My dog is four years old and he's really possessive of his toys. When anybody plays fetch with him he does not provide you with the ball he drops it in a far distance that you should walk. Sometimes when you are obtain the ball he returns and snatches it an email psychic reading into it. I now got another dog he's a Welsh Corgi puppy, and that he has their own toys and yet the German Shepherd sometimes will get angry and attempts to bite him while he wants all of the toys. What must i do?
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I have a 1 1/2 yr old shepherd. He likes to play fetch, but only for a while. Once he’s tired, he does the whole, drop the ball at a distance from you. Then when you go for the ball, he decides he’s ready to play again and runs at you. I normally just take the ball and make him sit. Wait while i throw it, then I tell him to ‘go get it.’ i think it’s just a puppy thing. I’ve never taken it as being possessive over his toys.
This is called resource guarding. If he has nothing to guard, he can’t resource guard. So start from zero (nothing to guard) and slowly build up a habit of not guarding.
Day one: pick up all the toys. All toys belong to you, only you. He may play with one of your toys only if he plays your game, by your rules. If he chooses not to play by your rules, give a “no reward marker” like “too bad,” take your toys and put them away again.
When you play ball, play two-ball instead of fetch, at least for a while. Get two identical balls. Toss the first one. As he is returning toward you with it, toss the second one *behind* you so he’ll have to run right past you to reach it. In his excitement, and especially if you time it well, he should drop the first ball which will continue rolling toward you.
You collect the first ball, turn to face him, and when he is nearly back to you, toss it again behind you. Repeat. He can’t play keep away because you already have your own ball. Dogs believe that what ever toy you have, even if it is identical to theirs, must be better. They will drop what they have for a chance to get what you have. This is the central principle of two-ball.
If he does drop the ball and try to get you to go for it, ignore the ball, say “too bad,” and walk away. Go in the house and get a cold drink or watch TV. Remember, he has to play your game by your rules. You will no longer play by his rules.
Don’t let the corgi have toys either unless he is playing an organized game with you, or is secured in his crate or playpen. If the corgi has toys and the shepherd has none, ugly disputes will arise.
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