Living with a Thief

We all know that gut wrenching feeling when we see it. Your dog has picked up your after work socks, snuck into the bathroom and grabbed the toilet roll holder, or wandered into the bedroom to have a good munch on your underwear…

They seem to get better at getting those forbidden items, and somehow more stealthy and even more enthusiastic!

But don’t despair! This is not an uncommon problem, and there are things you can do to help prevent and minimise the snatch and run away behaviours that can be so infuriating.


Why does a dog steal a sock, or anything for that matter?

• It’s all about ‘perceived value’. Dogs value many things by scent intensity. A sock holds vast amounts of your scent which makes them believe you think it is very valuable.
  
  
  
• They see you pay particular interest in them, too when you handle them.
  
  
  
• Your response. When they pick one up, your response is often to shout, rush at them and prize it out of their mouth. We understand that you think it may be dangerous for your dog but he sees your behaviour as ‘confrontational’ and ‘competitive’ which only serves to heighten the perceived value of the sock. If you want it so badly, then they should do more to keep it in their possession!

Making The Issue Worse

Now he thinks you really want it, just not for the same reasons you do. You will now have a dog who really wants your socks but gets smarter and starts to dodge and avoid you, bury them or worse still, try to swallow them. They may guard or growl at you, and if you keep overriding your dogs' attempts to keep an item under their control, it can escalate to snapping or even biting to keep their item with them.

What To Do

Remember that your response is everything!

• Instead of trying to get the sock off the dog, do a 180 and pay no attention to it at all. Better still, encourage them to retrieve it, like it’s a job you can get them to do.
• Use a second sock (which is of equivalent perceived value) to keep yours more valuable at all times and release it when your dog drops the other one. Focus intently on the sock you have rather than the one they have. You can play with the sock you possess and make it even more exciting, and you will find that your dog will think that the item you have is WAY better than theirs, and try to get it.
• By alternating between the socks your dog will start to release them sooner. Eventually you will take control of both socks, at that point you can also involve an additional high value reward to end the game. This could be in the form of a toy that they love, or something awesome they don’t get often like roast chicken.

Managing the Environment

If you leave things that your dog will find appealing, in plain view and access, you will find that your dog will keep practising the behaviour! If there has ever been a better reason to make sure the house is tidy, or that you pick up after yourself: making sure your dog doesn’t grab something and wreck it is a great one!

You can also incorporate more storage units, or start by putting up baby gates or shutting doors. If the environment is set up so that your dog can’t rehearse the behaviour (and have lots of fun being chased or getting attention), then you will see a massive reduction in your own stress.

Teach a Leave Command 

Additionally it is good to teach a ‘leave’ command too, and incorporate it into the game. Teach this separately as a different exercise. Be conscious of the tone you use. If the ‘Leave’ sounds too assertive your dog will feel you are being competitive and it will negate the aim of the process. 

You don’t want your dog believing that they are going to be reprimanded if they drop the item, as that can create even more tension and avoidant behaviour.

Applying the Psychology

You can apply this thinking to many items dogs steal. At the core you must understand the perceived value of the item to be able to change how your dog thinks. This only comes from a change in your own behavioural response!


Authored by Sarah Endres
Dog Trainer and Behaviour Advisor