Help Needed! TOY FIGHTS

Trod1

New member
Jul 2, 2012
168
10
Michigan
Bulldog(s) Names
Olive, Oscar
Many of you may remember me introducing Oscar our newly adopted rescue Bully a few weeks ago. Well it has been a very busy few weeks and we have spent lots of time with him. He has a ways to go but he is making progress and is adapting to our home. We love him and he is very sweet with people. One problematic area however is his constant interest in whatever toy or bone Olive has. She can be in her own bed no where near him and he tries to take away her bone. The trainer said it is fine for Olive to growl as a non- physical sign to back off but he does not respect that and this often starts a fight. I have used a shaker can and a spray bottle which does help break up the spat but it doesn't change his behavior. Any ideas?? I really hate to crate him for discipline because he is crated quite a bit as it is because of house training and chewing.
 

2BullyMama

I'm not OCD....now who moved my bulldog?
Staff member
Community Veteran
Jul 28, 2011
48,580
3,669
Gilbertsville, PA
Country
USA
Bulldog(s) Names
Chelios (Frenchie), Nitschke (2004-2011) Banks (2005-2014) and Lambeau (2014-2024)
Continue with the can/spray bottle... consistency and letting her at some point correct him as she has been. i would not use the crate as punishment, but definitely set him in another room when necessary. The crate should be a safe place for them. It may take a long time for him to get or like my Banks... not care to get it. Banks is very dominate and she always would take things from Nitshcke who was amazingly docile not submissive, just very laid back. He would drop and give her what ever he had and go gt something else.... we had a trainer come in and Banks (6yrs later) is still in training for it as she now trys to do it with Chelios (Frenchie) and he is not docile... he gives back to her and he will also take off with the toy. She seems to get it with him


GOOD LUCK and keep on him
 

Davidh

Head Pooper Scooper
Staff member
Mar 21, 2011
13,407
848
Katy, Texas
Country
USA
Bulldog(s) Names
BeBe, Hazel, Lucy Lu, JLO, Hillary, Henri, & Katie
Jewel and Diva like to do this to Buddy too. When they fight take the toy away from both of them. When you see him taking a toy away from her tell him NO and take it away from him and give it back to her and make him leave the area. It just takes time, so be consistent and patient.
 

Vicaroo1000

"Slug Assassin" and PBS Gardening Dweeb
Jun 23, 2011
5,775
389
Mukilteo, Washington State
Bulldog(s) Names
Beefeater's Buxom Beatrice and Lord Harrington's Bodacious Beauregaard
Part of Bea and Bo's game with each other is toy stealing. "Discussion" (low growling, paws on toy to protect from the other one) is allowed in very low volume but that's where it ends. Like David, when the discussion gets to a genuine argument (not a mouth argument either - that's another game they play), and I've already tried one single "HEY" to redirect them, the toy becomes "mine" (that's the only the only word I will use at this time). I approach the toy and the dogs must surrender the toy to me. I'm the pack leader. (To help visualize this, in my mind, I am Queen of the Toys and all the toys belong to ME; I just let them play with them.) I can expedite the surrender of the toy by putting my feet near it -- "guarding it" -- like a dog does. If I am the pack leader and am recognized as such, the dog will instinctively know what I am asking of him/her. I don't need to say a word and it's really better if I don't.

Successfully achieving non verbal surrender of a toy takes time and patience. Like most people, I can be impatient too. Most people don't want to bother and will just grab the toy and end the argument -- but then an important leadership exercise opportunity has been wasted. It's these little lessons over time that work to build the kind of deep, cooperative relationship between human and dog.
 

cali~jenn

..........
Mar 28, 2010
0
419
Southern California
Bulldog(s) Names
Cutty, Miila and Mugsy the pug :)
When Miila was doing this she was causing fights over the toys. What I did was make her sit/stay with me next to her while I gave toys to the other 2 pups. She wasn't aloud to have anything until they were done. I would even go so far as to take toys away from her and give them to the boys, just to show that they weren't hers. Eventually she got that she couldn't be so bossy and now they all share fine. They may still have a grumble ver a toy now but it isn't just her so now if anyone has a problem with a toy I remove the toy. Doesn't happen very often tho thankfully.
 

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