# Preventing Possessiveness



## the pink fairy (Jan 1, 2007)

I was wondering if anyone could advise me on how to prevent possessiveness when my Chi baby arrives.

I want her to be well socialised and have good manners. I'd like to know how to stop things like possessiveness over her food bowl, toys, our bed, the sofa.
I was going to buy doggie stairs so she can climb onto our bed and the sofa but I heard you have to wait untill they "ask", so sitting with you is a privilage not a right. I was going to get two sets of stairs so she can climb on our bed whilst we are at work.Is that a good idea? 


Thanks alot everyone 

Kay

xxxx


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## Rah (May 3, 2007)

Personally my dog isn't allowed on my bed or the furniture if I'm not there, she isn't allowed in my bedroom when I'm not there, although she can jump on the sofas herself now so if I want to prevent her from getting on those I have to shut her in the kitchen (which I do do!)

You have to make the dog know that YOU are the boss, the pack leader, the most dominant one. With food possessiveness, pretend to eat out of the bowl before you give it to your dog, so they think they are getting the second go at it. Also, definitely make your dog sit before nearly everything - before going into the garden, before getting a treat, before mealtimes, before you pick them up. I taught my pup to sit in the first week of having her - she could sit on command by 9 weeks old  This shows them that they have to work for YOU before they get something good - which in their eyes means you are the one in control.

With toys, don't have them all available to your dog all the time. I have a box in which I keep my pup's toys in, and I choose when to play with her, and I take the toy away after a certain time so she knows I'm the one in control of the toys and of play. I do leave a few toys out for her, but if she brings them to me and tries to force me to play with her, I take them off of her, or tell her 'AWAY!', then I might start play myself about 5 minutes later! 

And yes, sitting with you IS a privilege, definitely not a right! I personally wouldn't buy stairs for my dog, but I know some people like to because they're worried about their dogs little legs getting hurt. When they're a puppy though, they won't be able to get on sofas/beds without you lifting them up anyway, and I'd be worried about leaving my dog alone that young at any high platform in case they jumped off/missed the stairs, so I would also not have bought stairs on moral grounds.

Once a dog knows you are the boss, it will always be looking to you for signs of what to do. If you let it growl at people without saying 'NO!' firmly, or nip at people without correcting the behaviour, it will believe that its behaviour is fine. She won't come into the house knowing what is right and what is wrong, and it will always be up to you to correct things that she does wrong, and praise things she does right. When they're puppies things like growling or nipping can be cute, but it's bad behaviour and you have to think of the behaviour you want the dog to have in the future. You have to decide what you want the dog's behaviour to be like, and what house rules you want it to abide, and STICK BY THOSE RULES. Try not to give mixed signals, where one day being on the sofa is fine, but the next day it isn't, or one day growling at the husband is cute and ok, but the next day growling at your child isn't.

...woah, I typed a lot xD


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## ChiChiHannah (Sep 18, 2007)

I'm gonna lurk on this one, 'cos doggie discipline is something I want to learn a bit more about too  (for future reference)


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## freedomchis (Jul 28, 2007)

great advice rah most of your rules i have in my home too!!!!!!!!!!!


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## Pauline Leland (Oct 9, 2006)

Sometimes lack of possessiveness just happens. I've taken Boop's food dish away from her without incident. Of course, it was to 'improve' it each time - add a goody, cut the too large chunks smaller, whatever - so that may be why she trusts me. With no other pets, she doesn't have to guard her food from rivals.

I make her sit for food, but not for other privileges like the couch, my bed, etc. I've heard that NILF, nothing in life is free, is a recommended way to raise dogs and avoid problems. She has a wonderful temperament, tho, and I'm perhaps too indulgent.


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## the pink fairy (Jan 1, 2007)

Thanks for the advice everyone esp Rah.

I wouldn't leave her alone when she was so young - just to make everyone aware. She will be confined to the kitchen with a baby gate untill she gets older.

My aunt would take the bowl away from her English Bullterrier half way through eating.Then once my aunt had held the bowl for a bit she would then tell her she was a good girl and place the bowl down. 

Is this ok or is it too anal? 

xx


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## Rah (May 3, 2007)

No, that's not too anal! I've done that too, it's another great way to show your dominance over the dog. Just imagine the bowl of food is an animal carcass, and you and your dog are wolves - in the wild, the leader of the pack would get first go at the meat, and generally the other wolves would have to wait until the lead wolf had had enough. Some might snatch for little snippets, but on the whole, if the leader wants to eat, the other wolves have to back off!


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## ChiFan (Jul 6, 2007)

Recently I've been ordering Trixie and Sasha to sit before I give them their Nylabones. Before I'd just hand it to them but Trixie is starting to become VERY possessive of BOTH bones. So I ask them to sit (which they do in perfect unison) and then I pretend to gnaw on the bones myself while they watch... and then I give them each a bone... Trixie first. 

It seems to be helping.


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## Jangles021204 (Sep 20, 2006)

I think you've been given some good advice already, but I'm going to put in my two cents as well. I'm a big NILIF fan here. I'm not very creative so I usually just ask for a sit or down before giving my dogs anything. I must admit I get a bit lax from time to time, but sometimes I just like to enjoy my dogs without thinking about any "rules." About the food thing...while I do think you should be able to take the bowl away when you want or need to, I don't necessarily think it is a good idea to do it routinely. In my opinion this is likely to make the dog more possessive over the food bowl because the dog becomes afraid that you are going to take it away all the time. Instead, I think a better method is to only approach the dog/bowl if you are going to add something to it, like an extra tasty tidbit of some sort. This way, the dog will associate your approach and hands with positive things and will never feel like it needs to guard it. I have my dogs sit/down before I set their bowls down, and then I have them wait until I give them the okay to start eating. After that though, I let them eat in peace because I feel it's somewhat rude to interrupt them once they have started. I only bother them to add a treat of some kind every now and then.


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## the pink fairy (Jan 1, 2007)

That's brilliant thanks Jangles :wave:

xx


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## Jangles021204 (Sep 20, 2006)

Good luck!


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