As we prepare to welcome our first baby, Baxter needs to be prepared. In today’s post I cover how we are separating his toys from those belonging to baby. Furthermore, I discuss resource guarding issues which some dogs may find particularly problematic when it comes to toys.
Reminding our audience that if they have serious behavioral concerns or special needs such as resource guarding, working with an established, professional trainer would be in their best interests.
As soon as a friend delivered our baby a present, I quickly pulled out a stuffed rabbit to show Baxter as evidence of my confusion and said something like, ‘Look, Baxter; here’s our gift for baby!’. He looked puzzled.
Dude smelled the bunny before taking it in his mouth as is his habit with any new toy. Poor Mama.
He quickly gave up the bunny without making a fuss, which surprised us because any stuffed animal that entered our house before was usually intended for Baxter, as most are barely distinguishable from baby toys. But all of a sudden we have an entirely new collection of stuffed toys designated exclusively for Mr. B!
How to Stop Your Dog From Stealing Baby Toys
Baxter is generally quite mellow, so we don’t anticipate having issues with him taking toys that belong to Baby. However, every dog is different.
My strategy for keeping toys organized and separate has been to prioritize small ones while baby and her toys remain small.
Baby toys will reside in various spots within your home: from their nursery, baskets under the coffee table in living rooms and basement family rooms, play mats or play yards.
Baxter’s toys live mostly in a basket under a chair in the family room and he knows where they are stored; when he wants to play he grabs one from there. There are usually at least one or two toys spread around both rooms as well.
As the baby grows, I want her to know these are Baxter’s toys and should remain out of her room – no more doggie toys in there!
My solution may not be perfect and there will inevitably be miscommunication, but we are fortunate that Baxter does not seem overly possessive of his toys.
Bax is fortunate that she does not show much interest in other toys such as hard plastic rattles or wooden blocks that could potentially pose dangers if swallowed, so we teach him “leave it” or “can I have this?” when retrieving items from him.
Some dogs may be reluctant to let go of an object they find appealing, such as toys. When this occurs, you might try using commands such as “drop” and “not yours.” Alternatively, condition them by exchanging higher value items (such as treats ) in exchange for the toy(s).
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