Toy thief

Hi guys. Ginger and I have a problem, and I guess it is a bigger problem than I wanted to admit. She is a toy thief. It started about a year and a half ago I guess, where she started stealing her friends toys. When we would go over to a doggie friends house she would try to take one of their toys with her when it was time to go. One time we were all in the back yard at a friend's house and she took one of Hudson's toys and kept walking to the gate with it like she was ready to leave with the toy. I, of course told her no and took the toy away from her. A little later I see her doing something by the fence, I look, and she has the same toy and she is trying to shove it under the fence. :eek: Okay, that is problem #1, problem #2 is balls at the park. I always take a ball for Ginger to play with, but she wants everyone else's balls. She will run after any ball that is thrown and very often gets there before her friend (there are two in particular that I am thinking of). Now, if told Uh-uh or leave it she will. Or if the other dog growls or butts her she will leave it. But it is a constant battle. I think we really annoyed one of our friends at the park this weekend because she kept getting to the ball first. I kept trying to distract her with her own ball, and even had the friend she was watching throw her ball. Ginger didn't want her ball, she wanted the other one. :( So is this just normal doggie behavior, or is there something I should be doing? I will also say when we have doggie visitors to our house, Ginger has absolutely no problem with sharing her toys and even the treats she has "buried" around the house. When at the park if another dog gets to her ball before her, no problem, no barking, growling or anything like that. So I don't think it is a dominance thing, I just think it is because it is something new or different to her. What should I do?

I am no expert but I think maybe you might try to get her a nice inexpensive new toy. Maybe that is it. I don't know. There are probably lots of other people who know more about this so I will leave it up to them. :)

I don't think it's problem unless she won't give the toys up and becomes aggressive. As long as she willingly gives it up when you say so, I don't see a big problem. My dogs always want the toy the others have, too, no matter what kind of toy I offer them, it's always the one that one of the others has that looks more fun. ;)

Lady used to do the same thing with my dad's dog. It never caused any trouble, Brunie used to take it as an invite to play. I don't think it's a problem, and REALLY can't think of a way to train her other than to take away what she's not supposed to have and give her a sub.

Thank you very much for your replies. I thought the same thing before, but after my friend became annoyed this weekend I thought maybe I was taking it too lightly. Although not expressed, she seemed to think that it was wrong that her dog couldn't play with his own toy because my dog was bad mannered. So I thought if it was something I should deal with I would ask here. Thanks again.

My dogs have always been that way, just like a kid...I want what you have! I think as long as she's not being mean I really wouldn't worry about it. I think parents worry about their "kid" not having their toy more than the "kids" do;)