"Don't touch my squeaky toy!"

[Whimsy]

We recently got a new toy for our dog (smooth collie). It happens to squeak.

His last squeaky toy he treated like his other toys... chewing it up until it gave out. This new one, a plan, bright orange football, he treats differently.

He lets nobody touch it. If you walk in the vicinity of the toy, he scrambles as fast as he can from wherever he is... even if it's across the house and he was being fed the tastiest of treats. And then stands between you and the toy, his head held low, his tail stiff, and, if you don't move away, he growls. You could just be walking in the same room and he'll instantly leave the food bowl and stand in front of the toy, eyeing you suspiciously all the while.

If somebody actually *squeaks* the toy, he barks, growls, and makes sure that you leave it alone. If you pick it up and hold it, he will jump around and bark in alarm until it's safely back on the ground. Then he proceeds to lick it, nudge it, and protect it. Never does he bite it himself, or even pick it up. He doesn't even pay attention to it unless it seems to be in imminent danger of being squeaked, picked up, or stood next to by a human.

It has a different squeak from his old toy, to be sure, but why is he doing this? He acts as if it's some kind of egg-puppy. It's not really a behavior that gets in the way of anything, but it's very... peculiar.

[Pugdawg1]

Hum.. rather protective of that toy, isn't he? Yikes! LOL

My 3 have oodles of toys, mostly squeaky toys .. I just ordered a couple more today from the drs foster & smith catalog, amoungst a few other things. Had to break down and buy them one of those bone toy chests to keep them in lol - i don't think it will hold them all but it will help, I hope.... Now the trick is to teach them to put those toys back when they're done (ya right).

maybe a few other toys for him would make him not so possessive of that one toy? Or maybe not. Hum

[Mellie]

I don't know what to say in the ways of advice. But.. man.. thanks for the laugh!!! Just imagining everything as I read your post.... that is one silly dog you must have!!!
I hope someone can help you.

[sheltiepups]

lol that is really funny! sorry, I can't help; I don't know what to say except take the toy away?

[NicksBuddy]

Hummm, now what would happen if you got another one, just like the first - so he had two to take care of???

[Lil'Paws]

Sorry Whimsy, But I'm of no help to you either.. But It was a good laugh.. I can just see him now..Guarding that football..

[Taz]

My friend has a dog that is the same way with a squeaky bone. He's about 2yrs old, and he has had it since he was a young puppy. A few days ago one of his puppies ripped it. Ever since he has been really depressed.

As for getting him less possessive of it, I'm going to have to get back to you. I need to think about this one for a while.

[Whimsy]

It is funny, isn't it? Hehe.

He has other toys: a rope toy, a few different chew toy, a tennis ball, some bouncy balls... he's got plenty of toys, none of which he guards.

Well, I tried taking it away when he wasn't looking. Then somebody walked by his basket of toys and he nearly slipped on the tiles trying to run over in time for the rescue. When he realized that it was not there, he started looking for it everywhere. He sniffed behind the curtains, between the fridge and the wall. He's slinked under every chair and end table he can find. He started flipping over his pillow, he's nosed through his food bowl and thrown out half of the kibbles in it, so to keep him from doing any other strange things, I had to contain him in his little corner of the kitchen.

Then he just curled up and started whimpering. He was so sad and miserable I gave it back to him. Since he's been reunited, all his protective behaviors have resumed.

It's adorable to see him licking and nudging it around, but it's starting to get less cute and more annoying. Used to be you could play with him or give him a belly rub anytime, now the only moments he is not guarding the football are those that he spends at the park and when he's sleeping.

[Renee750il]

That really is odd! Maybe if you sit down next to him and sort of share the toy with him in your lap, letting him know that you're not going to take it away from him. Just do not tolerate any aggressive behaviour from him, though, and it's never going to be a good idea to tease him with it or remove it.

It might not be a bad idea to get him another identical one, too.

Being a Collie, I can't help but wonder if this is a frustrated guardian/herding behaviour on his part. It may be that he needs a companion, whether it's another dog or a cat. These dogs just aren't happy unless they are taking care of something.

