Robbing pup

tk123

What to do about dogs stealing stuff and resource guarding it?
My pup (10 months) has always robbed everything on my older dog and he usually just lets her (even his dinner) BUT there are a few things he doesn't want to share - eg bones/a high value treat. Up until now I've always moved her away/kept her separate to be safe so she doesn't annoy him in case he might snap at her because sometimes he would resource guard.
My friend thinks I should just let them "work it out themselves" but I'm not sure - opinions? Also just to add I can take both their food bowls away from them - before anyone tells me I should have been putting my hands in the bowls/taking a bite out of their dinner since they were pups etc etc :P

There's a pair of them in it because last week for a change he robbed HER bone!

aonb

My younger dog wont let our older dog (or any other dog) have something like a toy/ball - he immediately grabs it. Hes obsessed with soft toys - goes everywhere with one, has several on the go at any one time Hes not food obsessed, so wont steal the other dogs food/treats. He will try to take bones, if the other dogs dont object (hes the youngest/most timid) but will immediately back off. Ive always let the dogs sort it out themselves. You cant always be there, and how many times can you shout NO at a 'thieving' dog!? The exception Ive always made is taking someone elses food - I supervise dinner-time! The other dog (and Patch before he died) would just growl & curl their lips at him, and he would back off. I think bitches tend to be more bossy & bully the dogs usually though? (note I did say TEND ) Sometimes the other dogs would get sick of this younger dog and snap at him, no contact would be made, and it put manners on him when it came to respecting their food/space. Older dogs can get sick of the puppies, they are very good at setting limits when they need to

tk123

From day one she tried to rob his dinner - running between his legs and coming out at the front trying to get the bowl! One time she did a balancing act on a water bowl we used to leave down for her (she was too small to reach the raised bowl) to try and reach up to his bowl and spilled water all over the place!! I think I might supervise at the weekend and let him tell her off. It'd be great to eventually leave her free/uncrated when we leave them home alone!

Whispered

With my two, They have their dinner in their crates, on their own. Not closed in or anything but just in their own clearly defined spaces. I do not let them bother each other when eating their meals.

With the bone, they are supervised with them until they're not new and meaty anymore. They swap and occasionally one tries to take two bones. Hence the supervision. It helps that they have separate preferred beds when in the sitting room so they're not on top of each other.

I do allow mine correct each other when play gets too rough or something but where food is concerned I wouldn't. I would worry that allowing any type of guarding behaviour is a bad thing. So I avoid the need for it. A good leave it and seperate eating areas work for us.

Granted my situation is different in that I have two adults, not a pup and an adult.

tk123

Whispered wrote: »

I would worry that allowing any type of guarding behaviour is a bad thing. So I avoid the need for it. A good leave it and seperate eating areas work for us.
.

I agree but I wonder am I encouraging Bailey to guard because Lucy hasn't learnt to back off?

Whispered

Could you seperate them when eating?

Can you feed from your hand with her being polite? Like if you're giving them treats does she try to shove in while you're giving his?

When my two are eating outside, like in summer, I'd be outside too. I put them in slightly seperate areas. If one finishes first I'd call them over and distract them for a while. If they're annoying the other eater they get either put away or I stick a lead on until everyone is finished. So I suppose I've never had a problem because every feeding scenario is either supervised or they are crated. Or it's a bit of food that's not very interesting, like a piece of toast.

borderlinemeath

I think only you would know just how far Lucy would push Bailey without it spilling over into trouble. When Benson arrived he had a slight bit of food guarding, not much at all but it did warrant supervised feeding and a bit of work with him not 'worrying' so much about food. Coco was never that much into her food when she was fed kibble that she would want to take his, so that was a bonus. With raw it's a bit different, now he's almost too meek, and lets her take food from his bowl if she finishes before him. She also will try to steal his bone the odd time and this is the only time he puts up a bit of resistance, and even still it doesn't spill over into anything bad. He grumbles, wags his tail and looks at me as if to say "she's on the rob!" All it takes then is a switch of bones, he gets hers, she gets his and they're both happy again.

