Help with the stop of taking undies!"

[Siobhan Berry]

Hi all

Anybody got any ideas for stopping my darling Bella running off with underclothes?  she seems to have a fetish with bras and underwear - has eaten through several of my daughters panties.... she sneaks them out of the washing machine or drier and takes off into the garden where I chase her trying to get the said undergarments back... to no avail until they are rubbish! she just keeps running away as I run after her screaming NO!  Any ideas? Its an expensive business trying to replace a 22 year old's underwear!

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

In this order:

COME-don't chase the dog.  Have it come back to you. Always reward the come  no matter how darn long it takes. Instead of chasing the dog, go straight to the cookie jar.  Grab a treat.  Get the dog to come back to you. Reward.  Do NOT CALL THE DOG unless you have the treat in the beginning.  Come is the most important command you can perfect.  Think--dog runs into traffic with undies. Not funny.  Teach come! 

DROP IT- when she comes back, give the drop it command.

LEAVE IT-she may drop the undies but she then may just pick them back up.  Give the leave it

HAVE A COOKIE as a reward.  No dog will come back to you if they expect to get into trouble. Would you? 

You have work to do. I expect this to be perfected in a year and that is with everyday training. Incorporate this training into everything you do. 

Sure undies are dangerous but so are many many things a dog can get into.  These are important but fun, important,  and rewarding commands to learn.

But I agree, more puppy proofing is needed. I know, we all know, because we have had to do some proofing ourselves.

[Lynda Kamrath]

How old is your pup?  I know I had problems with my ALD when he was younger.  He seemed to snag and eat anything within his reach.  I had a habit of leaving my shoes lying around the house and got over that after he ate the toes out of a few pairs of shoes.  I started putting them up on the windowsill in the bathroom and I am afraid I still have that habit.  Everything put away and doors closed for the puppy.  Now he no longer eats things but he always walks around with a toy in his mouth.  Maybe some dogs are just more oral than others.  Sounds like your pup likes to play a "come and get it" game with you.  I think the 22-yr-old daughter can learn to put her things away in drawers or hampers (or windowsills) if she has to buy new underwear.