Why Dogs Steal Food and How to Manage It
Dogs that steal food can drive you crazy. The roast beef disappears from the kitchen counter, the breakfast toast from the dining table, or the crisps from the coffee table. They sneak up on silent paws, usually when we turn our backs, sniff the tabletop, and quickly snatch the goodies. Let's take a closer look at the reasons and solutions.
Making theft impossible: a crucial start Food theft: why it's so hard to stop
As usual, it's important to understand why the dog behaves this way before trying to solve the dilemma. Since ancient times, dogs have survived on our food scraps, following us and taking what we've left in terms of food. For street dogs, this is still a way to get food when the hunt for small game is unsuccessful. We might think that modern domesticated dogs should feel secure knowing that food is served in their bowls morning and night, but the drive to scavenge for food can persist in our four-legged friends. Stealing food is also a self-reinforcing behavior. It means that the action itself is favorable for the dog; the jackpot is guaranteed when the dog succeeds, and the behavior reinforces itself. Self-reinforcing behaviors can be challenging to solve in the conventional sense if the dog continues to succeed because this, in itself, increases the motivation we need to dampen.
Genetic hunger: When your dog never gets full
It might be that the dog is driven by a constant and unnatural feeling of hunger—a rumbling stomach that never stops motivating food-seeking behavior. Hungry dogs can be food-fixated for much of their waking hours. If this sounds like your dog, and he or she is also a Flat Coated Retriever or Labrador, or a mix of these breeds, the cause may lie at the DNA level. A mutation in the so-called POMC gene is mainly found in these breeds, and dogs with the gene defect do not feel satiety as other dogs do, living with constant hunger more or less.
Sudden hunger: possible health problems
Suddenly increased appetite can, however, be a symptom of a disease such as intestinal parasites or diabetes. Another cause of hunger can be malnutrition; a dog that doesn't get enough through its food may turn its nose to the kitchen counter in search of what's missing. Such dogs may try to eat a little of everything when the opportunity arises; grass, roots, soil, or feces from other animals. Malnutrition can lead to serious health problems, and if this is the cause, it's essential to take the dog's food-seeking behavior seriously.
How we unconsciously reinforce dog food theft
And, as often, the behavior can be unconsciously reinforced by us. We chase after, scold, yell, or divert the dog when it starts circling the table, and the rewarding circus begins. When we punish stealing, the dog usually learns not to take food when we are in the room, but as soon as we turn our backs, the feast is on. It's important to turn the tables and train the dog to leave food alone to gain access to a reward instead of punishing when the dog steals.
Effective measures against dog food theft
The measures vary depending on the cause.
Making theft impossible: a crucial start
If food stealing is encouraged by the dog's success, we need to make stealing impossible. Be meticulous about putting away food. The longer the dog goes without succeeding, the less drive there will be for the undesired behavior. Put away and secure the food. Also, be sure to give the dog something else to focus on while you eat; circling the table is just a prelude to a heist. Lead the dog consistently to her/his bed and reward her/him there when she/he lies down, looks away, or genuinely relaxes. Toss a dog treat (not food from your plate) to the dog. This reinforces that the dog should release her/his focus on the food. A dog that lies in her/his place and intensely stares at the food should not be rewarded. Be careful about what focus the dog has when you reward, and once the dog understands what is expected, start rewarding with verbal praise sometimes and chew bones that take a bit of time to chew.
Why food traps can make the problem worse
Some suggest setting up food traps, like plates with sausages prepared with vinegar or wasabi, or pots and lids that will fall on the dog when it tries to steal. But this is a punishment carousel that can create fears in timid dogs or work as a giant activation game for highly motivated dogs. How do you remove the trap before reaching the sausage? And dogs can distinguish between the scent of wasabi chicken and clean beef steak.
Satiating cravings: belly-filling for the hungry
This is a tricky cause. These dogs are pitiable, and one can only hope that breeders are working hard to remove the gene defect from the breeding base of the affected breeds. To constantly be hungry, regardless of stomach filling or fat stores, is a welfare problem. You can try to dilute these dogs' food rations with water, cucumbers, grated carrots, and other vegetables to create a feeling of fullness despite a small amount of food intake. You can also extend their eating time by giving them chew bones to nibble on when the bowl is empty. But in the end, the stomach will still rumble. This is a problem just as serious as hip dysplasia or heart defects. These dogs risk ingesting unsuitable items, suffering from overweight, and its accompanying illnesses. If you're considering getting a new dog, choose with this in mind.
