why must she steal

[Tree79]

Hi all....

My Lexi will not stop steaking things she 7 months old.. i no people have said at 6 months they do the teen thing she seems ok, still very chilled out but she has to take stuff and i dont get
 it every day the same thing dont let the dog upstairs, she loves socks as they all do she has not crewed anything in the hose at all ive been lucky in that way.. She just taks them they hides under the chair....

She get out loads and seem to enjoy all the games we play.. and the training bits we do at home, but its really doing my head in a cant seem to stop it any tips....
I read  i think on here about a little one eatting a sock and needed an op i so worried....
As i have 4 kids in the house she keep taking all the toys.. they i have a bad puppy and and 4 unhappy littles ones...

I can deal with anything thing else  but this hurts my head...........................................

Help please......

[debsallen]

if puppy is stealing the kids toys, can you not use a stair gate and keep her in a certain room whilst the kids have toys on the floor?  this is what we do.  It is not safe for dogs to get kids small toys.

If that is not possible can the kids not have the small toys upstairs as you say the dog is not allowed up there?

I think it is going to be a case of keeping the dog and childrens toys seperate, as it is only a puppy it is going to take time for it to learn that the childrens toys are not hers.  Easier to tech the children not to leave toys on the floor first I thinks 

[Helen]

they all do it, it's part of what they do, they are not naughty or bad.

How do you react when she has something in her mouth?  Do you try and take it off her (which turns it into a game for her, and teaches her that she will get a reaction when she steals?) or do you calmly exchange it for something else (like one of her toys or a treat).

As for stealing the kids toys - if that's an issue then she shouldn't be where the toys are, or the toys should be put away.  That is tooooo much temptation for her not too considering that a lot of dog toys are very similar to human toys, and also if a child is in the same room playing with something then of course an inquisitive spaniel will want to join in.

Sorry that I'm not more sympathetic - I think she sounds just like a normal puppy, and it's up to you to monitor as far as possible what she has access to and how you deal with getting something she shouldn't have off her (calmly and positively really)

My 2 1/2 year old dog still brings me socks as a gift and shoves it in my hand - usually as a hint to play, but often as a greeting   

[bibathediva]

 
I'm sure she is not doing anything out of the ordinary  cocker's just like to posses (sp) stuff...socks..knickers..bits of tissue anything they can lay there hands paws on 
Biba is 19 months old and still does it...Lola loves to hide socks and knickers...especially from Biba  i like this little quirk they have about needing to steal  its part of there character ....but if i want an item back from them i just swop or ask them to leave 

But if you don't want her to do it at all  move everything out of paws/mouth reach 

[louis mum]

Can anyone advise the best method of teaching the leave command? I cannot find this in my bible (Perfect Puppy) and I am keen to master this asap.

My last boy had real guarding issues when in possession of something stolen, if it was given it wasn't a problem. I am sure it was related to however we had dealt with it in the early days (which I honestly cannot remember). I don't want to make the same mistake twice, and this little one is already displaying the kleptomaniac tendencies. 

[Joules]

Coco is 2 1/2 and she still steals anything given the chance.    It's just what dogs do and not just pups.  I just try not to give her the chance - not easy but it is the only way to prevent it.  She is  better than she was but I would still not trust her with stuff I do not want her to get hold of    You need to teach a good leave command - but even that does not always work with my little 

[Aearoniel]

Normal Puppy behaviour exploring her world with her mouth.

How we dealt with it:

nothing left at puppy height that we wanted keeping pristeen.
Teaching leave and swap.

Leave: When to use: when you see the pup going for something that they shouldn't have (before they have it)
          How to teach: Have a really really tasty treat in your hand, hold it at nose level they will sniff and sniff and lick at your  hand to get the treat. The second the nose comes off the hand praise "Good leave" and give the treat. Build up the time the nose has to be off the hand before the treat is given. Add the command at the start so after a few snuffles say leave. Once they have this more on to an item on the floor, get them in a sit (this gives you a cue for when they are going to go for it as the bum will come up)
and put the treat down, and say leave. After a few seconds say good leave, pick the treat up and give a different treat than the one on the floor.

Swap: When to use: Pupster already has the item in the mouth.
          how to teach: Don't go towards them! This will turn it into a chase game. Start cooing over what you have in your hand, make it the most interesting and fun thing ever "Ohhh yummy, how great! look at this!" this gets their attention and your thing looks better than their thing (as soon as they know you want their thing it's game over!) get down on their level, they might at this point come towards you if you are convincing enough! keep talking about your thing, don't look at the dog apart from out of the corner of your eye look at your object. Turn half away from them as if your trying to hide it. then notice they are looking, look at them and then back at your treat a couple of times. Then add the command swap, and hold the treat out for them to see (if they are really interested the other thing will be on the floor by now DON'T PICK IT UP yet) when they have come over if they still have their thing say swap and hold your thing out and they should drop theirs. Only when they have your thing and are engrossed with that do you SLOWLY get the object they shouldn't have had. You can practice with their toys, and give it back to them after you have had a look at it etc.

