"Help! My Dog Steals Stuff"
Let’s be real. It’s super irritating when the dog grabs something he’s not supposed to have and then won’t drop it. Chasing a dog is not my idea of a good time.
What can we do about this?
#1: Prevent
#2: Prevent
#3: Prevent
#4: And Trade
#1 Prevent Frustration
The first and best step is prevention. Even if you start training “Drop It” today, it won’t be functional today. Prevention recognizes this reality and looks to non-training solutions for immediate relief.
Save yourself the frustration of a dog who won’t Drop It and make sure he can’t even Steal It in the first place. If he never Steals It, his ability to Drop It is irrelevant.
Shut the bedroom doors
Put the shoes in a box with a lid
Hang kitchen towels on upper cabinets
Put the trash can under the sink
#2 Prevent Wrong Rehearsal
Prevention isn’t only about quick relief and avoiding frustration. It’s also essential for building new habits.
Picture a dirt track through a grassy field. Each time someone drives over the track, it becomes more defined. You can provide seed and water and shade, but grass will only grow if people stop driving over the track.
We can have grass or we can have bare dirt, but we can’t have both in the same spot.
Habits are like this. New habits only flourish if we stop driving over — rehearsing — the old habits.
The more often your dog Steals It the more often he’s going to Steal It. Prevention breaks this cycle by suspending the rehearsal of wrong behavior.
#3 Prevent Reinforcement
Lastly, Prevention ends accidental reinforcement.
Stealing can be reinforced two ways:
The behavior itself. Finding, grabbing, shredding and chewing are fun activities! Most dogs don’t need to be rewarded with food to continue doing these behaviors.
The attention we give the behavior. Most dogs are ignored when they’re chewing the right things and chased when they Steal the wrong things. Dogs learn they can make the humans play if they Steal an illegal item.
If your dog doesn’t have a chance to Steal the wrong thing, he won’t be accidentally reinforced.
#4 Trade for Treasures
Even the best Prevention fails on occasion. If your dog does Steal It, always, always, always trade using food.
Dog grabs something illegal
My bait bag is already stocked with high value treats
I calmly approach the dog and slowly toss some treats 2-3 feet away from him
When he leaves the illegal item to go eat the treats, I remove the illegal item
“Won’t this just teach him to steal stuff for a treat?”
Remember, the first step is Prevention so your dog shouldn’t be stealing illegal stuff that often. But if he does, I would MUCH rather create a dog who finds something illegal and brings it to me for a treat, than a dog who finds something, runs away, and growls or snaps when I try to remove it.
Taking your dog’s treasure should be free of conflict.
Troubleshooting
“My dog runs away as soon as I approach.”
If your dog already has a strong Keep Away habit, prevention is even more important! You can also have him wear a lightweight leash clipped to a body harness anytime you’re home. If he starts to run, step on the line so he can’t keep running, then toss your treats.
“My dog won’t leave the item for the treats.”
Use better treats such as wet dog food, whipped cream, or tiny pieces of cheese.
“My dog mouths me, growls, snaps, or bites when I try to approach.”
Do NOT use this protocol. Work directly with a qualified, positive-reinforcement dog training professional.