If illness is the cause: see a veterinarian
In this case, the solution lies in a visit to the vet. Address the physical cause and then proceed to step 1 to train away the entrenched behavior.
Nutritional deficiencies: change feed if necessary
Priority one is to review the dog's diet. Is the dog getting what she/he needs? Try changing the food for a period and see if it affects the food stealing. Switch from dry to fresh or from canned to homemade. Adjust the ingredients so that the dog gets a broader spectrum of nutrients. Consult a nutritionist if you're unsure.
Unconscious mistakes that can reinforce dog behavior
The blue light effect: why some dogs love to steal food
If you know that you have created a charge around food left out, maybe rushed to the cake plate or set up opportunities to lurk on the dog and then punish a theft attempt, you may be part of the cause. Instead, we want to teach the dog not to take food, show that it benefits from refraining from what is left out, but preferably without putting any negative emphasis on the times when the dog succeeds, as this in itself can amuse and provoke. Some of the excitement in a bank robbery is the car chase and the sirens that follow. At worst, the punishment carousel can get stuck in the machinery that is your relationship.
Diversion: can make the problem worse
If you are quick to distract the dog's theft attempts with chew bones or "allowed" alternatives, that can also reinforce food stealing. Be sure to offer alternatives preventatively and only when the dog is uninterested in your food. If you generously share your goodies, do so consistently in the dog's bowl and never directly from the kitchen or dining table. Also, avoid indoor treat hunts, as this reinforces the dog's food-seeking tendency; let it be an outdoor activity.
Reinforce the right behavior in your dog
Be sure to give the dog attention and love when she/he "does good" so that the focus is not on the undesirable behavior, which could then increase. Then put energy into teaching an alternative behavior regarding food that benefits the dog more than the exciting criminal path. Back away, go lie down, release focus on the displayed food; these can be good goals to reward.
Practicing in everyday situations to reach the goal
Dogs are excellent at distinguishing between rigged training sessions and everyday life. So train in your everyday life. When you sit and have coffee with friends on the patio, let the coffee stand at nose level. Lead the dog gently and calmly away from the table if it persists in approaching the table. If the dog eventually stays at a distance (which it will eventually do), reward it with a dog treat (not food from your plate). In this way, you reinforce that the dog releases its focus on the food. A dog that sits in its place and intensely stares at the food should not receive a reward. Be careful about the focus the dog has when you reward it, and when the dog understands what is expected, start rewarding with verbal praise sometimes and chew bones that take a bit of time to chew.
Make training more difficult step by step
When the above works well with you sitting around the table, it's time to leave the table. One person is designated as the rewarder, and the others act as extras. Walk away, chat, do the dishes. Before the dog jumps on the leftover goodies, reward the dog's distance with higher frequency, to make it clear that the behavior will continue to pay off even if the two-legged beings have left the table. From a dog's perspective, leftover food is available for anyone to take, while food in someone's guard zone is that person's food. We need to adjust that worldview and create an understanding that our food is ours even when we're not around. If the dog goes after the cookie tray, someone is ready to step in and block, i.e., go between the dog and the cookie tray with their back to the dog. Keep the dog away or lead it away. No harsh actions are required; it counters learning as the dog gets stuck worrying about your anger and stops thinking about what pays off, leaving or taking? Experiment with the distance between you, the dog, and the cookie tray. Be sure to reward the dog with something better than what's on the table. If you leave a plate of cinnamon buns, you get chicken on the lawn. This equation makes dogs easy to train.
Consolidating training for long-term success
It's essential to vary the training when the dog understands the situation. Sometimes you can reward for staying far away from the table, or for the dog having kept her/his distance for a longer time. All to consolidate the concept. Often, this is where people lose their enthusiasm and give up training, but it's like quitting a few meters before the finish line. Hold on, keep training, and reward from farther and farther away from the table. Also, present tastier food occasionally to challenge and thereby consolidate. Train at a cafe, at a friend's place, during a picnic in the park. The same criteria apply regardless of the location. The road to a well-behaved dog can be long and demanding; anti-hunting training can be compared in difficulty. For, just like in anti-hunting training, the goal is to extinguish a drive directly related to survival, even though the behavior of those who love food resembles gluttony.
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.
Your personal dog trainer on your mobile
Petli is the app where you can train your dog in a fun format, get personalized coaching from dog experts, meet like-minded people in a warm community and exclusive discounts on great products.
