It's mine and you can't have it!

This is similar to the title I used for my Wednesday blip, but the situation and the animal involved are very different. Today the animal was our springer spaniel Gulliver who was laying claim to the toy we were playing with in the back yard. Theoretically we were playing "fetch," but we have very different definitions for the game. My definition of "fetch" is the traditional one:
I toss his toy,
he runs to fetch it,
brings it back,
drops it at my feet,
and waits for me to toss it again.
That way he gets a good workout and is ready for a nap when we go back inside.

Gulliver's definition of "fetch" goes like this:
I toss the toy;
He grabs it;
I try to get it back.
He hangs on tight while making growling noises.
I distract him with another toy,
dash over,
and try to grab the first toy before he catches on.
This way I get a good workout and I'm ready for a nap when we go back inside.

Something isn't quite right about this. Could be he's too smart for me.