# Toy obsession gone too far. any advice



## 814 (Jul 3, 2009)

Some people have tried to call it resource guarding but at the same time its only this one item that he does this with. He has no other issues other than with this one toy.

Our Dog is obsessed with new toy and extremely protective of it. Doesn't want to spend time with us or our other dog? How should we handle this?


My 2 year old poodle Zack has been reunited with an old friend (not really just a similar one). He has this plush bone toy we got him the other night, which resembles a lot his favorite toy as a puppy.

Now that favorite toy he had as a puppy we had to replace 2 or 3 times and when we brought our Terrier mix home well she destroyed "Bone" (thats what we call the toy) right in front of him and he was devastated and shocked it seemed.

Shortly after that they quit making bone. But a year and a half later we found a "BONE" and I thought it would be a nice present for him.

They don't get a lot of toys because our Terrier is a stuffed toy murderer. So at first he was just happy to have the toy but now that toy is taking up all his time and attention (good for when I am trying to get things done)

My Terrier just wants to play with him but he goes off in another room with his "bone". We want to spend time with him but if we come around he just takes his bone and goes to another sofa or room. And as of last night (3 days after having bone back) when we tried to take bone and put him up for the night, our Poodle growled at us. He doesn't want anything to do with us or our other dog anymore just "Bone"

Which is totally out of his character. Today when my Terrier was following him and just trying to play with him like they always do (she is like annoying kid sister really). He turned and growled at her to stay away and she took off running and hid behind me. (and she isn't one to back down)

by the way she wasn't trying to get his toy she was just trying to play with him, snuggle up to him, be his buddy like always. (She has no interest in toys anymore)

I tried to get him to drop "Bone", he wouldn't. I tried to take "bone" from him and he snapped at me. Something he has never done before. I got onto him for it. I eventually backed down though because I knew I wasn't getting bone without getting bit. And I can't get down and wrestle it away from him (I'm pregnant and pretty far along). So I figure he either has to sleep sometime or my husband will get it when he gets home and take it away for a few days.

I don't want to take "bone" away for good. But my poodle has never acted this way about any toy ever in his life. 

He was so happy to get "bone" back and I don't want to take it away and break his heart but he can't be acting like this, especially with a little one on the way.


Any advice or tips on how to make this work where he can keep "Bone" but not be so possessive of it?

He doesn't do this with any other toy and usually with any other toy he will give it when I say "Leave it or drop it"
But not "BOne"


Also he doesn't care for treats or food really. He will eat at meal time but he is very un food motivated


Just for clairification: My Terrier Sasha isn't trying to take his toy. She has little to no interest in toys anymore. She would rather lie around and gnaw on a good old bone than to take his little plush toy. 

She just can't get anywhere near him either without him freaking out, we can't either right now.


How do we remedy this? Is "bone" going to have to go away for good?

He has always been so good at sharing everything else but since he has had bone he has become totally antisocial


----------



## Fur Elite (Nov 4, 2009)

I would take the toy away and never bring it out again. I would be afraid of eventual generalization of this behavior onto other items. My dogs will only fight over "real" bones (beef knuckles). They love them, but it causes a big fracas. So, I took them all up and threw them all away. Now there is peace. I did not want them to start fighting over other things. I don't mind play fighting and teasing each other, but when the serious growling and snapping happens, it is time to get rid of that item.


----------



## KPoos (Aug 29, 2009)

I'd ask a behaviorist about this behavior. Guarding toys and snapping to keep it is dominate behavior for a dog. Dogs in the wild would never ever snap at their alpha to keep something from them, they don't have a choice, they have to give it up. This can be a serious behavior in the long run for you and for your other dogs. You've got to nip it in the bud now. There may be behaviors that you aren't seeing that he's displaying to you and the other dogs. You're going to need a professional to help with it.


----------



## Poodlepal (Nov 1, 2009)

Or, you could just take the bone away. That's what I would do and probably so would most everyone else. He will forget his love lost bone in no time. 

If you see worrisome behaviors outside the BONE, then perhaps some further action is needed, but it sounds like you never had a problem...introduce bone and wahlah, problem! Take bone away....no problem. I would do it quickly. Why waste your time and money trying to train the dog to share this bone, when there are no other issues? No need to call a national emergency if simply taking it away solves your problem!:alberteinstein:


----------



## KPoos (Aug 29, 2009)

I didn't mean to "share" I meant that if this dog is displaying dominate behaviors there will be other things later on down the line. But okay yeah just take the bone away and pretend there is nothing else going on.:doh:


----------



## 814 (Jul 3, 2009)

No need for a behaviorist, plus cant afford one right now. Its only been with the bone. Nothing before the bone and nothing else after the bone. We took bone away for now. And since then no problems. Whenever bone is up, he plays nicely no problems. We are going to try to reintroduce with what my other dogs former trainer suggested (i gave her a call) but if that doesn't work, than bone goes bye bye for good


----------



## roxy25 (Dec 18, 2008)

KPoos said:


> I didn't mean to "share" I meant that if this dog is displaying dominate behaviors there will be other things later on down the line. But okay yeah just take the bone away and pretend there is nothing else going on.:doh:


I agree , If it was me and my dog we would be going through a behavior rendering session. I do not tolerate my dogs being possessive over anything. None of my dogs would dare snap at me either.


----------



## Mandycasey'smom (Jan 3, 2009)

Each of my dogs has had that one thing they think is awsome so we just don't allow those things.
The mastiff was a **** with greenies never before and never after so never bought greenies.
Casey can be a pill with rawhide bones so they don't come in the house anymore.
I did buy them those filled bones other day and Mandy was a little squirly I got it but she was OFF so I will allow those for times I am really busy and need them quiet as I put Casey in an xpen with him and she was on her chair.
Good for teeth cleaning anyways and gave me a couple hours to do some building.

Glad you put the toy up it can't be healthy to be so obsessed


----------

