Table 1.

Resource guarding scoring system aimed at identifying possessive aggression by the dogs in defence of food.

Possession Level	Description
Level 1	Stops eating, wags tail loosely, and sniffs hand and looks to handler with soft eyes and relaxed body. Body language indicates no distancing behaviours.
Level 2	Continues eating, soft eyes, wags tail loosely, and body language indicates no distancing behaviours; typically a relaxed body stance/carriage.
Level 3	Continues eating but at a faster rate of intake. Body is slightly tense, particularly on human approaching the dog; tail wagging with an increased speed, especially on interaction with the dog and/or the food/treat. The dog blocks access to the food with their body (head and shoulder over the food and treat).
Level 4	The dog’s discomfort and behaviour starts to escalate. The dog glares, lifts its lip in a snarl, and/or produces a low growl. Increases eating speed, or with a treat the dog will whip its head away in an attempt to move it away from handler.
Level 5	Dog will carry the food item under a chair, bed, or into its crate, then growl on approach. If it cannot pick the food/treat up, it pushes the food bowl farther away. Dog freezes (stops eating or chewing), with whale eyes (exhibiting sclera) or direct stare, with or without lifting the lip in a snarl or other type of growl.
Level 6	Dog snaps but with no contact with fake hand. Level 5 behaviour usually continued but dogs move through the behaviours rapidly.
Level 7	Dog’s protectiveness increases with one or more rapid bites that touch the fake hand with quick and hard contact.
Level 8	Dog freezes with whale eyes or direct eye contact and biting aimed at the intruder even if they are at the perimeter of the room. At this level, it may be too dangerous to step into the perimeter to determine if the dog will bite or not.