PREVENTING resource guarding

Shohin

What I've done in both situations is tell her no and take the object away from both dogs . . . I figure if they can't play nice, they can't have it.

I think this is more likely to make her think she has to growl at YOU.  Normally I would not expect a dog who growls at other dogs to automatically transfer that to people, but if you take prized items away from her, then you are very likely to have her guard them from you. 

What do you expect her to do instead of growling?  Just let the otehr dog take what she has?  I am not sure what you are expecting from the dog(s) here (and I'm suposedly an intelligent species so what chance do they have? )  Is whatshe is doing really that unreasonable?  If someone was trying to take something you wanted, would it be unfair of you to say "No, you can't have that"?  Or even, "Hey!  What do you think you are doing?"

Perhaps Winston is trying to initiate play and Gracie is telling him she is not interested?  Try giving them toys simultaneously - if Gracie has a ball, Winston has a ball.  If Gracie knows that you will step in on her behalf and remove or distract Winston, she will feel LESS inclined to growl - at either of you.
 

mudpuppy

I never leave toys out- they don't play with them so much as work in concert to destroy them. Toys only come out for one on one play with people then get put away.

I dont leave them out either.  They wouldn't last five minutes! 

Rubber toys and balls survive here, even a pigskin football .....but, cute, fluffy stuffed toys.....ah....no.....

I have a longhaired dog and a shorthaired dog. But the shorthaired one sheds TERRIBLY and is the same color as you carpet! Wanna trade? Carpets I mean, not dogs!

destructo dane can tear a rubber kong to bits in seconds if not watched carefully. Tennis balls can be chomped into nothingness on the return trip back to ball thrower. A toy that survives a week is considered a success here- and that's a week of mostly being in the toy box, and only dog-person one on one play.

Rubber toys survive here, stuffies do not.