# Resource guarding against other dogs with the other dogs' toys!



## Brogan (Aug 17, 2012)

This is my first post and I'm so glad I found this lovely community.

I rescued my 7 yr old from the animal shelter 8 weeks ago. Brogan is a lovely dog an there was no need for house training or commands he came all ready fully loaded. I've had no trouble with him at all, but I put that down to the training he already had and all the time we spend outside running, chasing our ball, and going for walks.

I'm just wondering if anyone else has the problem as it seems to be a bit of resource guarding but only with toys and other dogs. We were in our local park and he was off the lead (always have the lead to hand in case of another dog or child) and a woman was playing with her jack russel and his ball. Brogan doesn't usually pay too much attention to other dogs other then the typical sniff greeting, but the woman threw the ball with Brogan in 'interest distance' (what I call the distance that he will go after something if it catches his eye/attention).

He obviously got it before her dog and he would not let the ball go. The poor jack russel was wanting his ball back and was following Brogan, and Brogan was growling at the jack russel. Brogan is very good at dropping on command, but since the other dog was literally on his heels he wouldn't let it go. I finally managed to get the ball off of him once the other grabbed her dog. She wasn't angry or upset, thought it was sort of cute.

Then later on in the evening something very similar happened. Again we were in the park and throwing our ball at our favourite spot which is not too close to anyone else. The dog that came up with his ring was a dog we had greeted earlier and was friendly with so it wasn't the dog, mind at this time he didn't have the ring. The dog's owner came up and got the ring and then thought it would be fun? interesting? to throw the ring to see which dog would get it first (mine always wins!) and again Brogan wouldn't give it up. Typcial growling behaviour again with the other dog on his heels.

Now the owner of this dog wouldn't take her dog away while I was trying to get the ring, and eventually Brogan decided that having a dog on his heels wanting 'his' ring wasn't acceptable behaviour and did the doggy thing of putting up a bit of a dominance fight. There was a bit of bitting of the other dog's neck, growling and the other owner purposely tried to get in between them to stop it where I knowing better backed off and waited for an opportunity to get Brogan away from her dog.

When she got her dog to look at him to make sure he was ok, I then was able to get the ring off of Brogan. She was fine with what happened and knew it was because of the ring since she had been patting Brogan just seconds before she threw the ring.

Now he's great with anything, he doesn't guard his food or toys (we'll he'll play growl and wag his tail when he's teasing me with his bone) or anything else. I'm just wondering is there anything that I can do to train him to 'share' especially when these things are another dog's? I obviously have to work on sit stay when something interesting is in his area.

I'm still learning his buttons etc and now realise that I need to be vocal to owners if they are getting to close to his interest distance and that if he does get another toy, to get the other dog's owner to call his/her dog so I can get the toy from Brogan.

Just wondering if anyone has this problem with other dogs and their toys? My dalmatian never had this issue so this is new to me.

Thanks for any help or stories!


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## threefsh (Apr 25, 2011)

Welcome to the forum! 

Riley started resource guarding her toys/food from other dogs after she was attacked by another Vizsla. She's completely fine with people taking stuff from her, but she doesn't tolerate it coming from other dogs. The good thing is that most dogs can read her body language & see the warning signs before it's too late. There is 1 dog who consistently puts her in her place any time she tries to resource guard a stick & that's RBD's boy Bailey! She tried keeping a stick from him on a walk a few weeks ago & he gave her a swift body check that sent her tumbling head over heels!  I tend to just put the toys away when other dogs are around & that takes care of the issue. Your boy may have been attacked by another dog over a toy at some point in his life & that's made him very leery of other dogs around him while he has a toy.


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## Brogan (Aug 17, 2012)

Thank you for your reply, that is the problem getting a rescue dog you just don't know their history.

If it was only that easy to take the other dog's toy away!! Mind I can say something to the owner if he/she is close enough by. This should be fun since I am quite shy, well makes me work on my issues too! 

I have to say so far it's been fun, I love my dog on springs!


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## datacan (May 15, 2011)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UPWi8u_qGao&feature=related

Hard one because it depends on the dog's previous experiences. This approach worked well in our case. 

sorry wrong first link, this one is right:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gfSFw5NJ01w&feature=related


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## SteelCityDozer (Aug 25, 2011)

Wow. I have to admit this is was my
First Dunbar video and I loved it. I'll be addicted to him now too.


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