Aggressive Behavior With Toys
Miles is a people loving and sweet dog. I credit this a lot to our docile golden retriever Sadie for showing him the way. I was at the dog park yesterday with the dogs and someone brought a stuffed animal for their dog to play with. At one point the dog dropped his toy and Miles picked it up. Miles dropped it and the other dog approached to retrieve it. I told Miles to "leave it" but in an instant he bared his teeth and went after the other dog. I was mortified. We don't have this problem at home because our other dog is more than happy to share but it appears to be a problem with dogs he doesn't know. Help! I leashed him up after the incident and took him away but I don't think it is the last time and he acted very timid and shy towards humans afterwards.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Beth on
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Does Miles do this with other toys at the dog park, like tennis balls? If yes, then there are some things you can work on to help alleviate possession aggression.
But honestly, if it was just this once.... well, when I read this I got really kinda mad at someone bringing a stuffed toy to a dog park. That is just asking for a huge fight. The vast majority of dogs see stuffed and/or squeaky toys as very high value toys. Just like you would not throw down a rawhide, beefy bone, or handful of treats at the dog park and expect there to be anything other than a fight, you should not throw out a stuffed toy as that is asking for trouble.
My dogs are not possessive aggressive, but when I give out new stuffed/squeaky toys at home, I watch them like a hawk and there is always a tremendous amount of jealous behavior (one wanting the other one's toy, one dropping their own and trying to lay down by the other and wait for a chance to grab it).
If I was at a dog park and someone brought out a stuffed toy, I would leash my dog until the toy was removed, and if that did not seem to be about to happen, honestly I would leave. I trust my dogs to share tennis balls or frisbees with strange dogs, but never a stuffed toy. For me, it would be asking for trouble and then I would be forced to discipline my dog for something that could have just been avoided.
If this happens with any toy/ stick etc, then that is a different matter.
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By the way, my Jack is much more likely to act possessive with strange dogs over "found" items (things we did not bring with us) than with his own items.
If you think about it from a dog psychology point of view, he just found you a lovely new stuffed toy to bring back home to the "den" and now this interloper dog is trying to take it away. He's not guarding it from you, he's (in his mind) fighting off an outsider who is trying to take the resources that he found on his successful "hunt."
For many dogs, tennis balls and stuff are a dime a dozen, but soft toys (because they get destroyed and are expensive) are a rare treat and therefore they take on very high importance to the dog. What a find, in his mind! And some stranger tried to steal it. How dare they!
Which is why in that situation I would remove my own dog. In my mind, the reason he acted timid and shy is because he thought he was doing a good thing (protecting something great he got for his pack) and yet you were clearly displeased (he'd be able to read your body language, even if you didn't scold him) so he did not likely know what, exactly, was wrong.
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Permalink Reply by Jane Christensen on
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What Beth said makes total sense! This person probably thought they were being nice but if my dogs got it they'd rip it up sooo then I'd feel bad for them having a toy ruined! In my home I very seldom get stuffed animals out as this is what happens. I do give Wynn his in a crate because he is about the only one that doesn't destroy them but I have to pick it up when he's done laying by it. Same way my dogs get into battles with tug of war toys.
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