Boys not getting along with toys

[pinkmarshmallow]

Recently my lovely 4 and a half year old and 18 month old show cockers don’t seem to be getting along with each at times.  Particularly with toys.  I’ve always had to separate them when they ate as they both would try and grab each other’s food/treats but the toys are now causing a big problem.  The eldest one growls around the house if he has a toy in his mouth (getting stressed) that the younger one is about to pounce at any time.  Sometimes that’s true but sometimes the young one is just minding his own business.  The younger one doesn’t seem to get the message at times (even though the older one is growling and not giving in) and when he has tried to snatch the toy it has recently got into bearing teeth.  Thank goodness I was there.  Do I hide all toys and only bring them out when I’m watching/playing with them?  I feel as though I’m struggling with this one.  I don’t want either dog to be hurt/stressed/scared.  My younger dog is quite a bit smaller than the older dog and have been told about the ‘small dog syndrome’.  Any advice would be very gratefully received as I don’t want this to escalate.  Thanks.

[lescef]

I have two girls aged 8 and 6. They only tolerate each other so I have to keep an eye on them most of the time, although most of the trouble is caused by the younger one, Bramble. She is very much a guarder especially when aroused. If she's carrying a toy and Maddie goes near she can get quite nasty even though Maddie isn't interested in any toys at all!
Management is the key I think. I had to keep toys away when they were younger because you don't want them to practice the behaviour, I use 'enough' in a stern voice, try to distract  and try to appear calm! Slowly, the toys have come out again and as they've got older it has got better but i don't think they will ever cuddle up together!
Hopefully as your younger dog matures things will get better.

[pinkmarshmallow]

Thanks Lescef for that.  It’s nice to know someone else has gone through this!  Felt it was only my 2 dogs  .  I thought things had been going too smoothly with them    Having 2 dogs is not for the feint hearted! 

[ejp]

Not just you don't worry, lets face human siblings don't always agree either!

[Jaysmumagain]

Not just you don't worry, lets face human siblings don't always agree either!

Oh so true

[pinkmarshmallow]

Sense of humour helps with days like today thanks.  The dogs are lying on their mat not facing each other.    Happy days! 

[vixen]

I have litter sisters now aged 11. They don’t really like each other, merely tolerant each other but would be lost without each other.
I have learnt from experience simply not to have toys in the house. Yes, that’s sad but better than having constant tension. Marley is a guarder and will take anything ( slippers, socks, bags, even pieces of paper) and immediately feels empowered . When I spot her with anything I immediately take it away and luckily she will let me. They have become less  tolerant of each other as they have got older, it’s seldom that a day goes by without a growling match but it is usually over quickly and doesn’t accelerate.
I do have to manage the situation and this has come from experience. As they both like to present me with a gift on my return home, I make sure that there is more than two objects available so each girl can give me something. Often it will be a dog towel or something similar that I have left out for that particular purpose.
They have become two grumpy old ladies ( something I can identify with too)

[ElaineH]

My 2 boys (uncle and nephew) get along reasonably well nearly all the time except that the older/bigger one is a very assertive dog and the younger one usually respects and defers to him. For example if Hugo is one the sofa with me Morgan will stare at him until Hugo feels uncomfortable and gets off, yielding his place to Morgan who then promptly falls asleep and Hugo gets up again and lies beside his uncle!

Morgan cannot stand Hugo having anything that he, Morgan, doesn't have and there have been a few unpleasant scenes while the balance of power is being restored. Hugo finding and playing with a twig in the garden led to a lot of snarling and snapping until the humans intervened. Likewise with toys. Hugo came from his breeder with a lovely little plush dog toy and Morgan was really interested in it so we bought another identical one so that they each had one. It was fine for a while but then Morgan decided he wanted both of them for himself and Hugo refused to give in. Now the toys are hidden away under the stairs and only occasionally come out. It's sad but at least we're maintaining a pleasant relationship between them.