The dog's possessive behavior towards toys can be little problem in those cases in which the dog is limited to avoiding us when we try to remove the object in question. However, this situation can become worrying in those dogs that, in addition, come to growl and bite when we approach. In both cases the dog sends us a message that is: "this is mine, take another one". If the situation is minor in your case, it is important that you take action now, before the situation loses control and becomes dangerous.
As owners, we tend to think of the problem of possession behavior when we observe that when we approach our dog he growls or shows his teeth. But, as always, it is better to prevent than to arrive at these situations and, therefore, a correct education is essential, even if they have not yet shown signs of possession with their toys.
Whether you have a possessive dog with his toys or you are looking to prevent this problem, keep reading this article on our site and discover the causes that can explain why a dog is possessive of his toys.
The primary cause: an insecurity in your dog
A typical possession aggression scenario occurs when a dog claims possession of an object or toy, or sometimes even a piece of territory. This type of behavior is called " resource protection" The dog will try to defend what it considers its own with a hostile attitude that can range from teeth chattering to a growl, even a full blown thrust and bite.
The initial motivation for the behavior often stems from a deep insecurity or some fear, such as fear of losing control of their toysor his environment. But the real problem lies in what your dog discovers after the aggression produced on humans: he manages to scare them, intimidate them and they back off to leave him alone.
This effect is beneficial to him and acts as a "positive reinforcement" for the dog to use this aggression-possession behavior over and over again whenever he feels challenged in any way by a rival. In this way, we see how the origin of the behavior is in an insecurity or a fear of the dog, a cause that evolves and transforms into positive reinforcement learning after the reaction of the owners to the aggression.
Wrong focus
Another frequent cause that can explain why our dog becomes increasingly possessive of his toys or even aggressive is the way in which the owners try to solve aggressiveness with aggressiveness When a dog shows aggression towards its owners for possession of an object, the owner becomes aggressive in return and, for example, physically punishes the dog or tries to retrieve the object by force.
This makes the dog become increasingly aggressive in order to defend itself and very few owners obtain good results through this practice not recommendedThey usually just get a few injuries and a dog that is even more aggressive and possessive of his toys than before.
Genetics and stress
Although possession behavior with toys that can even lead to aggression can appear in any dog, there is often a genetic component, that is why this canine behavior problem occurs significantly in certain breeds or lines of dogs such as the cocker spaniel, border collie, rottweiler, jack russell and golden retriever, among others.
Usually behind a possessive impulse in a dog is a hypersensitive or even paranoid perception of threat that is usually genetic in origin, but can be aggravated by stress factors and an insecure first few weeks of life, with deprivation or abuse.
Either way, this is what leads the dog to become obsessed with control of its territory or its toys, to screech before being hit, or to continue to display aggressive behaviors, even when the person has shown no signs of danger to him.
A bigger problem
In many dogs the problem of possession with toys, or in a more general way, can be strongly diminished or even completely solved thanks to authoritative but non-confrontational handling on the part of the owner.
However, with other dogs the problem runs too deep and lies in the dog's misperception of the world around him, seeing it as a site of continual threats in which he has than trying to exercise constant control. This misperception of the world is what makes possession with toys seem illogical and why it can be so dangerous.
If your dog has shown signs of possession aggression with his toys, it is important to understand that he cannot be treated like any dog that does not have this problem, you should consult with a veterinarian or trained canine educator for help.
How to prevent your dog from being possessive of his toys?
When adopting a puppy it is important from the beginning that all members of the household give him food and treats in his bowl, move their hands around his bowl as they feed him. In this way, your puppy learns that the people around his food are not a bad thing, quite the opposite
Similarly, to avoid resource protection, we'll offer you food directly from your hand (occasionally) and let you watch us fill your bowl. It will also be very useful to touch personal spaces and other objects of him.
It is also important to teach him from an early age the following commands: "leave it" and "give it to me". Here's how:
Leave it command
To teach him the command “put it down and come” wait for your puppy to pick up a toy, and instead of chasing him to get this toy, call him with a treat. When he releases his toy, tell him "leave it and come" so that he learns this order by association. Praise him a lot for his cooperation, then give him the treat and also another toy to play with. Quickly retrieve the toy you didn't want him to have and repeat this exercise several times a day.
Command "give it to me"
To teach him the command "give it to me" wait for your dog to take a toy in his mouth, with one hand gently hold the toy without pulling and with the other show him a treat, as soon as he releases the toy to take the treat tell him “give it to me” and praise him. Right after, give the toy back. If you don't want him to keep this toy, give him another instead.
Keep in mind that if he never sees it again when you take a toy from him as a puppy, your dog will learn that he has to be more possessive because he will understand that if you take something from him it will be forever. That is why we recommend giving him another toy in exchange at all times.
Both exercises, practiced regularly, avoid confrontation and teach the dog how positive it is for him to cooperate with you and obey your commands.
It will be important in this training to use very tasty treats or snacks for dogs, which attract more attention than the toy they want to have. Likewise, remember that it is essential that the dog does not believe that you are trying to take it away. The confidence of letting him go and knowing that he will play again later is a very important aspect of this procedure.
