For those who don't know of my I have two BCs, both farm bred.  The older one is 18 months neutered male crossed with a springer and the younger one is 8 months old pure bred.  It is quite clear that the older one is toy possessive which I suppose is the gun dog in him.  Does anybody have a good ideas for stoping this.  It is only happening outside of the house when we are on a walk or at training.

Claire

Have you tried flooding him with so many toys he can't possibly gaurd them all?

I got a very good piece of advice many years ago - "control the game,control the dog".  Basically the dog has NO toys - YOU have some and you occasionally let him play with them - on your terms and with you interacting with the dog in the toy games. 

As much of "new age" training concentrates on positive and reward based methods (the correct way IMO even 50 years ago!)  toys and treats are used more and more in behaviour modification.   If your chap is obsessed with toys you have a potentially excellent training tool on tap but you must not let him think these are his possessions - your dogs should never be the ones to call the shots in any situation.

Try removing ALL toys and bring one out occasionally for a great game with you, then (at random intervals) give him a treat and put the toy away.  His focus eventually should be that if there's a toy around he fixates on you because you are going to play with him - other dogs with toys should eventually be less interesting because he no longer craves the toy but your interaction ;-)

Teri 

I generally do this anyway.  Toys dont come out unless we are out for a couple of hours and then if we are there and have a play only specific toys come out.  The problem hasn't arisen at home but in training.  He is more switched on using a kong but at training on Wednesday a BC that he hadnt met before was there.  Unneutered male about the same age.  Ky seems to think that this dog is out to get his toy whenever he sees him.  The dog has never had one of his toys nor tried to steal it before but does like balls.  It has manifested itself as insistent barking.  As soon as the kong goes away it generally stops.  I can train with treats with no problem with him, although he isnt as switched on as he would be with a kong.  We were due to be at the wag and bone show on Saturday with Ian Dunbar but have pulled out as I cannot risk him actually having a go at another dog over his kong or him thinking that every kong out there is his.  I think this has probably come about because of our 8 month old puppy.  Ky will let him take all his toys off of him and I wonder if he thinks now that every dog is going to do so.  We have stopped the pup taking toys off him but if he does we give them straight back to him to try and reassure him. 

Claire

Hi Claire, I think you have to establish with your dog that the toy is only fun because the toy is an extension of you - ie. the toy (be it kong, frisbee, stuffed animal) loses it's importance but it is you and you alone who make it fun.  That's why he should not have free, unsupervised access to any toys - which he must have if your younger dog is able to "help himself" to those around ;-)

Your aim is to condition him that it matters not what toy is available to be played with (or stolen) from other sources - those toys are of no use or interest to him because is real desire is to play with you - and you just happen to choose to play with a toy :-)

The alternative is to remove all toys - permanently.  Give him bones/chews/nylabones whatever as substitute but try and desensitise his interest in toys and keep your own play and training sessions with him as treat based only.  This does seems a shame tho'  :-(

It may also be worth thinking about whether this specific dog at training is somehow upsetting your dog in a way that does not involve the toy.  There may be subtle doggy signals being given off that are causing your dog to behave in this manner.

Good luck, Teri  :-)

Hi Teri,

Thanks for your information.  We have tried different situations out and although I do believe he is possessive of them he doesnt appear to be nasty with other dogs over it.  I think your theory could be right about this particular dog.  I have spoken with someone he has trained with and apparently he had another problem with a previous dog going for him so I may just have to accept that they dont like each other.  After all we dont like everybody all of the time!  The girl I train with has suggested that I take this dog one week and my younger one the next week and she will ask the other dog owner to do the same as he has two dogs.  That way they both get to train but dont upset each other.  He apparently is quite happy to do this. 

Claire

Hi Claire, that is good news that the owner of the other dog is willing to come and go a bit here.  I've witnessed plenty of dogs over the years who have taken a dislike to a particular individual dog - sometimes the reasons are more obvious than others but of course it takes a bit of time, patience and hefty amount of luck to resolve if the catalyst is less obvious.

Certainly the best option for you at the moment is to avoid contact between these two for a while and see if your lad 's problem behaviour is redirected to any new dogs - hopefully it won't be :-)

Keep us posted ;-))

Teri

 

Hi Teri

Well we went to the Wag and Bone show and I have to admit I was a little apprehensive.  But not a thing, not a growl or anything even when we were stuck in the world record sit with god knows how many dogs in close quarters.

I have come to the conclusion that I am looking for something that is probably not there and he just doesnt like this dog. 

Claire

Well done - fingers crossed that the "problem" is over  :-)

If only us humans could find a way to stay permanently clear of others we dont like <LOL>

All the best, Teri