Not all dogs have to eat together. I know plenty of multi dog households where feeding is supervised so nothing kicks off, but you're in a fairly unique situation where you have to leave food/treats with them so Bailey is distracted from his SA, so to move forward you have to try to get them eating in unison without robbing. You could try supervising and let Bailey correct Lucy and just see how she reacts to it, there's a risk, but if you don't try it when supervised it could end up boiling over one day when you're not there.

Whispered

I totally forgot about baileys seperation issues. So I guess only ever feeding under supervision isn't an option then.

How do you use food for sa at the moment? Chews and kongs?

tk123

Whispered wrote: »

I totally forgot about baileys seperation issues. So I guess only ever feeding under supervision isn't an option then.

How do you use food for sa at the moment? Chews and kongs?

When I feed them their normal meals she's crated and he's not. When were working on the SA they get kongs and giant pizzles/scalp/other stinky chews. I've crating her but I played back last week's video of her biting at the crate and it was awful to watch - she could have knocked the crate down the way it was moving! She was fine in the crate until he ran out barking when he heard the car and she wanted to get out - I was going to crate her again and today and use the gate to contain them in the one room (so he can't run to the door when he hears us but after watching the vid it's put me off. I think today I'm going to leave her in the hall and him in the sitting room separated by the stair gate and see how they get on. I have cameras recording them and can check in on them remotely - which I do non stop lol!!

Whispered

Haha I would as well. No work done if I had cameras set up here

tk123

Well they were fine for about 50 mins then Bailey started to cry and barked a couple of times - I'd checked in when we got back to the car (we were in Lidl) and could see him getting a bit worried and crying so we came home...instead of killing time in Woodies lol - the glamorous lives we lead! Lucy didn't even notice we were home - too busy chewing!

Pretzill

My girl loves her toys particularly the ball - but little pup doesn't get a look in - I thought he just wasn't as interested in playing the same way as her. However the other evening he was having great fun on his own with said ball and playing a cricket type game knocking the ball across the room with one of those plasticky handled pull toys in his mouth (very ingeneous) it was only when I intervened and knocked the ball back to him that our girl dog jumped off the chair and retrieved the ball - puppy's game was over he lost interest once she took over - seperate playtime I'm thinking from now on - she's not narky about taking control at all but when she does pup gives up!

tk123

Well they've been out with their bones for hours and he's given one low growl and nothing more so pleasantly surprised! I had started with a short marrow bone and a big knuckle but Lucy got bored of her small bone and wanted Bailey's big one so she went to take it - he gave a low growl and she backed off but was furious - barking and him and me lol and play then bowing to him but he just ignored her! I ended up separating the 2 bones from the knuckle bone which is a lot harder than it looks and they were chewing away and again she wanted his but he ignored her, then somebody went out the back and Bailey was distracted for a second so she robbed his bone but he's happy with hers so all good. I'll still keep supervising for now though.

mymo

Read the title and thought you had same problem I have, thieving little sod who can open cupboards!
(He has stolen and opened 3 cans of sardines this week)

Glad you got it sorted.

tk123

mymo wrote: »

(He has stolen and opened 3 cans of sardines this week)

Glad you got it sorted.

It's not that bad thank god lol! :pac:

mymo

It's odd, I have cans of various beans, tomatoes, and coconut milk, the only thing he takes is the sardines in tomato sauce or mackerel in oil. The tins are hardly damaged, I'd love to see how he opens them.
I'm getting those childproof things for the doors!

tk123

She's a devil!! I was buying stuff on zooplus earlier in the week and had to find something to add to bring me up to €100 and save €10 on shipping... I got a kong bear with a slider to turn off the squeaker (Bailey is not a fan of Lucy squeaking stuff and will go into the crate in the other room to get away from her!).. Anyways the order came today so I showed it to Bailey this evening when Lucy was in the other room and he was delighted - bum up in the air and the toy in his mouth... Until Lucy comes thundering over and took it on him. I ended up having to restrain her to he could finish his game of finding the toy wrapped up in a blanket.. THEN he had a tennis ball out the back - she robbed even though she had a football. I went back inside to get another ball so they'd have on each and when I came back she'd take both balls and left them up on 'her' lounger, took the third one off me and added it to her collection! :rolleyes: