How to train a dog to not be possessive over toys?
Alivia Hermiston
2025-06-27 19:06:33
Count answers: 8
To train a dog to not be possessive over toys, the first step is to recognise the warning signs of possessive behaviour, such as refusing to give up a toy or treat when asked, snapping at other dogs while eating, hoarding toys or treats, and growling at other animals while holding a toy. Once you know what behaviours to look for, you can manage your possessive dog better. The most immediate way to control your dog’s possessive behaviour is to prevent access to the things he guards, such as not bringing high-value items home or using doors and baby gates to keep your possessive dog separate from resources he may guard. Sometimes, a possessive dog needs a basic obedience refresher course, including commands like “Leave it!”, “Drop it!”, and “Swap” or “Trade”, which can help manage your possessive dog’s reaction to resources. Training your dog to reliably “drop it” can help prevent possessive behaviour before it starts. You can also use “Nothing in Life is Free” training, which teaches your dog that all resources come from the human, and asks your dog to work for everything he wants. Desensitisation and counter-conditioning training is also useful for dogs who guard their food bowl, or growl when you try to take away a toy, and involves teaching your dog not to react emotionally to a specific object or situation, and then teaching her the rewards of having a different reaction. Training takes time and patience, but if you’re consistent, you and your dog will breathe easier.
Jany Bartell
2025-06-27 17:03:40
Count answers: 14
Always swap the dog's item for something else. If you need to take something from your dog, swap it for something else that your dog considers to be equally or even more valuable. Offer your dog the better item before trying to take what they have away. You could drop several treats on the ground near your dog, so they have to leave the item to go and eat them. Then you can calmly pick up the item while they’re enjoying themselves. Teach your dog to swap and drop. You can teach your dog to drop and swap during fun training sessions. When your dog is playing with a toy, get something they like even better. This could be a different toy, or some extra-tasty treats. Offer this to your dog a little distance away from what they already have. Your dog should be enticed to drop what they have and come to get the new item. Once your dog has the hang of this, you can add a cue word ‘drop’. Over time, your dog should associate the word ‘drop’ with letting go of their toy, and you can ask them to ‘drop’ what they have in exchange for a tasty treat.
Wayne Stroman
2025-06-27 16:50:35
Count answers: 10
To help create the right associations for dogs being approached by humans when they had coveted items in their control, I always approached bearing gifts. I moved toward the dogs with something to offer, which gave them reason to look up, sniff my hand and discover something yummy was there waiting for them. I offered them several treats before I ever touched the item they were chewing on. When I did take a hold of the bone or toy, I shared possession of it with them, rather than taking it away. Then I gave it back and let them enjoy in peace. The goal should be to develop a dog that trusts us enough to take away a coveted item. That trust is built by having a higher ratio of giving rather than taking when we approach our dogs. The training takes a little practice and the ideal time to start is with a young pup that hasn’t learned (or at least hasn’t had lots of practice) with the habit of defensiveness yet.
Michele Witting
2025-06-27 16:26:37
Count answers: 8
To prevent dogs from being possessive over toys, use the same approach as you would for stopping resource guarding in dogs. I wanted to share some tips to help the dog learn to share his toys with other dogs using positive reinforcement. The other dog had the item, Rex received a reward when the other dog approached the object or took it. When working on this lesson, remember to keep training sessions short and consistent. Practicing this with a jealous dog multiple times a week will improve the way they view other dogs sharing their toys. If you have multiple dogs and some jealousy issues, a good dog training tip is to teach your dogs to leave the room, but use different cues for each dog. This way if you see one dog getting stiff or showing other signs of guarding behavior, you can tell the other dog to leave the room. It’s important to teach the dog that when the other dog gets the object, Rex will get a treat. This is how to stop dog toy jealousy.
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