If you played with him at the shelter, I would say that you should kind of test him a little bit, but that it probably wasn’t typical for him to respond like that. Understand that he’s in a new environment, so he may be trying to adjust himself. Go easy, but get him used to you touching/playing with his toys. See how he reacts. Teach him “drop it” with a treat. When he brings the toy back to you, reward him for letting go of it, this may help him, if he’s uncomfortable with letting go of his toys. Watch him with the kids, just in case. Tell him “No” if he ever refuses to give you the toy, rather than taking it from him. I take toys from Kaos all the time, but we know his temperament. With your boy, you just need to test the waters a little bit before diving in, just because you don’t know his history. Be patient, he’s not certain about your home yet, but if it becomes a serious problem, I would try and find him a home without children. I remember when my parents adopted their golden/chow chow cross. She’s a big bear of a dog, but the best kids dog you could ever ask for. The day after bringing her home, I was walking her and my sister came running up in a big coat. Digz became very upset and barked very aggressively. She wouldn’t let my sister come close to me, or me get close to my sister. We were a little concerned, but, as it turned out, she never repeated the behavior and I think she didn’t recognize K. Rayne because of the big coat and was just trying to proect me. She’s now 14, has been in the family for 10 years and just came to live with my husband, our kids and Kaos. So, don’t loose hope and panic right away, just be vigilant.
