Why does my dog steal things?

Often, when a dog is displaying an unwanted behavior, she is trying to tell you something. If your pup has you asking, “why does my dog steal my ___?”,  here are a ideas at what may be behind that behavior and how to make it stop.

Your dog may steal things because he is bored.

The most common reason dogs steal things is because they want to play. If your dog steals something and then runs away, she probably learned that it will make you chase her, and the game of chase is fun. Be careful about how you react to this form of stealing; it hurts you to give in to any play because it reinforces the dog’s behavior for next time he is bored.

They key is to be proactive: make sure your pup is challenged mentally. You can combat much of this by including your dog in fun activities or giving your dog a “job” and a purpose. For example, try setting up a pattern for your dog to follow every morning so he has an idea of what to expect.

You dog may steal things because she is hungry.

We know that dogs who eat well show fewer negative behaviors. Consider whether diet is a factor in your dogs behavior: What are you feeding her? Do you sometimes forget? How might the dog’s history result in nutritional deficiencies that need attention? Dogs may steal food because they are malnourished. Dogs who were strays or bred in puppy mills or in subpar breeding conditions, may have nutritional deficits that began long before they were born.

If your dog steals items and hoards them, that may be early onset of resource guarding, or food aggression, and it’s important to nip that behavior in the bud.

Be sure to give your pet a super premium dog food and a vitamin supplement.

Your dog may steal things because he wants something else.

Another common reason dogs continue to take things, and potentially even guard them, is that many “trainers” are convinced that swapping out a higher valued treat will eliminate problem behaviors. When your dog begins to steal things, don’t continue to reward his bad behavior by giving him yet another high value reward. Learn how to claim items from your dog to teach him that you own everything, not him.