Of course, he could just be a University of Tennessee football fan, you know, GO BIG ORANGE! (lol) I know some UT fans that will bite under the right provocation.

[Pugdawg1]

Would maybe taking the toy away, giving a treat, giving the toy back, taking the toy away, giving a tasty treat, help? Or maybe not. lol

[dogx3]

My golden had this problem with a bone. Her problem was with the cat. If the cat walked by she would growel and show her teeth. Although the cat had never actually stolen any of her dog toys, cause she's a cat, the dog didn't care. We did not want this to turn into something so we took the bone away and all returned to normal, dog ignores cat and cat ignores dog.

[Barrett]

You got some great advise. You have to teach the command "GIVE". Get a super tasty treat that your dog does not get very often. Sit in front of your dog when he has a different toy and say "GIVE". Offer him the treat and when he drops the toy for the treat, take the toy, praise him and give him another treat. Then immediately give him the toy back. Do this for about 3-5 minutes at a time 3 times a day until he gives you the toy nicely. Then try it with the special toy.

[Renee750il]

That's a good point. We teach ours to 'give' with anything they have in their mouths, even food. Of course, it's a hoot to watch the Filas, with their big mouths and long jowls, try to hide things in there so we can't find them. I've seen the look on people's faces when I've got my hand in that huge maw, fishing around to find out what she's got!

Bimmer's really good about it and has been ever since he was a pup. He won't take food from anyone else, even my Mom, until he's brought it to me and I've checked it and given him the okay. It saved his life when Buffy was poisoned. He refused the poisoned meat. Unless Bimmer catches it and kills it, he won't eat it until Charlie or I have told him it's all right.

[doberkim]

Yup, you have two options.

1) you take the toy away. but this doesnt solve the actual problem, which is that he has something that he thinks is his alone, and that no one else should touch. it will just take said object out of the picture, until something else replaces it.

2) you reinforce that these toys come from you, and they are yours to take away. that there is nothing he has that he shouldnt give to you if you ask. guarding behavior is very unnacceptable nad can progress quickly to even more drastic behavior - god forbid a child gets near that toy and the dog nips - it happens all the time.

as the others said, the resolution is to teach your dog that this toy, while his favorite, is still something that he gives up to you when asked, and that it cannot be guarded. teach him an "out" command, or "drop it" - and when he does it, immediately either give it back, or give him something else - another cool toy or a treat. he must never think that "give it/drop it" means i will lose my toy - because then there is no reason to give it up - more fun to play keep away or just ignore you. drop it should be - yes, mom says drop it -and i will do it because usually she gives me something just as good or better!

does your dog have any other dominant tendencies? how about food? can you touch it? are there other animals in the house that he guards things from? any kids around?

[kerry757]

Hi,

I read a lot of canine behaviour books and I back what doberkim has stated, this is a dominant gesture...it should not be taken lightly as furthur problems are almost definitly going to occur...I would think of this as a good learning process between you and you canine freind, dogs who are possesive of toys, beds and stolen articles like socks or slippers are normally dominent or leader dogs. Without realising it, you actually encourage this behaviour with early games of tug-of-war or chase games. Taking a toy or article of any kind into its sleeping area and challenging you to stay away from it is a way of establishing dominance over you, has any new event happened within the your home (the pack den) to trigger this behaviour? Perhaps a new arrival, a friend visiting more often, even arguing in human relationships can trigger a dog into thinking "where am I in the pack" "am I the leader or the 2nd, 3rd or 4th?"

My suggestion is to take all the toys of your dog - not as a challeng, do it when your dog is not there. The fact that your does not have a variety of possesions scattered around as a visual display of rank is the first stage in overcoming the problem. One of these toys should be selected by you as a reward for your dog when it does the thing you want it to, use a light trailing line and attach it to the collar so that instead of taking things off him, you can gently pull your dog away from things....in this way, if after he has earned the toy, you can repossess it until the next time you want to reward your dog with it again....just taking the toys away from him will reverse the rank in your pack. Always remember...when a dog is showing possesive aggression, it is always best to give toys as a reward for good behaviour, but take the toy away again after a short while. Hope this helps!

Kerry