Stealing...

[Jill DeMartino]

Hi.

I have a 15 month old goldendoodle named Lily.  She really is a pretty good girl.  we have done puppy kindergarten classes up to CGC prep class.  She knows most commands and listens pretty well.  She has had free reign of the house since about 7 months old and never had chewed or touched anything she wasn't supposed to.  I am home with her most of the time.   If I leave, its very rarely for more than 3 hours at a time.  I always give her a Kong prior to leaving and she will hang out in our mudroom while I am gone.  Activity wise, I do as much as I can with her.  I walk her every morning for an hour to an hour and a half and then again in the late afternoon for about 20 minutes.  I play ball with her in the backyard when it's not too muddy, which is at least 3-5 times per week.  She gets to play with other dogs in a playgroup I go to at least once every two weeks. I take her to Petco and other stores that allow dogs when possible.  SO I think she gets a lot of activity.  All that being said...

The past 2 weeks she had been stealing my belongings.  Only my belongings, not my husband's.  She will pull my shoes out of the cubbies in the mudroom and she went and took a pair of pants off out bed and had them in the kitchen.  She doesn't ruin the things she steals, she just moves them around.  I now shut the bedroom door so she can't get at anything in there, but she is still stealing my shoes out of the cubbies in the mudroom.  I also sprayed all of the shoes with bitter apple.  Didn't seem to help.  Also, when I am home and doing something in the kitchen or whatever, she used to hang out with me and chew a toy or relax.  Now, all she does is stare at me and jumo up every time I take a step.

Anyways, any thoughts on these sudden annoying habits that seem to have developed?  And also, why is it just my stuff?

Any thoughts greatly appreciated:)

Thank you!

Jill

Update:  I emailed our breeder (she is also a "dog trainer")...  she says to start crating her again for about 2 months then start with short periods of alone out of the crate time.  If she is good, increase time, if bad decrease time spans.  Lily still sleeps in her crate, so I don't think she will mind too much, but I haven't day crated her for like 9 months.  Has anyone had to do this?

[Lucy & AnnaBelle's Mom]

no, we are now in Ohio.  We were in Stratford from 95-98.  We lived on River Valley Road near Boothe Park.  My husband misses that house to this day.  It was so beautiful up there, but the commute to work was killing us.  Hopefully the weather will get better and your little one will be able to get outside and get rid of some of that energy.  Our youngest just turned 4 and while she will lay around and sleep alot, she is always willing to go and do and play whenever anyone is willing.  Usually in the evening though she gets a case of the zoomies and gets rid of some of that energy.  

[Paige and Leo]

Leo has always done this. He does not hurt anything.  Usually it is when he wants to play. He will look at me and take it.  Then drop it when I don't chase or play back. I think it is cute when he tries to get my attention.  He loves my shoes but not to eat or chew.  He will take one and then put it by him and lay down.  Sometimes if it is an old shirt or my boys old stinky stuff, I will play with him and do the chase play thing.   But try to switch to his toys. 

[Jill DeMartino]

thank you for your response:)

[Leslie J]

Cocoa collects socks and put them in one of her beds. I have three sons who tend to leave socks around, so she gets a daily collection. She started doing this when she was around 8 months old. At first we corrected her and she would drop them for us... but never stopped collecting them. Since she doesn't chew or attempt to eat the socks, we have stopped correcting her and have decided it is one of her cute quirks, and I send one of my boys to gather them each day and put them in the laundry!