Dog stealing neighbor's things

[mandi]

Hello!

I have a 7-month border collie mix. Recently she's started to wander off when we let her out (she spends most of her day outdoors). We have a few acres of land, much of which is wooded. While there are areas that are fenced, she's been slipping through our woods and over into our neighbor's yard. Over the past few weeks she's brought back toys and shoes from their yard. What can we do about preventing her from stealing their things? 

 

Thank you!

[JMFS]

Am I bad if I giggle at that?  I'm sure it's annoying, but it's kind of cute.  Many people name their dogs Bandit, but your pup would own that name.  She sounds like quite a character!

Other than ensuring that she's restricted to a certain area, or on lead when not being directly supervised, I'm not sure what the answer to this one is and I can't wait to read what Adrienne has to say because Momo actually got out last night.  First time in 7 years he's even bothered to escape.  There Had to have been something on the other side of our fence that enticed him - we have a stump where we chop wood and we think he was able to jump the fence from that stump as we couldn't find any holes or places in the fence he could have escaped (we had our fence redone in November as well).  He has a strong prey drive so a squirrel, rabbit, raccoon, or anything small and moving, must have encouraged him.  I'm especially surprised because he's arthritic so it had to have been something grand.  All that is to say, I feel you on this issue because even restricted and infirm these guys find ways.

My brother has a GPS collar so he can track his short-haired pointer on hunts and on their land (similar set up to you - they have fenced in areas but most of it is wide open).  His neighbors have threatened to harm poor Gordo if he gets on their land again so the collar's shock function is used (I'm not a fan of that, but I'm less enthused about his slimy neighbors' threats).  Hopefully your neighbors are kinder hearted and more understanding. 

If this were happening regularly with my dog, I would have a discussion with the neighbors to let them know that I'm working on the issue and to provide suggestions for what they should do if my pooch come around their property, and to please be patient while we work on correcting the behavior as well as giving them my number so they can contact me if my fur ball ended up in their vicinity.

[Adrienne]

Hi Mandi,

Welcome to the forums!

With dogs wandering off, things get tricky because of the reinforcement they gain from such escapes. Dogs who wander off and find treasures along the way are therefore prone to become repeat offenders as behavior science tells us that reinforcement causes behaviors to strengthen and repeat. It's nice though that your dog comes back with the little treasures she finds from your neighbor's property so to enjoy them at home 🙂

Unfortunately, in such cases the most effective way to tackle the problem is to ensure that fences are sturdy and escape-proof and that dogs are supervised when outside as some dogs are very smart in finding ways to jump over, dig under or squeeze through fences and gates and any gaps.  As the saying goes "where there is a will there is a way" so you may need to carefully evaluate any weak spots in your fencing and erect some additional parts if they are missing.

As another saying goes "good fences makes good neighbors." Although I know some neighbors who love dogs that they don't mind other dogs coming over for some visits!

It also helps to find out why your dog escapes in the first place. Since she is stealing toys and shoes, it sounds like she's after some entertainment. At 7 months, she is an adolescent and likely is looking for something to chew on and keep her body and mind busy. You can read more about dog adolescence here: 

https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/survive-dogs-adolescent-stage/

It may therefore help to keep her mind and body exercises by walking your dog daily, offering more games and interaction to your dog. Play games of fetch, teach your dog some tricks and offer food puzzles and brain games to keep her mind busy. Don't forget to rotate your dog's toys so that your dog perceives them as novel and interesting (and therefore feels less compelled to steal random items from your neighbors).