Hello all,
I have a lovely 26 wk old Dalmatian, we have resolved many behavioural learing curves in the short ten weekd that we have known one another, however the one that he seems resolved to keep regardless of it's consequences is that of stealing food, out of my children's hands, the bin, the dining table.  I have excluded him from our company for time periods, growled at him, (this works to let him know I get first go as top dog but doesn't actually stop him), excluded him from the room when the children have a treat.  Don't get me wrong it is not mealtime food, he knows to stay in his bed when we are eating, but his stomache rules him for snacks and foods away from the mealtime.

The majority of dogs are opportunist thieves, unless i have just been unlucky :rolleyes:
However JG has Dals and maybe able to help, she may be along later.

liberty

I know, but I have spoken with people who keep telling me, in passing but never offer a resolution, that there dog will leave food that they shouldn't have all day long, is it just that dallies are simply refuse to learn this lesson I wonder?  Thanks for responding though.

Perhaps Jeangenie can help as she has owned Dals for a long time..even tho she is very young ;)
She may be the best one to help you.

You growl at him ? What is that supposed to do ? Let him know you are "top dog" ?

Actually it is the norm that the youngest fed first in dog packs & the young are allowed lots of liberties that older dogs are not. So growling at him isn't really the way to go.

If he is constantly stealing food are you actually feeding him correctly ? how many meals is he on? Do you leave food on work surfaces, the dining table etc when you are not having a meal ?

The first thing to consider how much food he is being fed
Then remove all food to fridge, cupboard, etc after meals
Provide treat for him such as a filled kong which contains part of his food, train him & rewrad with treats for good behaviour
Remove the bin to a place he cannot access

What are the consequences of stealing food being told off ? excluded from the room ?

You haven't really given enough information

This is one of the well-known traits of the breed, I'm afraid. But it's an excellent way of teaching owners to be tidy! One of my dalmatians would still steal food when she was 15 years old (butter was her favourite - a half-pound at a time). Your sanity and happiness depend on you accepting that this is going to happen, so, like mine, your children will have to learn not to wander around with food; you (like me) will have to learn never to leave food unattended and available. My kitchen bin is in a cupboard - my mother's (when we visited) had to be put in the sink when the kitchen was left unattended.

The trouble is that they are highly intelligent, and once they've learned that they are able to steal, they'll be ever hopeful! If they never, even once succeed, then they may give up trying. But a single 'win' means they never forget. Probably not what you want to hear - sorry!

Thanks for your help, it is as I suspected, just good to know that it's a trait I think.  He doesn't steal from work surfaces as I learnt very quickly not to leave foods available for him, and he doesn't steal from the dining table, it is only really the bin and the children (4 & 2).  I can completely see the hope in his eyes when he knows the children have a treat I am trying to remedy these opportunities by telling the children to stay in the living room when they have a treat, and closing the door so that it is not so 'tempting' for him.  Oh well!

Jeangenie.  I have been thinking about what you posted, and I realised how right you are about the, the winning a steal.  The problem only arouse recently and I think I can pin point it.  We have a bin collection system that alternates it's pick up, one week they collect the compost bin, in which we were disposing of our left overs, so there was never any food stuffs in the bin (the other week the normal bin).  However they only run this system form mid March - mid. November, and it is only now that our foodstuffs have been going into the bin that Travys has become an accomplished thief.
Thanks again for your input as it has helped me greatly and made me see what was actually right before my eyes!
Best regards
Chas

last wednesday i had friends over for dinner. i cooked a lovely quiche. Ruby (terrier 7 months) thought to have first helping....
have you thought about having a compost bin? or a wormery? better for the environment too...
(compost bin can be partly buried and with lid to prevent scavanging... dog or others...)

I once had an Irish Setter the first thing she stole was a whole cooked chicken, I was out of the room for a couple of  minutes, and when I got back the whole chicken had disappeared, that was the first of many things she took, Telling her off didnt work, being tidy did.

Have to agree with you here, or maybe apart from their coats Elkhounds and Dalliees are soul mates, as I would say the same.  It is in the nature of the beat. 

I tend to find the dogs that freinds own who never steal human food are often owned by an adult only household where the people are very tidy and the dogs never get the opportunity to learn the ploeasure of stealing.

My 17 year old daughter drives me mad, as she leaves the butter/margeerine oput and I have had countless whole 500g tubs stolen.

Same goes for unattended food left by the kids when they havew finished their meals but are too lazy to clar their plates from the table.

Brainless I think you have a good point about dogs stealing food in environments where there aren't children, to offer intentionally or otherwise.  I have caught my two year old on occassion teasing the dog or just plain giveing the dog food, so...
Chas

Ihave had three dalamatians and two golden retrievers and not one of my dogs has stolen food.

One of the forst things I teach my puppy is "don't touch".

I show the puppy a treat on the palm of my hand- not offer it or ask it to takt it just let it se it lying there- and when it goes to take it I quickly close my hand before it gets it and gently say don't touch.
I wait until the puppy gives up trying to get the treat- usually trying to force my hand open or pawing my hand- then open my hand again and repeat.

After a few goes the puppy will look but not take or sometimes back off. Then I praise the puppy and give him a treat from my other hand with the command " take it".He does not get the treat he was trying to take.

Now if I drop food on the floor by accident although probably hovering hopefully I just say " don't touch" and they stand and look at it.

S

I have had three dalamatians and two golden retrievers and not one of my dogs has stolen food.

One of the first things I teach my puppy is "don't touch".

I show the puppy a treat on the palm of my hand- not offer it or ask it to take it just let it see it lying there- and when it goes to take it I quickly close my hand before it gets it and gently say don't touch. I leave my hand where it is with the treat inside.

When the puppy gives up trying to get the treat- usually by mugging my hand open or pawing my hand- I open my hand to show the treat again and repeat.

After a few goes the puppy will look but not take or even better will back off. Then I praise the puppy and give him a treat from my other hand with the command " take it".He does not get the treat he was trying to take. With practice he learns to wait to be told to take something.

Now if I drop food on the floor by accident although probably hovering hopefully I just say " don't touch" and they stand and look at it. I can then pick it up or tell them to take it if it is something they can have.  I only tell them to take it when I feel they are totally reliable at not taking without being told otherwise I would lift the item up, praise the dog then offer it saying " take it.

Similarly any food on a work surface, table etc I say don't touch when they look it and they leave it alone even if I leave the room.

I also find this a useful command outside when my dogs go to eat "undesirables"!

ps  I  prefer to tell my dog to "don't touch " rather than "leave"- sounds nicer!

Sheena
I don't think its always that easy unfortunately.I have 3 dogs who wouldn't dream of touching anything they weren't offered.However the other is completely different.He has been taught the same...I can put his food down and he will wiat tilll he is told to eat etc but when he knows no one is looking he will steal anything from anywhere.The only solution with this sort of dog is to make sure that nothing is left where it can be reached.....
Archer

Sheena I will give it a try!

Archer I can totally understand becasue that is what Travys is like.  He won't touch food when I tell him not to, but if he thinks he can get away with it weyhay!
My house smells like I have shares in domestos, so that there are not even tempting smells to entice him into a 'quick steal', this and keeping the kids in the lounge with the doors closed whilst they have a treat or a snack is how I am resigned to stoping his sheenanigans!