Teaching Indie to share possessions with other dogs.

can anyone give me any advice on how to teach indie how to share toys and bones without being really possessive?
Shes fine with us but not with other dogs.

It is one of the strongest instincts which is hard-wired into a dog - what is mine is mine and it is going to stay that way and I will fight for my right to keep it. This is particularly the case with food items, even a submissive dog will try to keep its 'spoils'. I do not feel that a dog should be expected to share food.

Food and toys always have the potential to be flash points for a disagreement. I doubt if you can teach a dog to share toys, and I would not attempt to teach it to share food as it goes against that very basic instinct. If 'possession' is causing problems then the toys should be removed when the dogs are together.

Because of that reason we do't have any toys for the dogs in the house we have tried and it doesn't work

As for food they don't get the chance to share or even try to, their fed in seperate rooms

I don't know if it's recomended or not but what I do is...If Keena is happily playing with something Takoda will march right up sometimes and growl at her and take it off her, poor girl!

He doesn't do this with food because he actually respects her food is hers and he knows she would defend her food...But with toys she would rather just let him take it than have a confrontation!...Anyway I really don't like it so I do intervene...I tell him to drop and leave what he took from her and I replace what he took with a different toy and I give the toy she had back to her...Sometimes I have to do it a couple times but he gets the message and the problem is soon sorted.

Your situation could well be different though.

Yep mys I do that a lot as well... Ziggy is always stealing Archie's toys, and it really upsets me Archie is too sweet to tell him off so he just stands there like an idiot a couple of times he has even allowed ziggy to stead biscuits out of his mouth

I think some dogs are more possessive than others, especially where food and bones are concerned might be best not to try and teach her to share as it might cause a fight

lol...Poor Archie!

Just to address Tuti's second paragraph...I agree I wouldn't recommend what we do to everyone!...I think you'll know your dogs and if it's viable...

When I do the toy exchange thing I have to say Takoda has sometimes gotten bolshy and then lunged for Keena. This is because he would never go for me but is throwing a tantrum and lashes out at her because he is a bit p*d off at me When this happens I wont accept that behaviour and so it is time out and he spends 5 mins (only) away from us...I have been doing this alot recently because I really wanted to address the situation and it really has been working...He comes back out the kitchen and all is well and the mood returns to happy...Also these incidents have been happening far less as a result.

Still not entirely sure if it would be good for your dogs though...because I know all dogs are different and what works for mine could mess up your situation

Hope you can figure it out though as it must be tough.

I agree that it does depend to a large extent on the personalities of the dogs involved and just what they may be willing to share/give up. My bitch will allow the boy to take certain toys from her but if he dares to help himself to her Frisbee She doesn't get aggressive, just stalks him and then stands there giving him the evil eye until his courage fails and he drops it and runs Sometimes she will do it with other toys, sometimes she won't, but always with the Frisbee. It has never come to blows 'the look' is enough

They were not "taught" to share, it is just something they have worked out between themselves.

As for food I would never expect them to share anything. They are fed at opposite ends of the kitchen and the first to finish has been taught to sit and wait until the other has finished and moved away from his/her bowl. They are then at liberty to inspect each other's bowls for left-overs (they are always disappointed)

When a number of dogs are communally fed it can happen that a weaker or more timid dog will get pushed aside. This can result in malnutrition for some and over-weight for others - which is why mealtimes for multiple dogs should be set and supervised to ensure that each is eating the correct amount. Bones are a very high-value resource and will usually be keenly guarded from any potential thief.

That is how it works here too. Star will share toys most of the time but Finn gets the look if he oversteps the mark.

With food I feed them in the same room but apart from one another and watch them. Finn eats faster than Star but when he finishes he waits until she is finished before he makes a move again just a look reminds him. Then they swap empty bowls.

With treats I can now give them chews and they will both lie on the rug together with them but that has only just happened in the last month or so. Before that I kept them apart. Ive not been brave enough to try marrow bones yet.

I think it helps with mine being opposite of each other, Star being very bossy and Finn being very submissive. it has been a gradual process of them learning to share toys but I cant ever imagine them sharing food and would not really expect them too although they will both drink from the water bowl at the same time.

The same goes here, Millie wont allow Bandit to have anything she wants, or anything he has, she will just go and take it from him........if he is playing with something and she takes it, I will take it off her and give her somthing else, but in the end she usually gets what she wants, the only thing he will not let her have is his tennis ball, he will growl at her , and she seems to know he means business, but she wont give up, she will just lay in wait, and when he is finished playing with it , she will pounce.

I always feed the seperate, one in the kitchen and one in the laundry, and I will supervise, Miliie will finish hers in a flash, but she knows , to sit and wait for him to finish, then they go and check each others bowls out.