How do I get my dog to stop stealing my other dog's toys?
If your puppy is stealing things because the game is so much fun, then don’t play. The idea is for y Read More
Why do dogs steal each other's toys?
Jaiden Lowe
2025-07-09 18:26:05
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Resource guarding is common in dogs, and stealing is just a bullying behavior, like a bigger kid on the playground taking over the swing just because they can, even if they were more than happy to play on the slide until someone else started using the swing set. If they get away with it, the dog is rewarded by a new tasty bone to chew, and if they learn which dogs will and won't put up with their bullying. Guarding is an anxiety problem, where the dog fears losing something valuable. The more they feel that fear, the more they feel compelled to act on it, even if no real threat is present. Like people, dogs don't learn well when they are anxious, so you have to remove the anxiety in order to teach them what you want them to do. The dogs can both have the bones while they're separated or crated, but they need to be put away before allowing the dogs to interact so no one becomes anxious and defensive.
Zoe Schiller
2025-07-01 12:05:47
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Dogs are hardwired to identify patterns in our behaviour to help them make future decisions and get what they want more quickly. This ability to recognise and act on patterns is something we can rely on 100% when it comes to training our dogs. Our dog has figured out that stealing balls results in treats. This is a perfect example of dogs recognising patterns and using them to their advantage. For example, my dog Frankie does this to some extent, but not for treats—he simply loves chasing things. Dogs are hardwired to identify patterns in our behaviour to help them make future decisions and get what they want more quickly.
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What to do if your dog steals something?
If your dog steals something, the first and best step is prevention. Prevention recognizes this real Read More
Birdie Heaney
2025-06-20 20:57:55
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In most cases, this is something that humans have unwittingly encouraged their dogs to do. All puppies and dogs will explore with their mouths and will naturally try picking up or chewing most things they come across. They learn to take items they’re not supposed to this way: the dog picks up their owner’s slipper, their owner gets up and starts chasing them, which feels like a fun game to the dog, their owner catches up with the dog and pulls the slipper out of the dog’s mouth, which feels like a game of tug to the dog. The puppy or dog doesn’t know whether this is wrong or right, they just know that it is fun, and puppies do fun things again and again. Your dog might be stealing things because they are looking for something to do or for some interaction with you. Dogs need both physical and mental stimulation to prevent boredom.
Mason Nienow
2025-06-20 17:45:19
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Possessiveness is an entirely natural behavior for dogs and, in the case of dog-dog interactions, a difficult one to modify. From Brutus’s perspective, his behavior works—and every time he successfully steals a toy or defends one from another dog, his obnoxious behavior is rewarded. I know of no way to decrease his interest in toys—I expect that time outs will have the opposite effect—and I don’t want to deprive him of what are obviously a great source of joy in his life. When your dog has a toy, offer him another, better toy or treat. As he opens his mouth to take the new thing, say “drop” and praise him enthusiastically when he does. Make your dog think that whenever you say “drop,” an even cooler toy or fabulous treat will appear. You will get lots of use out of this command, and you can use it when Brutus steals another dog’s toy. Just like you wouldn’t let a son (or daughter) bully other kids at the local playground, you can’t let your pup bully other dogs at the park for their toys.
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What to do when a dog is possessive of a toy?
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Do dogs get jealous over toys?
Rex gets jealous when other dogs have his toys. Rex is an amazingly well behaved dog 99% of the time Read More