An approach that is not helpful is to punish your dog for his behavior. Your dog won t know the difference between his toys and your child s toys until you teach him. Your child must take responsibility for keeping his playthings out of your dog s reach. If, and only if, you catch your dog chewing on something he shouldn't, interrupt the behavior with a loud noise, then give him an acceptable chew toy and praise him lavishly when he takes the toy in his mouth. Don't give your dog objects to play with such as old socks, old shoes or old children's toys that closely resemble items that are off-limits.
Dogs can be possessive about their food, toys and space.
Although it s normal for a dog to growl or snap to protect these items, it s not acceptable. At the same time, children need to learn to respect their dog as a living creature who is not to be teased or purposefully hurt and who needs time to himself . Punishing your dog is likely to make matters worse. If you've found this information useful and would like to leave a donation we are now able to accept secure donations online.