole also works with service dogs and their handlers to better understand the laws regarding SDs and task training. She is also a therapy dog handler. Nicole and her Bernese Mountain Dog, Baymax, love bringing smiles to everyone's faces. 

Nicole was born in Tennessee and raised on the Pasta Bar Ranch in Cohutta, Georgia, where her love of dogs began. Her parents volunteered the ranch as a way station for dogs destined for various no-kill shelters in the Tennessee valley when space was in short supply. They housed as many as fourteen dogs at a time. Her best friends had four legs, wagging tails, and tons of love to give. 

Her business, Big Momma's Dog Training, which was founded in January of 2019, has been featured on the AKC's website (information about resource guarding),  on Chewy.com's blog (Chihuahuas), News 12 New Jersey (Dogs and their anxiety related to fireworks), and in the Monmouth Health and Life Magazine (her dog and business were mentioned). 

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