It is often difficult helping your dog understand the difference between their own toys and a child's toys. Often, the toys look very similar and, to an animal, differentiation may be nearly impossible. As the mother of a 1yr old two-legged baby and three four-legged "fur-babies" I understand the struggle. The best advice is avoidance. Keep the toys where the dog cannot get them. I understand that this is not always the easiest proposition, but it is unlikely that you are going to train your dog to learn the difference between his own toys and the child's toys. Try to pick up toys after your child is finished playing with them and put them in containers that the dog cannot open. While the child is playing with toys, I would not allow the "fur-baby" in the room. Disciplining the dog will likely only make the dog have negative feelings associated with your toddler which is not a good thing. In any type of training, the best advice is behavior avoidance, followed by positive reinforcement when the dog does something good.
Submitted by: Dr. Kathleen Spencer