Is Your Dog Stealing or Just Playing?

Has your dog picked up a habit of stealing your things and running away with the item? You may have the urge to chase after the little thief but don’t give in. When you chase after the dog like that, the dog thinks you are playing and will steal again. It becomes a game of tag or chase. This, of course, it one of dogs favorite games.

Stealing Vs Stealing

A dog will use it’s sense of smell to learn it’s surrounding, but that means they will also go for things you have either worn or used. This tends to mean dirty laundry and shoes, canines like the sweat and pheromones, it might also be a comfort for them.

Reasons

There are many reasons why you wouldn’t want a dog to chew on items that aren’t designed for dogs or chew toys. They could hurt their teeth if they bite into something hard. They could swallow something soft that could get stuck.

Training

To prevent these things from happening, start to by removing the temptation. Put shoes away as soon as you are done with them, throw dirty clothes in a hamper in a closed closet or even directly into the wash, lock your trash up in a cabinet or lidded can. Next, just like a child, know that a bored dog will go looking for trouble,  so make sure there are plenty of toys around for them to play with. Lastly, teach them the “leave it” cue, use treats to learn right from wrong.

For toys, great options include hard chew toys, dental chews, and rope toys. The American Kennel Club has information for small, medium, and large breed dogs on the best way to facilitate playtime.

For more information and details about training, check out the American Kennel Club website.