[frontierrots]

Well, what I tell my people is.

If the dog is able to chew the bone in the crate and allow people to walk by (not tease her through the crate door or stare at her) then they get to chew on the bone in their crate undisturbed, tortured, teased, tormented or whatever the politically correct term for never allowing a dog to chew to their hearts content in a safe, peaceful place- meaning in the shut crate.

My dog's know their crates are their rooms. I will not steal their bones or food when they are in their crates. Dogs need a place where they can feel at ease and not have to be constantly in training and the crate is that place. Sure I can take anything out of their crates and mouths I want, but this came abut through the building of trust and a relationship and was not invented through being a bully to the dogs. I'm no softy on my dogs as anyone will tell you, (my husband's first experience with me and my dogs was to watch me- at a then 95lbs- yank an 85lb bitch out of her crate and yank a hoof from her mouth and give her a what for,when she snarled at me for taking her food bowl out of the crate! He decided right there that he was not going to mess with me when I was mad :) ) but I am swift and fair and firm when the situation warrents and allow them time to be dogs as well

Outside the crate is a different story. I do not tolerate toy guarding or bowl guarding or any of that crap

For pet people I simply tell them if the dog developes bad behavior that centers over any toy or chewy, then that item either never returns to the home or it is a crate only item. Depending upon the dog's reaction and the comfort level of the owners

As the relationship between owner and dog developes and as the owner gains the dog's respect through fair training methods, then and only then will I tell a pet owner to do the things I do. I've got 19 years in this breed and know it well. I will not tell an average pet owner to muckle their dog and make it give up a marrow bone repeatedly to make a point.

ALL pups need to be taught to "leave it" and "drop it" by using less exciting items. Then when they get older and get into the trash or whatnot, you have some training behind you both that helps you get that junk away from them via the conditioned response to a familiar command

The original poster is describing multiple behaviors that indicate that this pup has no respect for them or their person. To me that means this pup gets no high value chewies at all, no where, until this relationship gets on track

The help of a reputable trainer is indeed indicated as well as reading a copy of Culture Clash to help understand how dogs think