Tuesday Training Byte: Help! My dog is a thief!
I have heard many people say that their dog steals almost everything: from socks, to remotes and children's toys. If a dog ingests a non-food item, the chances of having an emergency surgery to remove the foreign object can be very expensive, not to mention the chance of killing your dog. I heard of two dogs just this week that had to have surgery! Stealing is not just young puppy behavior either. Dog tend to have a keen sense that everything belongs to them. Your dog is thinking, "If I see it, its mine, if I want it, its mine". That being said, I prefer to use a 2-pronged approach. One prong is do not let the dog have the run of the entire house. This way I can somewhat dog-proof a limited space and keep things put away or out of reach. The second prong is teaching a strong "leave it" command. Doing both helps set your dog up for success. Both of these methods are preventative in nature rather than reactive to the bad behavior which sets the dog up for success.
Dog-proofing: Pups are notorious on chewing cords. Make sure that any cords are securing covered and out of the dog's reach. Put your dog's toys in a milk crate in his area. Keep your children's toys in a room that your dog is not allowed (baby gates work well). Keep clothes picked up- either in a laundry hamper or in a basket on top of the washer so your pup doesn't eat your socks. Keep the remotes in a drawer in the end table. Spray furniture with a no-chew product. In your dog's area, be sure to rotate out his dog toys every week, and add some safe chew toys or food puzzles to keep him interested and engaged. Dogs often seem to behave like a toddler, so keep that in mind while you are dog-proofing.
Leave it: This command is preventative rather than the drop it command AFTER the dog has already half eaten your remote. The dog should never be given the treat or object you just told him to leave. I have owned several certified therapy dogs and part of the test included a solid leave it command- being able to walk right by a bowl of food or some toys on the floor. In AKC Rally obedience, this is part of the test as well. To start, I place the treats on a paper plate on the floor. I have my dog "heel" a distance away for a moment. I gradually heel in a wide circle around the treats (Dog should be heeling on your left side, so you should be between the dog and the treats as you circle clock-wise). Keep your dog engaged and remind him of the "watch me!" cue. Should your dog push his nose in the direction of the treats, tell him to leave it as you walk toward your left, cutting him off from reaching the treats. Keep practicing to where you can eventually work your way up to heeling your dog going close to the treats and counter-clockwise while ignoring the treats altogether. To help make this exercise understood, never let him get what is on the floor when you have told him to leave it. Be sure to praise and give him treats from your pocket for successfully passing the treats without so much as pointing his nose in that direction. Note that I DO NOT try to lure or bride him away with another treat or toy, because my dog may make the decision that he would prefer to grab what is on the floor and off limits. Setting your dog up for success means that you start out easy and gradually build the skills where he can pass by the treats or objects. This training should be done on leash until he is very reliable in the leave it command. Happy training!
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