# Keeps stealing things!!



## Charliethree (Jul 18, 2010)

Stealing is a crime of 'opportunity'. Preventing access to the target items, put it in a closet, or acquire a hamper with a 'dog proof' lid, will go a long ways to preventing him from stealing and potentially swallowing or chewing or playing the 'catch me' game with the 'stolen' items.
Teach him to bring the item to you, and 'drop it' and 'Leave it' for a reward (a treat, praise, attention) and offer him an appropriate item.
Physical activity is not always mentally tiring. Teaching a new skill or short training sessions rehearsing and rewarding known skills can help tire the mind. Also providing an alternate activity, such as a stuffed Kong to work on or a chew bone to gnaw on, can redirect his energy to more appropriate behaviors. 
If you feel this is 'attention seeking' behavior, teach him what he needs to do in order to get attention from you ie: sit for pets. Call him to you, ask for a sit then reward him with some praise and attention. Also focus on 'catching' and rewarding him for offering behaviors you like (laying quietly, playing with an appropriate toy, etc). Dogs learn quickly that misbehaving gets them all kinds of 'attention', because they are, more often than not, ignored when they are being 'good'. Rewarding the behaviors you like increases the chances of them repeating those behaviors, by default, helps to minimize the 'misbehavior'.


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## Leslie B (Mar 17, 2011)

Remember that this is a RETRIEVER. It was bred to pick up things with his mouth and while birds are best, they will improvise to whatever is handy. The desire to carry things is built into his dna and most likely you will never be able to extinguish this behavior. But you can modify it and shape it to a more acceptable level. Teach Hold and Fetch with specific toys or bumpers.. Do lots of retrieves with them. Be excited when he brings them to you. Like CharlieThree says - prevention is worth a ton so keep the hamper closed and do not reward retrieves for items that you don't want him to have.



Good Luck


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## NikB8 (Feb 4, 2013)

I never thought of it as me rewarding bad behavior but it makes sense. I forget to give praise for being good boy when I'm running around the house doing things. When he's being good boy I will have to give more cuddles, smooches and scratches- twist my arm 

When he was younger, he didn't really carry things around. As he's getting older he likes to have something in his mouth when he greets people at the door. Sometimes he'll grab a shoe because it's the closest- I'll say drop and replace it with a toy. 


Thanks for the advice!


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## CarolinaCasey (Jun 1, 2007)

Prevent the theft. 

If your eyes aren't on him, he is not alone. Buy some baby gates or an ex pen to block off areas he shouldn't be in. 

If socks are accessible, it's your fault, not his. Your main living area needs to be clutter free and have nothing in it your boy can not have. 

Plenty of exercise, training, and attention also go a long way. 


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## goldlover68 (Jun 17, 2013)

As noted above, he is just being a Retriever....it is in his genes...Good luck!


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## mddolson (Jul 10, 2012)

Just a heads up, don't trade treats for them. We had a husky who picked up a pair of socks that had fallen off the laundry hamper. My wife said "good boy" and gave him a biscuit. From then on if he wanted a treat, he'd head to the laundry room & grab a towel or socks, or anything he could find (inluding our daughter's under wear) and bring it to us for a biscuit. 
Turned him into a regular thief.
At least he brought it to us. We often remininse & laugh about it.

Mike D


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## Charliethree (Jul 18, 2010)

It is important to remember that the 'items' you most want/need your dog to 'drop' are the ones he 'shouldn't' have and are usually very high value to your dog. Therefore those are the ones it is going to be harder for him to 'drop' so he should be highly rewarded for 'dropping' those items on cue. 
If I am going to reward my dog for dropping a ball, and not for dropping a higher value item like a bone, a food wrapper, or a shoe, what are the odds he is going drop that bone, food wrapper or shoe next time I ask him to? Slim to none.


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## NikB8 (Feb 4, 2013)

We had a good night last night!! He got lots of loving when he was being good boy- I said good boy so many times he might think his name changed. Just kidding but he was loving it.

He did eat a receipt... I left the bag on the couch where he could get it.. that was my fault. I closed the bedroom and laundry room door and clearly he couldn't get in there to get things. 

I feel bad because the bitter cold he can't be outside too long. We went out yesterday and I was going to stay out 10 minutes with him (the max I allow right now because I'm scared he'll get too cold) he lasted 5 minutes and then started to lift up his paws. Such a sad sight- I tried to help him in but he couldn't move so I carried him. Haha

I'm going to get one of those 'hide the treats' dog games for him.

Thanks again!


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## Jingers mom (Feb 10, 2012)

My dog Riley will be to in March and he is a master thief. He takes socks, shoes, remote controls, reading glasses, gloves, anything he can find. We try to put things high so he can't get them, but somehow he does. What is the correction spray you mentioned? 


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## Ruby13 (Dec 28, 2013)

I have a thief, too...It's my 15 month old lab. He only steals clothes. He tries to 'help' me unload the dryer. I have to speed fold everything and guard it. He's sneaky and if you turn your back he will grab whatever he can and run with it.

If nothing else, he's taught me to put away clean laundry as soon as it comes out of the dryer rather than leave it in the basket until I have time! I guess that is a plus!


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