Feeding & Safety in the Foster Home: Preventing Resource Guarding

Mealtime can be one of the most rewarding bonding experiences with your foster dog — but it’s also a time to be intentional about structure and safety. For many shelter dogs, food may have been inconsistent, shared with other animals, or even fought over. Because of this, it’s essential that we set clear boundaries and routines to prevent issues like resource guarding, which poses serious safety concerns in foster homes.

At Fort Worth Animal Care & Control, dogs who display resource guarding behaviors are not eligible for foster placement due to the potential risk to other animals, children, and people in the home. As a foster, your role is to help prevent those triggers from occurring — and to notify the Foster Coordinator immediately if you notice any warning signs.

Resource guarding is when a dog becomes protective over food, toys, or other valued items. This behavior may include:

• Growling or snapping when approached while eating

• Freezing or hovering over a food bowl or bone

• Showing teeth or lunging when someone gets near a prized toy or space
  
  

Even mild guarding is taken seriously. Early identification allows us to move the dog back into shelter care, where trained staff can assess and manage the behavior safely.

To keep everyone safe and reduce stress, all fosters are expected to:

Feed in a Crate or Separate Room

Always feed your foster dog in a crate or completely separate area from other animals. This ensures they feel secure and aren’t pressured or distracted. It also prevents any food-related conflicts.

No Free-Feeding or Shared Meal Times

Do not allow free access to food throughout the home, and never feed multiple animals together. Even calm dogs can become protective in certain situations.

Avoid High-Value Items Around Others

Until your foster dog has had time to decompress, build trust, and demonstrate safe behavior:

• Avoid giving bones, bully sticks, chews, or favorite toys in shared spaces

• Keep these items for crate time or quiet, supervised moments

• Remove items if you’re unsure whether the dog is ready

If your foster dog shows any of the following around food, toys, or space, stop and contact the Foster Coordinator immediately:

• Growling, snapping, or lunging

• Tense or stiff body when approached

• Blocking access to items

• Eating extremely fast or freezing when someone is nearby
  
  

These behaviors must be reported — they are not appropriate for foster home management, and the safety of everyone in the home is our top priority.

When safe and appropriate, feeding time is a great opportunity to reinforce good behavior:

• Ask for a simple “sit” or “wait” before placing the bowl down

• Keep the routine calm and consistent

• Offer praise when the dog eats calmly or shows relaxed behavior around food

Your observations are essential. If a foster dog begins to show guarding behavior, do not correct them, and do not attempt to test or “work through it.” Instead, give the dog space, manage safely, and notify us right away. We’ll take it from there.

By following clear feeding protocols and observing closely, you're helping dogs stay safe, learn structure, and move closer to adoption readiness — or receive the extra support they need back in shelter care.

Thank you for helping us protect people, pets, and the dogs in our care.