[nkbear]

My puppy is 9 months old.. is great with people and other dogs .. loves to play

Discovering how to run without falling flat on his face.. chase and being chased by other dogs ..

1 problem.. as soon as there is a stick, ball or other toy involved, he gets aggressive with the other dog ... I step in and take the object away and give it to the other dog and we move on . but he's not stopping .. I don't know how to correct this

I went out and bought a muzzle today, figuring when i take him to the park .. if it happens again.. i will put muzzle on at that time.. is there any other way ?? is muzzle going to work ??

I had 2 goldens before and that was never an issue

 

[fostermom]

It sounds like he has a bit of resource guarding. There are many ways to deal with it, mainly by using desensitization. But taking the item he is guarding and giving it to the other dog will not help solve this issue. Basically, he is saying "I am afraid I will lose this, so I am going to guard it" and you are saying "you sure are going to lose it and I am going to give it to the dog you were afraid of losing it to". Which can greatly escalate the guarding behavior.

I do agree with picking up the object being guarded, especially if there is another dog involved, but I would do it by trading a really good treat for that object. Make losing the object a GOOD thing. Don't give it to the other dog, that is just reinforcing the fear/anxiety that he is going to lose it to another dog.

 

[BeauShel]

I agree totally with fostermom. Keep treats with you when you go to the park so you can step in with one if it happens again.

 

[Mighty Casey and Samson's Mom]

I agree too...have positive alternatives to the "cherished" object. Let his giving it up (to you, not the other dog) have positive results. This is an important behaviour to resolve when they are young.