Toy possesive when fetching with another dog

[RaisingRiver]

Diesel sometimes decides he wants to fetch a toy. At the dog park a pointer was fetching his frisbee. Diesel watched him for a while and made a few attempts to run with the pointer - but gave up part way. Eventually the dogs came from 2 directions upon the flying frisbee and a snarlfest ensued. No blood, but it was Diesel's doing and the pointer was defending himself.

 

A few times at home I've been fetching with River (her fav. pastime) and sometimes Diesel wants to play too. River will yield if any dog gets there first but they have to get there first! Sometimes Diesel and River get there at the same time and a snarl-fest ensues. The first time, River tooth'd Diesel's snout. Today, Diesel had her pinned and it took longer then I liked of shouting and flailing my arms to make them stop. Of course because it's a game of fetch, they are not next to me for me to stop it before it starts.

 

I know one thing. I can stop it at my house by not playing fetch with Diesel around. I can stop it at the dog park by not standing in the 'stand around and watch them play' zone but just keep walking the perimeter like I usually do.

 

But, I would LIKE to be able to fetch with River and not put Diesel inside the house. It's part of our outdoor time and it helps w/ the exercising.

 

What are my options? (here's some thoughts I had)

1. Fetch two feet from me so I can intervene if something is going to happen? If something does happen, how do I discipline and is that fair to do so?

2. Teach Diesel a really good 'leave it' type command to steer him off the path if he's too close?

3. Teach my dogs to fetch one at a time (requires a REALLY REALLY controlled downstay)?

4. Give it up - it's just too powerful a thing to ask of Diesel?

 

Of note, Diesel is just starting to quasi fetch when it's 1-1. He gets excited about it, runs after it and then decides that he'll maybe bring it back and really only when I get excited and start running the other way to get him moving, hehe. River on the other hand is a fetching machine and will bring you anything and everything to fetch when we are outside. (Good thing I taught her 'all done' at a early age!)

 

All in all, I'd like to teach Diesel to not be possessive with his toys. Is that possible?

[SincereArtisan]

What I do when this happens at the park, or anywhere else for that matter, is teach them that fighting over it gets them NOWHERE. The moment one even so much and bares a tooth and growls at another for trying to get "their" frisbee, I leash the guilty dog and make them lay right at my side while I play fetch with the other dog and fuss over them for a good five minutes. They must remain in this down position, if they rise up, I put them in a down again and continue. I basically put them in the position they least desired at that point, out of the spotlight and without the toy.

 

I guess it would depend on how high strung your dog is, because this could easily backfire if you have a dog that is manic about the frisbee and might possibly redirect his aggrivation on you. My dogs just get bummed, and realize that fighting over the frisbee earns them a swift time out!

 

Another option is to take up the frisbee and act totally disgusted with the whole party. But then, this usually works well if all involved parties were really intent on the toy to begin with, for suddenly there is no toy, and no fun.

[RaisingRiver]

That's what I have done so far, leashed Diesel (at park) and made him stand there while pointer just went about his merry way and today at home, put him in a down and threw the ball a few more times for River. It's only hard to keep him in a down because he's still kinda learning the down/stay part - but I just kept telling him to down next to me.

 

I wasn't sure if this was a good solution and/or the ultimate solution.

[Shetlander]

It's only hard to keep him in a down because he's still kinda learning the down/stay part - but I just kept telling him to down next to me.

 

The good thing about putting him in the down is it teaches him self-control. That said, because we mainly play fetch in the backyard, when Quinn goes after another dog's toy I take the easy route of giving him a time out in the garage. I'll also admit to tossing my glove (his toys get wet and grubby) at him a couple of times when he was taking off with one of the other dog's toys, ignoring my command to drop it. This morning, both my other dogs abandoned their toys and Quinn did a great job of not trying to pick them up as he retrieved his Frisbee. He did have to veer around the toys to eye them on his way back to me, but he made the choice he needed to in order to continue playing.

 

He still needs the occasional refresher on manners but he generally restrains himself nowadays. I think it is very important to be consistent in consequences. Dogs are gamblers by nature and if they think they might be able to get away with something this time, they'll often give it a try. I totally agree with Sincere Artisan's statement that stealing/resource guarding will result in the dog getting the exact opposite of what they want.

[SincereArtisan]

It takes time for him to get the point. he gets away with it once, and he's going to take longer. Consistency is the key. If anything, this will help you guys develop a good down-stay.

 

Back when we had Raven, she had an issue with chasing other groups of runnin dogs around and nipping ankles/tails. I understood the behavior, but didn't like it, nor did the other dogs. It took a month of flagging her down--because at first she'd just blow me off, then she'd hesistate, and then FINALLY I could get to her--leashing her, and not only staying in a down stay while others played, but I'd also walk away from the activity with her in a tight heel if she started to get too unfocused. Once she started to listen to me when she's pelt after other dogs, I'd shower her with praise and give her a highly valued treat for her good recall, even if I'd been standing there bellowing her name for five minutes to coax her up the hill. What mattered to me was that I'd called her off before she nipped one tail. One month later, all I had to do was call her name and she would veer off and come running back to me.

 

If it helps, standing on the leash at the point where he can just raise his head comfortably but not rise up is something I do to give them a reminder that I told them to STAY in that position, so when they start to rise they get a quick tug.

[MrSnappy]

Well, call me crazy, but I think by now most of you *may* have seen many photos of my dogs tugging a kong frisbee to death.

 

I think it's funny, but it also ruins my kong frisbees, so I like to put an end to it. Piper is obsessed with getting the frisbee from RD, and Woo wants to tug it with Piper too. So they tend to rip them.

 

A "drop it" has been my best friend in this scenario. If RD has the frisbee and a game of tug ensues, I ask RD to drop it. Then Woo and Piper have it and I tell Piper "that'll do" and then she drops it. Once dropped, the frisbee loses all its magical power for Woo and then he isn't interested anymore. Thus the kong frisbee goes on to fly another day.

 

When playing ball, usually every dog has their own ball. Too many scary collisions otherwise. That prevents any ball possessive nonsense. If we do bring just one ball, any dog who gets all persnickety about a ball gets a lie down and is forced to wait in that position until the next throw. Maybe teach Diesel a good "drop it" or "leave it" - it is your ball, after all, they are just lucky enough to get it.

 

For dogs who are new to me and learning to fetch, a cookie reward for bringing the ball all the way back often works.

 

RDM

[RaisingRiver]

Diesel doesn't actually get the ball, he just intercepts at the same time the dog is going to grab it and no one actually gets the ball. They just fight about it. I'd rather not let them hash it out themselves esp since it could easily happen with someone else's dog.

[hoku's mum]

You could try teaching them to fetch when it's their turn. Put Diesel in a down stay (with line attached to reinforce it) and let them know it's Rivers turn. Then River goes in the down stay, and it's Diesels turn. Great for self control, a big thing Mr. Hoku is working on these days And of course recall work, as SA said, to be able to call him off the chase (I know, easier said then done ). I agree with the idea that hissyfits over a toy only gets them pulled from the fun.