Hi, I need your help. My dog is 2 years old bitch from shelter. She is very sweet, not a bit aggressive towards people or other dogs. Until they don't want to come close to her food or toys. She starts growling, tail up, body is stiff. She has not attacked any dog yet but I fear she might soon and I really want to prevent it. Any ideas how to make her less possessive of food/toys/plastic bottles, just anything she can find outside?
I really don't know where it comes from, she is pretty submissive, when meeting other dogs that are not too friendly she ignores them and never attacks or even growls, she lays on her back when meeting bigger dogs but when she has anything in her mouth, she becomes someone else and has no problems to snarl even at dog twice her size.
When we play, we both growl but I can tell the difference, it's never "serious". When she becomes a bit too excited I stop our play and wait until she calms down and she accepts it without snarling or anything.
So what do I do? Take the toy/stick/whatever away and give it to the other dog or put her on leash so she can't play or should I just let her be?

Thanks for any help!

You are obviously reading her right! The tail up being an attempt to make themselves look bigger - normally prior to attack!

With a rescue would not know where to tell you to start, as no one knows what has gone on before! I am not a fan of behaviorists but may be worth someone else observing her behavior to see if they can come up with anything! but as I said - you seem to have worked it out for yourself!

That said - will she allow you to take toys from her?

The food guarding could be that she has gone hungry in the past!

DT

Thanks for the quick reply!
Actually I'm planning to see a behaviorist soon to see me work with my dog, to tell me how to react but I thought I'd ask here first.

Yes, I guess she is guarding food because she is a rescue and she probably used to leave her food to bigger dogs (she was very thin when I got her and her teeth are not teeth of a two years old dog with healthy food) but toys possession seems pretty strange to me and so unlike her.
Yes, I can take her food and toys, sometimes she growls a bit but it sounds differently, and obviouly I don't stop and simply give her "leave it" command and take it. I usually trade it for a snack so she knows it is a good thing to share.
And I don't know if it's the right to do when trying her to stop with growling but the other day when playing she was growling a bit so I growled back and she stepped back in a moment and let the toy be. So I think she respects me as a pack leader but has problems with other dogs (but I also think she would not let some stranger take anything from her - I haven't tried that to see her reaction)

It's good that you're going to see a behaviourist, this sounds like the sort of issue that needs to be seen in action. I don't really have advice besides that I really wouldn't do the thing I've quoted above - that will only solidify her idea that if she has Stuff and there are other dogs, they will make her Stuff disappear. It'll probably make her react more intensely instead of less.

I would sooner go in the other direction and feed her little tidbits (small enough to be gone in one bite, so they don't become the subject of guarding) when there are other dogs near her when she has something, so she learns that more Good Stuff falls from the sky when there's other dogs around..

__________________
It's not easy for a monkey to think like a dog

My cat Tijgje shows off his tricks

Have you any idea if she lived with another dog or dogs originally? Being as she acts submissively unless its food i was just wondering if she did. If this was the case as a lower ranking one its possible she was bullied and they took her food and toys. If she was dominant all the time then i would say its just part of her dominant behaviour. This is the only explanation i can think of. My action would interupt the growling or guarding with firm loud no or hey or ahh ahh to snap her out of it and know its not good behaviour teach her watch me and get her to sit then reward. If you dont already take her to training. Obviously you need to watch dropped treats and toys with dogr getting a bit to close while your dealing with this problem. But it will help with getting and keeping your attension with other dogs in close proximity and food about. Having said all this. Im no behaviourist and i think you have done the best thing.

No, dogs don't do sharing - that's a human concept not a canine one. Possession is everything with dogs. Yes, they may invite another dog to 'play' games with a toy, and yes, some are more tolerant of others trying to take them but dogs don't understand the concept of 'fairness' and 'sharing' in a human way.

In order to avoid any problems, I would removed toys in the presence of other dogs.

Is this behaviour just towards other dogs, or is it a problem with humans too?

Not much help - but thought I'd share my experiences.
I've had my 2 since 8 weeks, we got Lilly one year after Zipper.
They sleep together, walk together and play together.
However give them a high value treat such as a bone, stuffed kong or pigs ear all hell will break loose unless they are seperated.
Some things are worth defending and where normally Zipper will back down, over a high value treat he'll hold his ground.

__________________


A dog Possesses Beauty without Vanity,Strength without Insolence, Courage without Ferocity, And all the Virtues of Man without his Vices.

She`s resource guarding - and considering she may have been deprived of food / toys in the past it`s not surprising.
I would feed her separately, and not leave chews etc. lying about.
Train her a good Give - using swaps or treats as a reward, and supply each dog with a toy as needed.
Dogs don`t `share`. It`s not in their nature. They may not object to another dog taking from them, but that`s a different thing.
There`s a good book called `Mine!` which has excellent advice on dealing with this.
In the meantime - every time you take things away and give them to the other dog, she`s getting more frustrated. Take things from her, praise or reward - and give them back.

Have a read of some books on positive dog training - you`ll see a different way of interpreting dog behaviour.

Re clareandaisys comment on my quote. I did not say she was dominant. I you re read i said if she was dominant all the time l would say its dominance. Prior to this i refer to the fact that shes submissive except for food. That was why i asked if she had lived with dogs and that being submissive they would have taken or tried to take her resources.