I read another thread recently with great interest and would like any of you who have experienced problems while out walking because of other dogs protecting their treasured possessions to share them with us.

In particular I noted the description of the behaviour a dog exhibited while holding a stick, putting it down and barking at the approach of another dog.

Now I have had dogs for many years and try to work out why my dogs are picked on from time to time by others when out walking.  The other thread brought to mind the two very nasty attacks my Beardie boy suffered when passing a large black and white collie cross carrying on one occasion a stick on another a toy.  Exactly as described before the other dog put down its toy, growled and when my Beardie continued on his bumbling way (yes he definitely bumbles along)  passed this dog it attacked him chasing him for quite a way.  On the second occasion it turned its attention on the bitch as well and sent her screaming away.

I can guess now that the dog probably was guarding what it had and thought my dog would try to take away.  In fact the only attacks we have suffered have been from other dogs putting down objects and having a go even when mine are on the lead.

My own TT picked up a tatty bit of wood from a walk a couple of nights ago and has been guarding it like a valuable piece of meat not even letting her best friend have it.  Needles to say it is out of reach for the moment but is proving to be a very good retrieve item for her.

I know years ago rescue dogs with aggression problems where taught to carry things to dissuade them from having a go at other dogs and with hindsight this was probably exactly the wrong thing to do.

Please share your experiences this is something I will really be aware of now on walks and will look  out for  the toy, stick carrying dogs before I let my boy get picked on again.

Our dog loves to carry a stick but he is always the one picked on if somebody is going to be snapped at or growled to. He himself is very friendly with other dogs and people and I just hope that his lovely disposition isn't spoiled by other dogs reaction to him.

Our previous dog was always picked on as well but still retained his lovely temperament.

Don't know what I am doing to always get the bullied one :D :D

Hi Echo,

Yes most definitely, resource guarding is all part of survival and very much engrained in all animal's DNA. The more resources we have (mates, food, territory) the more likely we are in surviving.

Some breeds are worse resource guarders than others. Collies (and shepherding dogs) can be 'obsessive' about their toys (especially balls). So much so, that they will become highly reactive when approached by another dog (or human). It also depends loads on the experience that dog has had. If the owner always tells a dog off for having something in its mouth, then that dog will become more of a guarder. If that dog is at the bottom of the pack or insecure and is always having resources taken away from them, then they will become even more aggressive in their attempts to protect their resource.

As walkers, we do not have this valuable information, which is why it is so important to teach our dogs not to approach other dogs or humans without our permission (a long line, toys and titbits will help achieve this).

I would definitely never allow my dogs to approach (or get close) to a dog that has a toy in its mouth, as I am sure that the owner has used this toy (usually a ball) as a means of exercising their dog day and day out and the dog is very likely to be obsessed with it. Needless to say, that throwing balls for a dog on a walk all the time, is a really bad idea. Walks should be training, allowing the dogs to sniff, doing small fun exercises, play retrieves, hide and seek and any interaction with the owner, rather than sole interaction with a toy.

Hope your doggies have recovered from their bad experiences.

All the best,
Patty

Funny you ask. I just had this discussion today with my husband. We passed by a group of very nice, friendly dogs. We've seen them before and the owners are quite happy to have them all play together. But the one GSD with them (mostly labs and GRs) had a ball in his mouth and grr'd as my dog passed by. We commented that if our dog was that protective of his toy we wouldn't let him have it where there were other dogs about. A couple months ago my dog picked up another dog's ball while walking with my OH and the dog went for him; grabbed his neck and shook him. This was a GSD he's grown up with and played with a few times. The other dog has just gotten very possesive as he's aged (they're almost 1 1/2 YO now).

I've passed several dogs that were very growly, and vocal while walking down the street with toys in their mouth. My dog couldn't gie a toss about toys, but if he ever becomes possesive of something I'll be taking it off him while in public if there is a chance other dogs are nearby.

It was a while ago that my dogs were attacked and they have been free from any trouble for a few months now but it does help to understand the possible reasons behind the problem and now I am aware of it I will be able to avoid that situation.

I always thought it was because my boy was insecure but it certainly seems as if the guarding by the other dog of its toy was a major player in this scenario.

He is a very confident and friendly dog once more but does tend to stop and wait a while when he sees other dogs approaching, I guess to get a better idea of what their intentions might be.

if another dog comes near me with a stick/toy/ball in his mouth mine will want to get it off him, so if i see a dog with something i give it a wide berth.it would seem that your dog is anticipating this sort of behaviour.

Both my dogs are obsessive with their balls :) Bramble will let other dogs take it from him without a problem. Tara does not like other dogs near her when she is playing with it and will growl/bark at dogs that come close, unless she knows them well and knows they are not interested in her ball. If she is merely carrying it (which she does when on lead and not playing) she is not bothered by other dogs coming quite close. Our fields are never very busy - often we are the only people there. I am always very careful to stop playing if people come towards us if we are playing ball and will often pick the ball up until they have passed. However, what does annoy me is when people obviously see us playing and don't do anything to stop their dog coming over :( One chap walked towards us one day and before I had a chance to call Tara and get her ball, his dog ran over. Tara barked/chased him and the chap had the cheek to say 'You ought to keep your dog on a lead' :( :( He had the rest of the field to walk and insisted on walking towards us and did nothing to stop his dog :( (It was a boxer which, as a breed, Tara doesn't like)

Daisy

We had a horrible incident with a toy when my youngest GSD was 6 months old. We had walked for a while round the fields with a lady and her 2 weimeraners, one of which had a ball on a rope. My silly boy (and he was very silly at that age) bounced right in front of the dog with the ball, and instantly the weimeraner grabbed his face in his mouth. He actually had the whole of Indy's muzzle in his mouth and wouldn't let go. Indy was screaming and it was horrendous. I flew towards them and the weim let go, and Indy had some gashes across his muzzle and nose leather. The woman was distraught, and Indy ran andhid under a park bench still crying. It was of course my fault, I should have kept him away, but my guard had gradually slipped and the dog seemed quite unperturbed until that moment.  I took him back out on the same walk in the afternoon, to get him 'back on the horse' so to speak and he was fine. In fact, given half a chance he would do the same again. Fortunately it was not an experience that affected him. He's a friendly soul, loves people and dogs and is very happy go lucky. He's 17 months now and touch wood has never had a cross word with another dog except that one time. He does however 'read' dogs much better now, and if they're slightly iffy at all, he backs off. He's not scared of weimeraners either, which is a good thing. I am much much more aware of dogs with toys on walks since then

Kat

My other GSD carries her ball around, but will only mumble at other dogs, and if they pick her ball up just looks at me sadly, she would never attempt to take it back, by fair means or foul.

I agree with Patty, if I walk my dogs with others they are not allowed to play games with balls etc because of the issues it can trigger.  They can all run and play together etc but adding a toy is just asking for trouble IF you have dogs which are toy obsessed, if not it is not an issue, but just because YOUR dogs are not possessive does not mean others are not, therefore it is best to give those that are and have toys a wide berth to make sure.

My dogs play with balls in public and will not bother other dogs, if I am approaching someone else who is throwing the ball near mine I put mine on a lead to avoid mine chasing the others ball! :)

Sorry to go a bit off topic but i have always envied people with dogs that chase and return balls etc and will also ignore everything else in the area. We throw a ball to my so called retriever and he just looks at us daft, or runs of with it. I have tried teaching him to retrieve at home and he gets bored after about 5 fetches. Out in the open we have no chance!