PREVENTING resource guarding

zircon

 Especially as far as #3, having a toy box that's always how we've done it and we've NEVER had a problem. Who is recommending anything else and what is the logic?

Well, I've heard that I should never give my dogs marrow bones unless they are both crated - I leave marrow bones in the toy box and I have no clue where they chew them but I know they do b/c I'm always picked them up.  I've heard that *I* should always be the one to start and end games and playing with toys - nope, I keep the toys in the open box and the dogs usually prefer to play with each other, not me.  Sometimes I have to throw out a stuffy b/c it gets overchewed, but the dogs do most of their chewing on marrow bones and nylabones so I don't worry too much about the toys.  By the time they chew it to death, the toy is already gross and is ready to be replaced anyway.

I leave toys in a box too.  As for marrow bones, if they all have new ones and they are juicy they are sepearated.  Once their spent and just hard ole bones, they go in the toy box.

 My female tussel everyonce in while and its over food or bowl or something appealing like that.  It's more noise than anything, I send them both off to their corners with a "get"!!

Good thing I never read that stuff. First off I don't use crates.

I do make sure that I give each of them something similar at the same time. If one gets a new toy, so does the other. If one gets a bone or a treat, so does the other. As it is Sophia will swipe Zircon's (by definition anything he has is of higher value ) but then he steals it back and this goes on indefinitely.

I let my dogs lick plates and stuff too!! But I noticed that I always give Cheyanne the first lick and then Lillie gets her turn. Kujo gets lucky and gets Samantha's plate all to herself. 

luvmyswissy

I leave toys in a box too.  As for marrow bones, if they all have new ones and they are juicy they are sepearated.  Once their spent and just hard ole bones, they go in the toy box.

Yep.  Mine eat them new in crates b/c I don't want blood and raw meat dripping on my white carpets!  Then they are washed and considered a toy. 

kle1986

I let my dogs lick plates and stuff too!! But I noticed that I always give Cheyanne the first lick and then Lillie gets her turn. Kujo gets lucky and gets Samantha's plate all to herself. 

Kenya always waits b/c Coke is much more food motivated.  She knows I will save her some.  I have them take turns b/c otherwise they are head-butting each other and licking so vigorously little drips of food fly everywhere.  I let Coke get his licks, then Kenya, then say "OK, thank you" and the plate goes in the dishwasher.  I guess Kenya is more of the "alpha", so again it proves that eating order doesn't really matter, if she always gets her licked second.

I pretty much do what everyone else does, except I don't feed in crates, and I don't separate them while they eat. At first I supervised to make sure that there was no food guarding or stealing going on, but over time I no longer bother. They can eat nicely a foot or two apart with no problems.

We have toys everywhere - they get put back in the toy box for vacuuming once a week, and they're free to choose what they want to play with. There are also several nylabones laying around. Typically, whatever one dog has the other dog wants, no matter if there's a duplicate in the same room. That's just how they play. As long as it's just play growls, I let them play tug and rip toys out of each other's mouths, which they both seem to delight in.

I did a lot of trading games with them when they were younger where they had to release something to me, and I'd give them a treat and then give it back, or I'd give them something else. Now, I don't bother to do that anymore, but they do need to sit and make eye contact before I'll give them anything, or at play time before I throw the ball.

The ONLY time they growl at each other (and I do allow them to do it) is with a high value treat like bully sticks. They always get them at the same time, but one always finishes first and not always the same dog. If the first dog starts hovering around the dog that's still chewing, a short growl gets the dog to back off. S/he will then lay down nearby with a big sigh and pout. I think that's fine. It's never escalated into a fight, and they only get high-value treats like bully sticks when we're there and are always in the same room with us while they chew.

Cassidys Mom

they get put back in the toy box for vacuuming once a week,

Holy smokes.....you get by with vacuuming once a week? Wow,......I need to at least every other day......every day is optimal.......btw, my dogs don't eat in crates except for the new arrivals......

Hard to believe, but true, lol! 

Cassidys Mom

Hard to believe, but true, lol! 

I gotta know.....lol....what is your secret?

Same here.  Coke has a longer, thicker coat (sort of like a combination of a Malamute and a rough Collie), but his hair tends to come off in clumps that I can just pick up if I find one.  Otherwise I brush him outside and pull it all out at once.  In fact I just did, picked up a black poodle off the lawn.  Kenya has the correct stock coat and her hair I find flying all over the house.  I guess it just falls off her body more easily and doesn't stick to a clump.  Now, the dog hair vs the CAT hair....the CATS are why I vacuum at least every other day!!  I love my new Dyson.  I like to empty the can and then see how much I can get from just one room, or see whats the biggest stick or leaf it will vacuum off the porch....
 

I have the Dyson Animal......yay.....lol.....but, at this point we are with 3 GSDs,  1 Husky/Malamute and 1 Husky/Chow......so......the Chow mix has the most hair.......eeeek...we do baths every month or we try to stay with this schedule as much as we can........and if we didn't do that the hair would be out of control inside the house.........

 Hey, Liesje, a little OT, but you must be the only person I know that has dogs AND white carpets.  I have tile - I can only guess what the grass clippings, horse manure, and other "debris" would do to a white carpet LOL.

spiritdogs

 Hey, Liesje, a little OT, but you must be the only person I know that has dogs AND white carpets. 

Nope, me too! Well, not exactly white, more like cream. But I have two longhaired dogs and two longhaired cats. This is what it looks like post brushing/pre vacuuming: