Dogs Who Steal Objects – Causes and Solutions
Caroline Alupo meets the master thief
Petlis dog psychologist Caroline Alupo has helped thousands of dogs with various behavioral issues over the years. When the booking "Labrador steals everything" came in, she knew what she was up against. But he was more than just a hungry Lab; he was an irresistible master thief. Here, Caroline shares their encounter and his training.
First meeting with the charmer
What a dog! If I were a Cocker Spaniel girl, the sight of him would make me swoon. I would sigh dreamily. I would fan myself and try to restrain the impulse to throw myself into his paws. So, like any professional dog psychologist would do, I threw myself to the ground and showered him with more attention than was socially acceptable.
Stealing notepads during training
It wasn't his rusty-red coat, his slim waist, or his confident stance that did it. More likely, it was his gaze—the clever, proud, mischievous, and warm gaze that makes you want to be close to someone. The gaze that makes you relax and let go of your focus...on your belongings. Because when I stood up to shake his dog parent's hand, he swiped my notepad. I got it back, but like a pickpocket, he noticed where I hid it. I saw his gaze, so I should have been on my guard. But around broad-chested male dogs, a Cocker Spaniel girl... well, you get the idea; he stole it again. During our training sessions, I jot down keywords in my notepad—information that form the basis of the training plan. In this case, it became a bit tricky. Every time I put the pen down, swoosh...it was gone. Mr. Ocean looked just as unruffled every time, yet it was in his mouth.
Tension in the thievery
Stealing is his compulsive passion rather than a disorder. There was no stress involved and he seemed kind of proud. His family, on the other hand, was not so thrilled. They had envisioned a family dog, not a notorious master thief like George Clooney in Ocean's 11. But I couldn't help but smile as I watched him scan his surroundings, assess the situation, and suddenly pounce on the stolen goods before triumphantly running away. And when the sirens blared and his dog parent chased after him, he thoroughly enjoyed the adrenaline rush that mischief brings.
Why the Labrador became a thief
So, what was the reason behind his uncontrollable lawbreaking and thefts? Initially, like many retrievers, he had a strong desire for food. The food-seeking behavior, initially directed at forgotten treats, shifted towards food packaging and clothes with molecular traces of goodies in pockets. And thereafter Mr. Ocean went off track. Dogs like him don't do things halfhearted. They go all in, all the time. And he knew he could charm his way out of any situation when caught with his paws in the cookie jar. If you want to know more about similar behaviors, you can read Why dogs steal food and how to overcome it.
Plan to redirect theft behavior
But now it was time to "rehabilitate" Mr. Ocean. Both his human companions and I agreed that we didn't want to extinguish the passion. So, we devised a compromise. We wanted to provide him an outlet for his desires, but not in connection with the thefts. This canine loves enthusiasm, excitement, the forbidden, and the chase. So, first and foremost, we turned off the sirens. The four-legged burglar with a ski mask and crowbar will never be chased again, after a theft.
Letting him steal unimportant things
The family will clear the house of valuable items and instead scatter things that were previously stolen but nobody cares about (Mr Ocean only steals, he doesn't swallow, so we don't have to worry about any harm in this case). Broken headphones, old socks, an wallet, a juice box, an empty plastic bag, and other treasures will be left out. The canine master thief can steal, and the police are on vacation. We're opening the bank vault. Dogs like Mr. Ocean appreciate high security, combination locks, laser beams, and such. He doesn't fancy open bank vaults; the thrill of the thefts disappears that way.
Reward to change behavior
Furthermore, he will be rewarded when he takes things. Counterproductive? Not really. Everyday retrieval serves as a good counterbalance for snatchers. But we don't stop there. After solidifying the retrieval behavior, we backtrack and reward only sniffing and looking at the treasure, with the reward being discarded away from the illegal act. Detaching from dollars and gold is rewarded. If you want more tips on dogs' emotional lives, read Dogs' emotional lives - not unlike ours.
Rewarding refraining from theft
The result is a Mr. Ocean who can walk past the Blue Moon Diamond with his paws in his pockets. And precisely, exactly, RIGHT THEN, we toss him the stolen goods (an old sock will do) and turn on the sirens! Are you following? We're turning the tables. When he refrains from taking, we give him the stolen goods and the excitement he seeks. The chase. The forbidden loses some of its value. For you behavior enthusiasts, it's called Premack's principle. Check out the training here in Petli.
The difficulty of resisting his charm
It may all sound simple, but if you had met Mr. Ocean, you would understand that the difficulty doesn't lie in the psychology of learning but in resisting his charm. By the end of our meeting, my pockets were empty. Like, completely empty! I had even emptied the crumbs into my palm so that he could lick up the last bits. He utterly bewitched me, and I should have known better. But willingly, he left me penniless. It wasn't his fault; it was entirely mine. You see, the Stockholm Syndrome took hold within those 1.5 hours. One simply has to love such a dog. I hope he has plenty of relapses so that he returns for an eternity. Otherwise, I will miss him.
Written by: Caroline Alupo
Caroline Alupo is Petli's co-founder. She has a master's degree in ethology and is also a trained dog trainer and dog psychologist. She has 19 years of experience as a professional dog trainer. Read more about Caroline here.
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