My dog cannot share....quite long.....please advise!

[Insanity]

My dog,who is a bitch, is just over 2 years old.

She has only become interested in balls and sticks games in the last few months. She has always been really friendly and well socialised as a puppy but now she doesnt like any other dog coming to see her when she is playing fetch with her ball.

She will also see a dog playing with a ball or stick and she thinks its her right to go and get their ball. She is good on her recall so I can normally stop her from doing this but in the last couple of months she has growled/fought (but more vocal) 3 dogs over balls/sticks.

The last incident, she was playing in the river and 2 labs joined her. Everything was fine untill one of the owners threw a stick in (one stick, 3 dogs .) My dog was not able to fetch fast enough and was growling when the other dog got the stick. I explained that she seemed to get jealous/competitive but the lady threw the stick again. This time a fight broke out between mine and one of the labs who had the stick in her mouth, I managed to call mine away, apologies were made from both sides and I went on my own way.

How do I stop this behaviour?? She is great, well trained but obviously will not share.

She has not been spayed yet (would this help) and the 3 dogs who she has growled at were both girls.

Please come and give me advice.

[bumpsoon]

When you say a fight broke out ,do you mean that she really went for the other dog ? Where i walk there is a river and lots of other dogs and often when mine gets a stick ,other dogs will growl and attempt to wrestle it off him ,i thought this was normal .

[bumpsoon]

Does she give up balls /sticks etc to you without complaint ?

[Insanity]

She gives up balls, sticks, bones, food to us and the kids, in fact anyone that asks.

Yes, she growls, and is fine if the other dog goes away or gives up the stick but if the other dog resists it seems my dog likes to put them in their place.

She is a very confident dog but it isnt nice when it happens, although the other owners seem fine,so perhaps their dogs dont back down either?! When it does happen, both dogs will be on their back legs being very vocal, but it doesnt look like they bite, but it is only over sticks etc, and she is fine and plays nicely if they arent involved. I have tried to google a "cure" as such but to no avail. She does stop and comes to me when I tell her to and then I tell her off and put her on the lead, apologises exchanged with the other owner, but I feel awful and it sounds vicious.

I now put her on the lead if we come across a came of fetch and if I amthrowing the ball for my dog and another owners dog comes along I explain that she will not share the ball.

[imaynotbeperfectbutimokmummy]

by putting her on the lead whenever you see other dogs, you are going to create anxious aggression. She is going to sense that you are tense and react accordingly.

Maybe have some treats with you to distract her.

If she were mine, i would do nothing - its all noise and bravado with dogs MOST of the time, i think if you make an issue of it, it will become one.

Reliquishing things can be a dominance issue. Im not sure if speying a bitch will help with this, BUT it is absolutely in her best interest to get her speyed. This can prevent long term health problems and potentially fatal complications.

[Insanity]

But if it was your dog being attacked as such, how as an owner would you feel? I feel awful when she has done it, and I know she is not vicious, just more like a toddler who doesnt want to share!

We have been out and about with her and it just seems to be keeping an eye for any unexpected games of fetch we come across and distracting her accordingly. I did get talking to another whos dog is exactly the same, and funny enough my dog and hers were getting on fine as no ballwas introduced!