My Dog Will Not Share Toys With Other Dogs

In the wild, dogs must guard their resources against theft as a means of survival. If resources, such as food, are poorly guarded, a wild dog risks having to expend extra energy replacing stolen resources or risk starvation. When a dog refuses to share toys with other dogs, it is acting on instinct. Though natural, this behavior is undesirable among domestic canine companions.

  1. Resource Guarding

    • Resource guarding is also referred to as possession aggression or food guarding. Resource-guarding reactions range from harmless but annoying behavior such as running away with the toy in question to potentially dangerous reactions like growling at other dogs or biting and chasing another dog. This behavior is not limited to a certain gender, breed, age or situation -- any dog, even the most well-behaved dog, has the potential to resource guard if it feels threatened by another dog.

    Training

    • Some trainers use a method called "trade and reward." When the dog becomes possessive of a toy, the trainer swaps the toy out for a treat. Other trainers advocate interrupting the dog while it is playing with a toy. After interrupting the dog, pretend to play with the toy for a short period of time before giving it back. This teaches the dog that toys are not taken away permanently.

    Positive Reinforcement

    • Positive reinforcement is crucial to training a dog to react without resource guarding. When your dog reacts favorably by sharing toys with other dogs, reward that behavior immediately. Use a small food treat or a happy, loud, vocal praise and petting to show your dog that you are pleased. When good behavior is consistently rewarded, the dog starts to understand that when it shares its toys with other dogs good things happen.

    Other Solutions

    • Resource guarding cannot be trained out completely. Avoid situations where the dog is forced to continually share its toys. If you live in a multiple dog household, buy identical toys for each dog. Offer your dog a space to call its own. Dogs in the wild are den animals and this behavior carries over to domestic canines. Set up a kennel or room specifically for your dog to retreat to when it is feeling threatened by other dogs. Giving your dog the option to flee instead of fight eliminates aggressive confrontation between two dogs fighting over a toy.

    What Not to Do

    • Grabbing toys in the middle of a conflict can get you bitten. Instead, startle dogs with a loud noise or squirt of water before taking away the toy. Taking away toys without offering something in return only reinforces the guarding behavior. The dog associates the removal of its toys with no reward or treat and acts to prevent their removal. Do not punish your dog for guarding toys. Never physically hit or strike your dog for failing to share toys with another dog. The fear-based response this causes can lead to even more aggression from your dog.