Protecting or Taunting?

[Leslie and Halas]

Halas loves playing with my mom's dog, Barley, and the feeling seems to be mutual.  Halas likes that Barley is smaller, and Barley has no problems rough-housing with a bigger dog, so it works out for them.  Halas hits Barley with his paws, Barley jumps on Halas, they take turns chasing each other, it's all good.  Halas prefers being chased over doing the chasing, so he spends a lot of time trying to get Barley to chase him.  Halas will come up to Barley, take a swat at Barley with his paw, and then run away hoping Barley is chasing him.  But when toys are involved, Halas does some funny things that make me wonder about his intentions.

For example, Halas has a Himalayan dog chew that he basically ignored for about 5 months.  Several weeks ago, Barley came over, and started chewing on it, and Halas kept distracting Barley from the chew, so that he could take it back.  Now, after 5 months of little, if any, interest, Halas thought that chew was great, and he had to have it back.  I recently ordered a smaller chew for Barley, and gave it to him when he was at our house the other day.  Halas tricked Barley into moving away from it, took it, went and found his own, and carried them both around in his mouth.  My first thought was that he wanted them for himself.  But he'll walk right up to Barley with them, make sure Barley sees them, and then run away.  I think he's using them to try to get Barley to chase him.  If he wanted them for his own, wouldn't he go hide them somewhere?  Or at least start chewing on one? 

He's also done it with a squeaky hamburger.  Halas has one that he loves, and Mom recently bought one for Barley.  Both squeaky burgers are at my mom's house.  The other night, I was at her house running on the treadmill while Halas and Barley played.  I came back upstairs to find Halas standing there with both squeaky burgers in his mouth.  Both sticking out perfectly, like he was just taking a bite out of each.  I tried to get a picture, but he wouldn't stand still.  He was again trying to get Barley's attention, so that Barley would chase him.

So when Halas hogs the toys, he could be protecting them, or he could be taunting Barley with them.  I'm now leaning more towards taunting in order to get Barley to chase him.  If Halas was protecting, he would probably hide the toys or growl if/when Barley tried to take them back.  But he doesn't do that.  If Barley catches him and tries to take one, Halas doesn't care.  He just lets Barley take it, and then works on another way to get the chase game going again.  Instead of being jealous of Barley for playing with Halas' toys, I think Halas is jealous of the toys for taking Barley's attention away from their game of chase. So I guess Halas figures that if Barley wants the toy, and Halas has the toy, Barley will have to chase him to get it.

Either way, it results in a lot of entertainment for us.  Do your doodles do this with toys?  Are they trying to keep the toys for themselves?  Or are they trying to distract the other one into a game?

[Becka]

I love the image of Halas with both burgers in his mouth! My guess is that he wants Barley to chase him--Sadie does this with other dogs' balls and toys (and sticks) at the park. If she can't get anyone to chase her she'll usually lose interest in the toy.

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

I would love to see Halas with the burgers in his mouth! Clancy gathers toys and lays on them.  I do think he is trying to keep them for himself, but it is cute.  We have some growling over bones sometimes between Gordie and Clancy.  Ned just takes what he wants which sometimes results in tug of war.

[Ricki and Tara (doodle)]

This just sounds so cute!! You HAVE to get some pictures!! It sure sounds like taunting to me!! I agree that Halas would be acting more aggressively or retreat with the items and not be flashing them in Barley's face if he was being possessive.

[Terra and Max]

I think Halas is one smart doodle. Regardless of his intent...he is getting the attention of Barley and they are playing.

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

It really does sound like Halas is just trying to play a game.  Here's how it goes it our house....Guinness gets a toy, Murph takes it away, I scold Murph and give the toy back to Guinness, Murph takes it away again, I correct Murph and give the toy back to Guinness, Murph takes it away again, I again correct and make the toy "go away".  Then Guinness goes to the toy box and gets another one....and we start again.  I say things sound like a lot more fun at your house...LOL

[F, Calla & Luca]

In your house you are part of the game : )

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

Yup...

[Linda and Murphy]

Love the image of the burgers! Halas is one smart dood.  I think he is just trying to get Barley to play. Anything Murphy doesn't want another dog to have, he takes to his crate...and he does growl.

I am also amazed that the Himalayan chew has lasted that long. Murph's was gone in a day.

[Leslie and Halas]

Barley is just a little guy, so he chews on it, but he doesn't really get too far with it.  Halas barely chews on it, if at all.  He just likes to carry it around.

[Denise & Hunter!!!]

The image made me laugh out loud!!  It reminded me of my human children, they will ignore something until the other one shows an interest and then they want it!  I to think it sounds like Halas is just one smart dood and has figured out how he can get Barley to chase him.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Jackdoodle will suddenly show great interest in a toy he has been ignoring for months if another dog picks it up, and it's not to get the other dog to chase him. It's definitely resource guarding, although he never growls or acts aggressive about it in any way. And he doesn't hide them. It's more just him being a stinker: "This is mine and you can't have it, even though I really don't want it, either." I believe the correct term is "Dog in a Manger", lol.

So it's hard to say what Halas has in mind, guarding or trying to get Barley to chase him. Maybe a little of both. It sounds really cute, though.

[Leslie and Halas]

It could be a little of both.  Before Barley came along, Halas had everything to himself, so maybe he thinks that should still be the case.  What's funny is that he doesn't seem jealous of the attention Barley gets from us, and I wondered if that would be an issue.  He will come over to get his pets, too, but he doesn't shove Barley out of the way.  There are lots of times that Barley will be sitting on my lap, and Halas will just go about his business.