Slight Toy Possessiveness?

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OntarioSheltie

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Sadie and Toby have been sort of arguing over the skineez's toys. :rolleyes2:

We have more than one but they ALWAYS want the same ones. Some times when Toby has one and one of the other dogs gets to close, he will tell them out. Its mostly just sound but he'll jump at them like he's going to snap, but never does. He also makes a lot of noise when he thinks one of the other dogs are too close and might step on him or are crowding him. Again, lots of noise but not what I'd call aggression.

His behavior has been annoying Sadie so she's begun snapping back at him and also making a lot of noise. She's had similar disagreements with a friend's dog over toys, mainly tennis balls. Its much scarier when Sadie and Jesse go at it since Jesse is much bigger and sounds scary, but again its always been sound and some snapping. Afterward, in both cases, the dogs go on like nothing has happened.

How should I be reacting to this type of behavior between the dogs, if at all? When Sadie and Jesse, have gone at it, both dogs get in trouble and the toy is taken away. My friend feels that Jesse is the instigator and should be the only dog punished, but I feel Sadie is behaving badly also and shouldn't be allowed to get away with it.

Is that right? :confused2:
 
IMO... the aggressor is the one who should be dealt with.

Any possessiveness should be a behaviour that you disagree with and should be discouraged. Those toys are YOURS and you let the dogs play with them... there is NO need for anyone to be possessive about them, except you! If he snaps or snarls at another dog over a toy, I would give a strong "eh... tshht... no... meh"... whatever it is that you do and then go claim the toy for yourself.

Possessive behaviours have a tendency to escalate... you're in a good spot now to nip it in the bud.
 
Yeah, I agree that the dog who's being aggressive should be punished but that dog is being provoked by the dog that wants to toy, and that dog acts badly too. So shouldn't they both be reprimanded? They're both exhibiting bad behavior. :confused2:
 
I am sure its probably not the right thing to do, but I dont do anything. Belle is like that with her toys. She will be playing, then usually either Dusty or Zora will come up to play and she will snap at them. They will play togather most of the time, then one of the dogs will try to take her toy, Belle will then growl and snap. Not that it does her any good, they will back off for a second and then go right back to trying to take the toy from her. I figure as long as there is no blood shed or real fighting they will work it out themselves. Of course Princess Belle is a little spoiled :uhoh: :o
 
Most of the toys, except for two in the house and a ball outside, are Emma's. If Liam is becoming too possessive, I take the toy from him. He has not snapped or growled at Emma, he just lies his paw over the toy. She usually just walks away.

If they were fighting over a toy, I would take it from them as well if it was escalating. If it was just a mild spat, I tell them to cool it and share.
 
Well with 3 dogs that seem to want what the other has,it happens here to as well.
Earnhardt does'nt show any signs of agression,all he does is beller,and they back off.

However Trapp & Jasper will also display some of this behavior.I reprimand the one that has started it. A quick Ahh-Ahh,to get thier attention is usually all I need to do.

When it happens,it is always Trapp being bossy,so he is the one corrected.I think it is in my opinion that the behavior should not be allowed to escalate to any thing further.
I agree with Mikos' mom,that the toys are yours..and you are the one allowing them to play.
I do not tolerate any kind of agression,it's pretty much nipped in the bud,and we move on.
 
OntarioSheltie said:
Sadie and Toby have been sort of arguing over the skineez's toys. :rolleyes2:

We have more than one but they ALWAYS want the same ones. Some times when Toby has one and one of the other dogs gets to close, he will tell them out. Its mostly just sound but he'll jump at them like he's going to snap, but never does. He also makes a lot of noise when he thinks one of the other dogs are too close and might step on him or are crowding him. Again, lots of noise but not what I'd call aggression.

His behavior has been annoying Sadie so she's begun snapping back at him and also making a lot of noise. She's had similar disagreements with a friend's dog over toys, mainly tennis balls. Its much scarier when Sadie and Jesse go at it since Jesse is much bigger and sounds scary, but again its always been sound and some snapping. Afterward, in both cases, the dogs go on like nothing has happened.

How should I be reacting to this type of behavior between the dogs, if at all? When Sadie and Jesse, have gone at it, both dogs get in trouble and the toy is taken away. My friend feels that Jesse is the instigator and should be the only dog punished, but I feel Sadie is behaving badly also and shouldn't be allowed to get away with it.

Is that right? :confused2:
Click to expand...

As I stated in an earliar thread about multi dog homes,it does change the dynamics in ones house.Even with the addition of Mia,we have noticed subtle changes in both Trapp & Jasper.
 
My pack were playing with a toy this morning, all trying to tug on it when Toby let out a loud objection and stole the toy away from everyone. I said 'No!' and made the toy disappear. The looks on their faces was priceless. They all looked outraged to have to toy taken away. :lol:
 
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Bailey isn't toy possessive. Probably because my other dogs don't care for toys. However, she sometimes is treat dispensing toy possessive. What has helped her is making sure she knows the toy is mine and learning to share. I do this by loading up the ball with treats. First I give the ball to Cali. While I place it down, I say "Cali's turn." I let her play with it for a minute, then I take it away, give it to Bailey and say "Bailey's turn." I also give them a treat for letting me take the ball away. I go back and forth with them for a few minutes. The last time I did this, it was very successful. There was no aggression on either side. At one point, Cali had the ball and it hit Bailey's leg, a treat fell out and she let Cali take it. This really helps them learn to share and excited because they know they're going to get their turn soon.

You can maybe try this with a regular toy. Give a toy to Saide, say "Sadie's turn" and let her play with it for a few minutes. Then take it away, give her a treat for letting you take it away and give it to one of the other dogs. You can even give the other dogs a treat for waiting patiently while one of them as the toy.
 
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