How do you teach them to SHARE?

[fancychicken]

I am having a real issue with Shamous and Daisy regarding sharing. First let me say there is absolutely NO AGRESSION at all on either part. It's mostly them being brats. Shamous absolutely, positively under no uncertain terms HAS to have whatever Daisy has, even if he doesn't like they toy or chew thing. I have begun giving them EXACTLY the same things to play with or chew on. That doesn't matter. Shamous will drop his and bark in Daisy's face for whatever she has.

Daisy on the other hand is a "stealer", she will wait for an opportune moment and slink over and steal whatever Shamous has dropped. While at all times maintaining the SAME thing under her body or in her mouth so that Shamous cannot have it.

This is becoming very annoying, since Shamous will bark and start to initiate a tug-o-war with Daisy (who btw is more than happy to oblige). I would just like them to lay down and shew on their hooves or bones in peace and quiet with out the incessant barking and stealing. I have put Shamous shock collar back on him( I only use the beeper since he ahtes that more than the zap) which seems to curb it. But I don't want to have to keep on beeping every 30 seconds to get him to be happy with his chewy. HELP!!

[Sheltiemama]

LOL it sounds like you have your hands full. This situation is interesting to me. I've thought about it a while and I realize that there isn't any sharing in the wild kingdom. It has always been the survival of the fittest. Mother and father take what they need before they feed their young..... Male and female lions don't share a kill, the male eats first. The lioness eats before the kits eat. Sharing is a human concept and I don't think it can be transmitted into the animal world. Wolves do the same. The alpha eats first then the rest of the pack follows according to their status....

[mrsgrubby]

Sharing is a human trait, not a dog trait. You will probably have to seperate them to achieve the peace and quiet you desire. I don't expect you will ever be able to teach them to share, that just doesn't exist,

One will always steal from another and the dominant dog will always take what they want.

Try using a baby gate, x-pen, or crates to seperate them when it is chew toy time, or put one outside and one inside at treat time.

[Rivsky]

When River and Brandi are playing with toys together exactly the same thing happens - Brandi has to bark at River and take whatever it is he's got off of him. I think it is just another way which they display their dominance to each other. The only way we can get Brandi to leave River alone is to start playing ball with her - then she couldn't care less about what other toy River has got because she's so ball obsessed!! Must say I am glad they don't live together permanently - you must have one noisy house!!

[rmci]

My two do the same thing! Whatever Baxter has, Rusty wants. Baxter waits and sneaks up to steal Rusty's stuff when he's not looking. They're good about listening to me when I tell them to stop. I don't think they'll ever stop on their own

[poodlesmom]

Stealing toys from each other is one of the most favorite games my 2 have! You can almost see their minds figuring out what gimmick will work best to successfully steal something from the other. I even do the same thing and buy 2 of everything but that doesn't stop them. Luckily they aren't noisy - no barking or spats. Occasionally you'll see one laying down quite peacefully with a whole horde of toys between their front legs with a very satisfied look on their face!

[Beryl]

Yep. There is no sharing going on.

When I first got Boo (11.5 lb min pin), I was so concerned with his growling and flatten ears as my still puppy Latte (7.5 lb poodle) would approach him to take a toy. I was worried that Latte would get pulverized.

Not at all. This is just their playtime. Boo snarls and growls as Latte tries to take the toy or bone away. Latte ignores the growling and continues to pull at the item. He sometimes licks Boo while sneakily taking it from him. He is a passive-aggressive sneak!

If the volume is unbearable, I'll shut it down. Otherwise, I'm out of it.

[Sugardog]

Nope, you can't really teach them to share. As somebody has already said, they are animals and even though they have been domesticated for thousands of years, they still go by the survival of the fittest. And that includes stealing food from subordinate members of the family.

The best "sharing" you'll see among my dogs is 2 of them playing tug of war with a rope or them eating off the same plate. And eating off the same plate is a supervised activity, I am usually holding the plate.

[TinyAlbinoDancer]

Originally Posted by mrsgrubby

Sharing is a human trait, not a dog trait. You will probably have to seperate them to achieve the peace and quiet you desire. I don't expect you will ever be able to teach them to share, that just doesn't exist,

One will always steal from another and the dominant dog will always take what they want.

Try using a baby gate, x-pen, or crates to seperate them when it is chew toy time, or put one outside and one inside at treat time.

Agreed. My two do the same thing, except Missie barks at ME when she wants what Ollie has. LOL I allow it under supervision, and if I can't take it anymore I put the toy up. For larger dogs I'd be separating them, like Mrs.Grubby suggested.

[Punkygirl0101]

I have the exact same problem with my dog Cartman. When the toys are out, he will grab every single one of them, even the ones already being played with by the other dogs, and take them to his "Corner" and not play with them, or chew on them..but he will guard them. He will lay on top of all the toys, and growl at the other dogs when they come near him. Then when I reach for them, he puts all his body weight on them, and against mine. He would never hurt me, but it obviously shows no respect for me as alpha. SO now, he plays with a few toys in the kitchen alone, and the rest of the dogs get to play with toys in peace.

[fancychicken]

I wish I could separate them. Believe me I tried that. Shamous got so distress by not being near his best girl, I heard noises come out of him like someone was killing him. So I stopped that. Actually, oddly enough as I was reading all of your replies to this. They both finished their breakfast and came in , each with a horse hoove and layed down facing each other , paws across one another and are laying here qiuetly chewing together, and ocassionally swaping pieces. Shhhhhhhhhh...don't look at them or all hell will break loose...shhhhhhhhhhhhh