[Hatchman]

(Sorry if this topic has been handled previously...)

My dog Max occasionally displays what I believe is resource guarding behaviour. But it is very inconsistent and selective. He will only do it sometimes, and only with his Nylabone, or a clump of grass he's found on the sidewalk, or something new he's found lying around, such as a soft stuffed toy. When we tell him to drop it, sometimes he's great and drops it and moves on even with the things I mentioned above (Nylabone etc.), but at other times, he clenches his teeth very tight like a clamp, lets out a long growl as I go to remove the item from his mouth, and even snaps at fingers while barking. It's pretty scary even for a little dog.

Our response has been to praise him lavishly when he drops on command, and not back down when he refuses to comply. We read somewhere that if we stand tall above Max in a sort of threatening way while saying drop it and putting our hand near his mouth, he will eventually quietly comply. This has worked sometimes. Other times, I've risked fingers yanking out the item from between his teeth, or Max has successfully eaten the item (only if it's grass of course). We have also taken all toys and Nylabones off the floor. He is offered one of these at his usual chew times or play times. Same with his food: off the floor, offered several times throughout the day. If he doesn't start to eat within 5 minutes, food comes off the floor and is put down again a few hours later, say after a walk or a nap.

Are we handling this correctly?

Thank you.