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12-22-2010, 07:49 AM | #1 |
YT Addict Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Norman, Oklahoma, United States
Posts: 402
| Possessive of Certain Toys, Help!? I need some opinions on a situation I'm having with Chloe. Some general info about her...she'll be two years old in March, she was a singleton, is usually calm and laid back, she's my only dog. Here's what happens...there are a few toys that I've discovered she can get very possessive over. The first time I noticed this was with one of those little denta-bone things when she was about six months old. Knowing that these things can become a choking hazard, I watched her very closely as she chewed on it and when it began to come apart and get soggy I went to take it away from her. As she'd never growled at me (except playfully), I didn't think anything of it. But as I reached for it, she got very stiff and let out a very mean growl, bared her teeth and snapped at me. I got on to her very sternly and she let me have the bone. I've never given her another one and never had another issue like this, until.... Fast forward to a couple of months ago. We're at my parents' house and Chloe found a toy that she'd never seen before (a little Mr. Salt/Ms. Pepper Blue's Clues thing that my mom let's my brother's dog play with). Chloe started acting very possessive of it: hunkering over it, picking it up and slinking off with it if anyone came near her and when my mom accidentally brushed Chloe's back with her foot Chloe snarled at her. After about an hour of being ignored, Chloe was fine with giving the toy up and letting us play with it. However, still every time we go over to my parents' house, Chloe shows this behavior for the first little bit, but only with this toy. When the other dog is around, she passively gives up all of her own toys if the other dog shows any interest just not this salt and pepper shaker. Now, last night. I had bought Chloe one of these (JW Pet Hol-EE Roller Dog Toy at PETCO) for Christmas. I could not for the life of me get her interested in it. She'd sniff it, kinda lick it but then just look at me like "What am I supposed to do with this?" and then bring me a different toy. So I put all her other toys up and started teaching her how to play with the Holee Roller. Well, she finally decided she liked it and then wouldn't let me near it. She started the whole possessive behavior thing again. Now, if you holler at her, telling her NO loudly she will drop the toy and be submissive, letting you have it. So it isn't a safety issue...i.e., if she had something dangerous, she'd drop if it I scolded her. However, I do not like feeling the hair on the back of my neck stand up when a five pound dog snarls at me!! But I hated to get on to her for playing with her new toy when I'd just spent fifteen minutes trying to get her to like it. What should I do??? Ignore the behavior until she gets used to the new toy and quits being possessive? (It always goes away within an hour or two.) Take toys that she is possessive over away from her and never let her play with them? Get onto her when she exhibits this behavior and work with her using the treat/trade training? The problem with the last one is that she doesn't hesitate to give up something if I offer her food, so that's okay but I'm not really interested in trying to get her to quit playing with her toy. I like that she's enjoying it, I just don't want her to get used to being allowed to treat her owners like that. I'm so sorry for how long this is but I didn't know how else to go about asking for advice than to tell the whole story! Oh, one last thing...the one thing these toys all have in common is that Chloe chews on them. Like, a dog would chew on a bone...constant gnawing gnawing gnawing. Her other toys are all tug-of-war type toys, or Skinneez toys or fetch toys (balls, etc). So it seems to only be triggered by chew toys. -C
__________________ (`*•.¸Proud Momma of Chloe Belle and Karli Sue¸.•*´) ~.•* Jersey's Four Leaf Clovers *•.~ |
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12-25-2010, 12:20 PM | #2 |
YT 1000 Club Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Miami, FL,USA
Posts: 1,005
| This is very common with dogs They deal with other members of their pack this way and usually won't bite you but you never know in a case like this because aggression is aggression This falls into the food aggression category and the way to battle it is to get into and be able to take and touch your pups food or toys any time you want to Start with and old toy not one that she will growl over Play with her and take it from out of her mouth and give it back to the point she is comfortable with you taking the toy right from her Then try with a toy she guards If she growls ... Ignore the growls Most likely it's all bluff and she'll let you have it But if she does go to nip at you it's NO and the toy goes away and all play stops Pretty soon she'll get the message
__________________ Mike and Zach's Dadd |
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