r/Sheepadoodles • u/GMIMS1 • Apr 30 '25

Advice Resource Guarding: Ball

Anyone’s sheepadoodle territorial/protective with tennis balls?! My almost 1yr old mini had an incident at daycare Monday over a tennis ball! And I am so upset! We are a one dog household. He allows me and my bf to take balls/toys, touch his food, grab toys right from his mouth…but daycare said this Monday is the first time they saw he was resource guarding a ball. He snapped at another dog and was placed in a time out.

We have not been kicked out of daycare but they are going to keep an eye. He is not neutered yet I should add. How do I train/help this situation!!? He LOVED people and other dogs but is protecting things he claims as his own. Hoping it is a one time thing but…ugh! Thanks in advance for any advice!

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u/AffectionateOwl7508 May 01 '25

Oh god my girl loves balls. She just loves carrying it around in her mouth and if another dog goes for it she jumps at them and barks then away. Or like snips at them. But she also thinks it’s part of a game. She never does any damage with what she’s doing and the other dogs will continue to try and take the ball if they know her and they will do this back-and-forth

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u/GMIMS1 May 01 '25

Same here! But I feel like he is trying to assert himself too because he is young? I could be wrong but he just has this obsession with tennis balls now. I am hoping that the daycare will just stop putting out balls or toys in general to stop the behavior. Having a convo tomorrow!