McGuire et al. (2020) investigated the reliability of shelter-based assessments and owner-provided surrender profiles in predicting resource guarding among adopted dogs. The study followed 139 dogs from a New York shelter, of which 20 were flagged as resource guarding during behavioral evaluations, while the remaining 119 were not.
Adopter surveys revealed that while shelter assessments and owner reports were statistically associated with guarding behaviors in the home, their predictive value was low. More than half of dogs identified as resource guarding in the shelter—or described as such by previous owners—did not exhibit guarding once rehomed. Agreement between shelter tests, surrender reports, and adopter experiences was only in the “fair” range.
The authors stress that shelters should be cautious in labeling dogs as unadoptable solely based on resource guarding evaluations. Many dogs flagged for guarding went on to thrive in new homes without displaying problematic aggression. These findings underscore the importance of avoiding over-reliance on single assessments when making critical adoption decisions.
Ultimately, the study highlights the need for a balanced approach—one that integrates behavioral observation, owner education, and post-adoption support—rather than exclusionary policies that risk euthanizing adoptable dogs.
Source: McGuire, B., Orantes, D., Xue, S., & Parry, S. A. (2020). Abilities of Canine Shelter Behavioral Evaluations and Owner Surrender Profiles to Predict Resource Guarding in Adoptive Homes. Animals, 10. Authors: B. McGuire, D. Orantes, S. Xue, S. A. Parry. Journal: Animals.
