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MY DOG IS A THIEF By Pia Silvani, Director of Pet Training and Behavior Counseling Stealing objects is a canine behavior that will quickly become a nuisance. Stealing manifests itself if many different ways: refusing to relinquish certain objects, playing chase games, attention-seeking behaviors and guarding. Sometimes stealing escalates to possessiveness which can lead to more serious problems. These undesirable behaviors do not develop overnight - many dog owners inadvertently reinforce stealing in "puppyhood." Here are ways to avoid and correct these problems. REFUSING TO SURRENDER CERTAIN OBJECTS Dogs learn at an early age how to initiate play. If your dog has an object in his mouth and you attempt to remove it, all he has to do is lock his jaws and an exciting game of tug-of-war begins. What fun for your dog! Solve this problem by offering him something more rewarding in exchange like a treat, favorite toy or bone. Calmly offer him the treat as you ask him to "Give" or "Release" the object. When he does, praise him, then offer the treat or toy and initiate play. This teaches your dog that surrendering objects earns a reward, not a challenge. Don't forget to praise and encourage your dog if he picks up one of his own toys - now is a great time to play! CHASE GAMES It takes only one incident for a dog to learn that if he picks up something that smells like the family (clothing) or is fun to chew on (wooden or cloth objects like pencils or pillows) he can initiate an amusing chase game. What could be more fun for a dog than to have his entire family chasing him around the house? You must teach your dog to chase you instead. Choose a toy from his toy box, tease him and run away with it. When he catches you, praise him and toss it for him to fetch. Encourage him back so he will be anxious to return to you. (You may want to put your dog on a long line for better control.) Now reward him with a treat. Simply walk away from him if he refuses to cooperate and return to you. He will learn quickly that the game is over unless he plays by your rules. FOOD STEALING Never feed your dog from the table where you eat or from the kitchen counters. Do not finish a meal and scrape the leftovers into his food dish. If you do, you are showing him that it is acceptable for him to eat from the table since that is where the food came from. Prepare and store your dog's food and dishes in a room other than your kitchen like the mud room or laundry room so there is no association with your food. GUARDING Some dogs like to hide under a piece of furniture or go to some other private spot like a bed or a crate where they can hoard their objects or possessions. The more objects a dog has, the higher he perceives his rank. This type of possessiveness can quickly get out of control and escalate to growling or aggressiveness. This is very serious because a dog can move his jaws four time faster than you can move your hand. If your dog is exhibiting this type of behavior, please call St. Hubert's Dog Training School for professional advise. A dog who is guarding objects must be retrained to understand that you may take anything away from him. It is your right. Do not forget that exercise is an effective way to tire our dog out. A hike, jog, swim or brisk game of fetch will likely send your dog searching for a quiet place to nap rather than looking for trouble by picking things up to get your attention. Finally, do not punish your dog after the fact if you return home to find garbage strewn around the room or a favorite shoe chewed up. He will not associate his inappropriate behavior with your anger. Instead, prevent such problems from occurring by restricting his freedom - as he obviously has not earned it yet - and do not leave objects within his reach around the house when he is unsupervised.
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