Resource guarding balls and sticks when out and about?

[Slavetolove]

Jinny has started resource guarding. She stole another dogs ball today at the park and then attacked him when he went close. It was horrible!! She’s started doing it with treats as well if the cat is near her. She went to have a drink out a water bowl and a dog went near her and she growled at her as well. It’s really knocked my confidence with her. What do I do? 🥺

She’s just finished her season (week 3nhalf) could this be it?

When she first started her season we went to my sisters house and she had loads of bones about. Jinny took one and when her dog came upto her she went for him aswell. I assumed it was because the bones were high value?
But a ball? She has loads of balls?

she’s really good at home, she will sit and wait for her dinner until we give her the command. She will”leave” anything we ask her to. The only niggle thing is if the cat gets A treat she will try and take it.
Everyone at the park was so shocked because she’s never behaved like this before, she’s been going since 10 weeks old and has played with the dogs (this was anew one!) every day since apart from the last 3 weeks. She’s usually very submissive and chilled.

i feel reallysad. I spent ages making sure she wouldn’t resource guard as a puppy in the home but didn’t think about outside.
She was attacked by a black Labrador at 12 weeks because of a ball and he bit through her ear, he has a name for himself because he’s obsessed with the ball and I don’t want her to be the same :(

Dogs really shouldn’t share toys when out and about, it is a recipe for disaster.
I would play with toys when it is just her, but if there are other dogs take the toys out of the mix.
when your playing with her try and have 2 balls so you’re constantly swapping them out rather than asking her to give one up. Basically get her to drop one because something else is more interesting.

It wasn’t her toy, it was one she stole. We never take balls or anything out and about. :(

@Slavetolove first of all don't panic. If she is just finishing her season it could be partly due to that, mine was sensitive and a bit grumpy/snappy during and just after her season. Give her a couple of days to calm down now without being in a situation where this could happen again soon after.

Mine does this too, so he's not allowed toys/balls on walks and if I see another dog with a ball, he gets put straight back on his lead until we pass safely.

I wouldn't be worried about it - it's normal to an extent for dogs to guard things. We've just gone down the environmental management route but you could speak to a trainer or behaviourist too.

My dog is a big ball thief which has caused problems in the past. She doesn't get grumpy when other dogs try to reclaim it but she will run off and start thinking it's a game....which has made other dog owners grumpy on occasion! 😬

I now make sure to always have another ball with me to give her in exchange if needs be...

Also, don't worry too much that she got cross about it. She's just had a season and dogs don't understand the concept of 'sharing' in the way that kids do! Ours went through a similar phase of growling if she had a bone and thought someone was about to take it from her, but that's now stopped as she's grown up and realised there's no threat.