My dog is a thief

[dixonsm348]

Hi there. We have an awesome dog that we rescued the only problem is he is a thief. He steals and runs off with everything. Even while putting on your socks he will steal the one that is not on yet! We have dog proofed as much as we can but not sure how to correct this. I sure he thinks it’s a game but it’s not! Help please.

[Adrienne Farricelli]

Hello and welcome to the forums!

Your circumstance is not unusual considering that dogs have a natural inclination to want to interact with objects found around the home just to keep themselves busy. Usually, this takes a multi-faceted approach by providing mental stimulation through legitimate outlets (brain games), supplying food puzzles, training (in particular, focus on training the leave it and drop it commands), management (keeping items out of reach) and preventing your dog from thinking it's a game (avoid chasing your dog around the home when he has something, instead work on trading the item for something else).

Here is a thread that covers ways to deal with thieving dogs:

https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/forum/showthread.php?43-Thieving-Pooch&highlight=stealing

[JMFS]

I promise, it gets better! The only thing Gertie "steals" any more is Abbi's toy after Abbi has abandoned it and the husband hasn't put it away. After the nose in the peanut butter incident we had a Frito fiasco and then she licked my husband's sandwich. Since then we haven't really had any problems that come to mind. Maturity and training will curb the behavior. :) My husband has even braved leaving his steak on the coffee table with Gertie on the couch and she sniffs, but she doesn't touch. I wouldn't leave her for an extended time because that's too much temptation, but we can leave her alone with food long enough for him to retrieve whatever item he forgot.