HTH

Swap: When to use:

[Cob-Web]

Like Helen, I'm probably not going to come across as very sympathetic; because this is what dogs do    Gundogs are more likely to "steal" than some other breeds - their breeding is to flush and retrieve and so many cockers get very distressed if they cannot "bring" something in their mouths - and that includes socks, toys, rugs or anything else that has been left lying around.

Even when they are mature, dogs have at best have the understanding of a 4 or 5 year old - and the same precautions must be taken throughout a dogs life to protect them from hurting themselves by regulating what they have access to 

[louis mum]

Normal Puppy behaviour exploring her world with her mouth.

How we dealt with it:

nothing left at puppy height that we wanted keeping pristeen.
Teaching leave and swap.

Leave: When to use: when you see the pup going for something that they shouldn't have (before they have it)
          How to teach: Have a really really tasty treat in your hand, hold it at nose level they will sniff and sniff and lick at your  hand to get the treat. The second the nose comes off the hand praise "Good leave" and give the treat. Build up the time the nose has to be off the hand before the treat is given. Add the command at the start so after a few snuffles say leave. Once they have this more on to an item on the floor, get them in a sit (this gives you a cue for when they are going to go for it as the bum will come up)
and put the treat down, and say leave. After a few seconds say good leave, pick the treat up and give a different treat than the one on the floor.

Swap: When to use: Pupster already has the item in the mouth.
          how to teach: Don't go towards them! This will turn it into a chase game. Start cooing over what you have in your hand, make it the most interesting and fun thing ever "Ohhh yummy, how great! look at this!" this gets their attention and your thing looks better than their thing (as soon as they know you want their thing it's game over!) get down on their level, they might at this point come towards you if you are convincing enough! keep talking about your thing, don't look at the dog apart from out of the corner of your eye look at your object. Turn half away from them as if your trying to hide it. then notice they are looking, look at them and then back at your treat a couple of times. Then add the command swap, and hold the treat out for them to see (if they are really interested the other thing will be on the floor by now DON'T PICK IT UP yet) when they have come over if they still have their thing say swap and hold your thing out and they should drop theirs. Only when they have your thing and are engrossed with that do you SLOWLY get the object they shouldn't have had. You can practice with their toys, and give it back to them after you have had a look at it etc.

HTH

Swap: When to use:

Thanks very much, thats great

I will start this asap. 

[PennyB]

Because she can

Make sure if you do need to take stuff off her that you do it in a positive way in that you teach her to give them up on request (I use this as a training exercise and play swaps for starters with lots of praise) --- I've seen some where the poor dog has stuff grabbed regularly from them in a confrontational way so the dog knows no different and feels defensive

[Tree79]

Thanks for the training tips will try them...

I think its a very thin line between them stealing stuff and then getting a treat will they not learn that oh look i steal this and i get a treat..

I have 4 children and in the last 8 years none of them have chocked on any small part parts so i do no what toys are suitable for which age range and the puppy...With the best will in the world chidren and puppies have to learn that some things cant be touched...
Thanks again..

[bibathediva]

They do learn eventually  but it doesnt happen overnight and can take a lot of patience and persistance ...just like children 
I dont think dogs forward plan either so the swopping of a stolen item for a treat will not result in them looking for items to steal 
it doesnt always have to be a treat ..it could be one of there own toys you could swop with ..it just makes life a little easier all round if you have a leave or swop command...whats the point of getting into a fight with your dog and spoiling the relationship you have over a sock   

[Jeanette]

I have a 2.5 year old and keep Indie seperate from him if he is playing with toys.   If they are together in the same room then none of my child's toys are on the floor and my son knows to put things out of reach.  To be honest, its easier that way as I couldn't be doing with the trying to get things off Indie all the time - just adds to the stress if you then have a child upset and a pup upset and then me completely stressed.     If I don't want her to have anything, then its out of her way.   Anything on the floor is hers i.e. toys etc.   She has ran off with one of my little ones trainers and ran into the garden with it (my fault for not seeing that his shoes were on the floor) and tries to steal my washing as I am getting it out of the washing machine but thats normal puppy behaviour - all just a fantastic game to Indie.   We are currently teaching the leave command, it is work in progress but we are getting there.  In the meantime, she can't get anything because nothing is left on the floor for her to get - makes life easier.   

[PennyB]

With the best will in the world chidren and puppies have to learn that some things cant be touched...
Thanks again..

You will find it a lot easier to teach children am afraid but with dogs and pups if its in reach they will steal it if they have a mind to --- its far better to either put anything of value out of reach and don't punish them for stealing if they do

[spanielcrazy]

I dont think dogs forward plan either so the swopping of a stolen item for a treat will not result in them looking for items to steal 
it doesnt always have to be a treat ..it could be one of there own toys you could swop with

I always tell my dogs "Not for puppies" (even though my youngest dog is almost 2  ) and exchange one of their toys for something they have that they aren't supposed to. I keep toys in rotation, so when I need to do an exchange (which is seldom) it feels to them like they are getting a "new" toy