Theiving Doodle

[Elise & Remy]

How do we get our doodle to stop stealing the rug in the kitchen (along with other items such as socks, chair cushions, pillows, underpants, etc...)

He is about 18 months old.  We recently redid the kitchen and now have a rug and he steals it several times a day.  He grabs it and runs into the living room with it in his mouth.  We scold him, take it away, and sometimes put him in time out in his crate, but none of that has any affect (he will often go back and take it right after he is released from time out).  

I understand that this is a cry for attention and we will redirect him with a toy and playtime when we can, but that is not always an option as I work from home and my husband is busy with school work.  

any suggestions?  

[Pam & Trixie]

I would start with keeping all clothes picked up.  If a dog eats a sock, undies or other such items it can cause a blockage  & require surgery : (   If they are stealing the item- its easier on everyone if its not available to steal. 

The rug...?  maybe put it away for awhile...He may outgrow dragging it around....and you can try it back out in a month or two

[BG and Gavin]

He will likely outgrow it, but in the meantime wear him out.  Walking, running, fetch or give him a job to do like roll a treat ball around to get his food.  Sounds like Remy is very playful.  If we can get them to focus that energy for good not evil... lol.

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

He's still a playful puppy.  My Murphy used to do it with the bathmat.  If someone left it down after their shower he'd drag it out into the bedroom.  It was kind of a game with him.  If I caught him "in the act" I would tell him "no" and take it away.  Most of the time though he did it when I wasn't around.  He eventually just outgrew it.  If you think Remy might chew your new rug, I'd just take it up when you can't watch him.

[Deborah Brown]

I feel your pain.  Our pup, about to turn one, loves to chew on the underside of area rugs.  She has chewed the backing off at various spots.  I know she does it when she is bored but I can't entertain her around the clock.  We often have heavy objects weigh down the corners.  It's not particular attractive but I've already had to replace the rug in my office.

For a small kitchen rug, I'd put it away for a short time to break the habit.  Is it nubby and interesting to chew?  Maybe replace it with a cheap flat one for awhile.

[Sally S Miles]

I have nothing to add other than a giggle - buy a bigger rug? MIne is 3x5 and we went through a very brief stage about it - otherwise it is her spot in the kitchen.

Socks and undies are forever great temptations - they absolutely reek of the people in her pack! We did find that socks not wadded up were safest - but simply had to pick up (who am I kidding?) and did a whole lot of nagging in the 'leave it' department.    We have special toys in bedroom - it was her idea to keep them there and we followed suit - it reduces nosiness somewhat.

Next step is to teach ours to put laundry in hamper!

[Heather & Brinkley]

Our downstairs fluffy bathroom rug spends more time in the living room than it does in the bathroom it was purchased for! Brinkley is 3 1/2 and I haven't been able to stop him. He pulls it out and cuddles with it. He also pulls it out when he wants attention but he loves that fluffy rug so much. I've just decided it's his rug, not mine. :)

[Moe]

I did clicker training to desensitize the dog to certain items. It was mostly the leash, socks and sneakers. It looks something like this video: (just substitute the leash for the rug)

It takes 10-15 minutes of practice 3x a day for a few weeks but if you work at it the dog should stop obsessing over the rug. 

Most of the time like you said the dog does this stuff for attention. They are probably bored. Increasing the walks and exercise will go a long way. For more mental stimulation you could try feeding 1/2 of her food (dry kibble) from a feeder toy, I have a  Treat Ball and a  Kong Wobbler. These satisfy the dog's need to forage. I also have a  Tails Teaser toy which she loves to chase. It helps with her prey drive and it completely exhausts her. I think if you satisfy the dog's primal side then they are mentally stimulated and easier to handle the rest of the time.

It is really pretty easy to stop the dog from doing any behavior but it does take a commitment to training 5 minutes 3x a day for a week or so. If you commit I'm sure you're pup will stop stealing the rug.

[Becka]

My pup is two and a half and still considers any towel--particularly kitchen towels--that she can reach to be her property, and as a result there are always two or three in the TV room and bedroom. I think she must consider them her "kills." She would also steal socks if she could, but luckily I rarely wear socks (I'm in Florida after all) and I've learned to keep them out of her reach, which is probably going to be your best bet, too. I would put away the rug for now--clearly he considers it "his," and leaving it lying on the floor like that is probably more temptation than he can handle.

[Pat and Traveler]

Ha!  This brought back memories!  Trav just wouldn't leave the little rug in front of the kitchen sink alone.  He's so darn cute when he's being devilish--the happy expression, the proud trot with the rug, the sparkling eyes--but I digress.  :)  I finally just put it up for a few months.