Into EVERYTHING!!

[Camille King]

Chance, my 16 month old goldie steals everything he can get his mouth on!  He steals food from the counter, table, anywhere!  He gets my kids toys when they aren't looking! He gets into the garbage.  He does this when I turn my back for 2 seconds!  Any tips??  Thanks!

[Chelsea and Bailey]

I dont really have too much advice for you as Bailey doesnt really steal anything but socks or underwear but I have figured out that she only steals when she is feeling ignored/wants attention.  I usually will redirect her, Give a firm "NO", "drop it" and tell her to go to her kennel, where she will stay for a minute or two. I will then take her out and give her some attention- She loves to play fetch so I will throw the ball in the backyard for 10-15minutes. This usually stops the behaviour and she settles nicely after that. 

[Lynda Kamrath]

My ALD has been stealing everything also this week, but he has been in the house while we have been doing a kitchen remodel (new countertops).  I finally took him to the dog park this morning and he had a wonderful run with another labradoodle, a Rhodesian ridgeback, and an Australian cattledog.  He is calmer this afternoon.  When he is bored, he is stealing anything he can get.  He has plenty of toys, but he will grab whatever he can get his jaws on, inside or out.  Take him out as frequently as you can.  Doodles are very active dogs and need lots of running and activity.  My 5-yr-old goldendoodle is a little calmer but also capable of getting into trouble when he is bored.

[Lucy & AnnaBelle's Mom]

I found very early on that having 2 goldendoodle puppies in the house made me a much better housekeeper.  I had to pick up and put up everything.  House was puppy proofed.  As they grew and I learned that they could be trusted, then things came back out (or at least some of them).  The only times that I ever caught them chewing anything I could attribute to a lack of exercise.  (bad weather days when they didn't get outside).  So, my only suggestions would be to ensure he is getting plenty of off leash run time to get rid of that energy and the other would be to go back to some very basic obedience training and limit his access to parts of the house where you can't keep your eyes on him, until he earns a full run of the house again by showing you he can be trusted.  Aside of his destroying things, this can turn very serious very quickly should he eat something he shouldn't it could earn you a very expensive trip to the vets and no one wants that to happen.  Best of luck.  Hopefully someone else will have some good ideas for you.

[Camille King]

We do have a large fenced yard.  I should probably throw the ball with him more, if he would only bring it back to me! lol

[Anne & Mr. Haley]

I had to train Haley to bring the ball back - lots of praise and treats when he did bring it back and repetition. When he got consistent at bringing it back I cut down on the treats, only giving them occasionally. Now I don't treat. Throwing the ball for him is treat enough. He is totally addicted to catching/chasing the ball.

[Heather & Brinkley]

Brinkley loves to play fetch with the stick... he'd bring it back, but the probelm was at that point he'd want to paly tug of war and he's strong!! So I'd never actually get the stick back to throw it a second time... until I realize he loves any and all sticks so now we play fetch with two sticks.  I start out with two in my hand... I throw one, he goes and gets it and as he turns around, I call him and show him the second stick in my hand-- he'll RACE to me and drop stick #1 right in front of me b/c he wants the other one.  It's great-- b/c there's no more tug of war and I always wants the other stick that he doesn't currently have so badly that he brings stick # 1 to me.  Good luck!

[Jen, Lachlan, and Declan]

You have my sympathy, Camille; Lachlan at 9 months is the same way when he gets bored. If I'm not paying attention anything that CAN go fit in his mouth DOES. I'll reiterate what others have said: Keep him busy, wear him out as much as possible. I also practice creative avoidance like Lucy and Sophie's Mom talked about: Keep stuff picked up and keep him in line-of-sight. Baby gates are my best friends! I have a permanent gate installed across my kitchen entry so he can't get in there at all unless I'm also in there, and a portable gate currently at the top of the basement stairs as well as the bedroom and bathroom doors shut, minimizing his temptation. The only garbage can he can possibly get into right now is about 8 inches from my right knee. I also make sure that he has stuff that he can legally and safely chew on (large stuffed bones, kongs, a bully stick, whatever) to satisfy that very normal canine need. If I really have to turn my back on him (to take a shower, for instance) I just pop him into his crate for the duration.

These guys are high-energy and incredibly smart; while that combination makes them the delightful companions that they are, it also means they get bored very easily and need stuff to do.

[Camille King]

He is a wonderful dog and everybody in the family loves him (except our cat, Pearl!).  We have explained to the kids , 5 & 6, that if they have a toy they want to keep, it must stay put away or it will become dogfood!  lol

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

Years ago when my kids were your children's ages, we had a Springer Spaniel puppy.  The kids learned that if they valued their toy, they had to keep it picked up.  Somehow the Springer finally learned to tell the difference between her toys and theirs, so it can happen - just not any time soon.

[Jennifer,Chloe & Myla]

Chloe did this for 3 years! She still steals kleenex out of the box and coasters of the table and much more and she is 4

Good luck!

[Dot, Maggie and KoKo]

I've got one of those thieves, her name is Koko.  She is supposed to be a mini but unfortunately she's big enough to reach the counter and will steal anything she can reach.  I try so hard to be careful but she proves me wrong all the time.  I have caught her with a knife sticking out of her mouth, scissors, clothing, money, you name it she has stolen it.  She has been to obedience class and does pretty good but she knows when she has something that is off limits and I call her she won't come to me.  The trainer said to go get her when she won't obey the "come" command.  That's easier said than done.  She knows she is wrong and just takes of running around the house and especially around the dining room table.  I don't want to be chasing her especially with a knife in her jaw so I end up bribing her with a treat - wrong I know but its the only way I can retrieve dangerous items. There are days I think I'm going to lose the doodle war.  Its not her fault since she is a much more high energy doodle than my other girl Maggie and I don't have an area large enough to let her just run.  If its not too expensive I am thinking about having her go to doggie day care just so she can expend some of that energy. 

 

I feel your pain Camille and know exactly what you are going through.

[Sue, Murphy and Bella ()*o*()]

If you have read any of my blogs on the adventures of Bella, you would see that she is/was the same way. She is 14 months old now and it has gotten SO much better, but I have definitely learned what I want to keep that it needs to be put away or it's really fair game to her if I don't catch her first.

We have done a lot of "Leave it" training and she has gotten to where she will drop whatever she has. Or if I even think she is thinking of getting something I give her a firm UH-UHH!  She responds well to that now too. Before she would just get quicker at grabbing the desired treasure and running away with it when she heard UH-UH! 

I have learned from reading that prevention is important and anticipating the act and stopping the brain from acting upon it with redirection. I did use a lot of treats with Leave it and clicker trained often with that as well. To me it could be life saving if she were to get something that is potentially harmful.