Hi, hopefully someone here can solve this dilemma for me.

Roxy likes to steal anything she can reach and would really like you to chase her to get it (which we try to avoid at all times so she doesn't think it's a game).  Here's the dilemma - if you give her a treat to get it back and say something like 'give' before you hand over the treat are you rewarding the bad behaviour or are you rewarding the good behaviour of her giving you whatever she has in her mouth?

And before anyone says it, we do try and keep things out of her reach, but she still manages to get things she shouldn't!  :rolleyes:

Once the behaviour is RELLIABLY on cue (it has become the Martini dog, any time, any place, anywhere) then you should only reward behaviour that is cued, otherwise it just becomes begging.

I would manage the environment as much as possible (how well you do that depends on how important you think it is) just as you would remove potentially dangerous items for a baby/toddler.

Any item that is retrieved by the dog should have no intrinsic value, but be the equivalent of a lottery ticket, only valuable when it is "handed in".

If the dog brings something without you asking it for it, pat on head, good boy.  When it is brought on cue, big reward.

Chasing a dog only a) gives the dog the attention it obviously wants and b) raises the value of the item, not a terribly good idea.

HTH

It's OK to use a treat to get things back - much better than a chase - but a clever dog will probably start to manipulate this and grab stuff not only to be chased but also for a treat ;)

So i would suggest do it sparingly and try to follow management etc as Tohme suggests.

You can set up training situations and train "give" or "drop" by using the "swop" method and here you can use food rewards or swop 2 toys etc, always swapping a low value for a high value (in the dog's eyes). Soon you can add the command word and once the dog understands you will be able to use this command when the dog takes items, and you can then reward for obedience and graduate to just praise with the occasional food or toy treat for dog enjoyment.

Lindsay
X

Thanks for the advice, I will give it a go.  We don't do chasing, but I know by the glint in her eye and her stance that this is what she's wanting.  :D  Walking away and calling her usually works, but only if there is someone else there to pick up whatever she had in her mouth!

Generally we do keep things out of her reach, but when she manages to get teddies off your bedside table (which have been there longer than she has, but she's only just decided look like fun) and things off the dining table (when you're not looking) it makes it a difficult job.  Needless to say, the teddies have now been rehomed and the plant on the dining table chewed.  :rolleyes:

You could actually put the chase thing on cue as outlined by Nina Bondarenko but you have to be very clear exactly what you want and when and so does the dog...................

What's this Tohme?