How do I get my dog to stop stealing my other dog's toys?

Possessiveness is an entirely natural behavior for dogs and, in the case of dog-dog interactions, a difficult one to modify. Don't give your dog toys when he's around other dogs. Train your dog to drop toys (or anything else that’s in his mouth) on cue. 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. Train your dog to have solid leave it and come (recall) commands, and use them to prevent stealing other dogs’ toys. This is especially important if your dog is inclined to get ugly with other dogs. As your letter indicates, you recognize that he lacks self-control around toys, so it’s your responsibility to provide that control. 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.

The first thing to do is to ensure we are not rewarding our dog when they steal another dog’s ball. This can be tricky, but it’s essential. Avoid giving treats or throwing the stolen ball. We need to introduce “Leave It” and “Drop It” Commands, these commands are crucial for managing our dogs’ behaviour around toys. Leave It: When we see our dog approaching a toy that isn’t theirs, we say “leave it” and reward them when they look back at us. Drop It: Only reward our dog when they drop their own toy, not when they steal another dog’s toy. We need to ensure we are consistent with our rewards. Only give treats when our dog responds correctly to our commands. If our dog tries to drop a stolen toy in front of us without being asked, ignore it if it’s not playtime or throw it if it is, but do not give treats for this behaviour.

If your puppy is stealing things because the game is so much fun, then don’t play. The idea is for your puppy to learn that taking your things is completely pointless because it doesn’t result in anything fun happening to them as a result. Provide physical and mental exercise, 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. Make sure the stealing behaviour is not rewarded. Dogs will repeat anything that works out well for them. So, if your dog enjoys gaining your attention by stealing things, the best thing to do when they steal is to ignore them, as long as it is safe to do so. Simply wait until they lose interest and drop the item, then encourage them to do something else instead, such as play with a toy or enjoy a chew. Be prepared for things to get worse at first, when you start to ignore your dog for stealing things, you might find that they appear confused. Always reward good behaviour, make sure you give your dog lots of praise and attention for good behaviours instead, like playing with their own toys or relaxing by themselves. Teach your dog to swap things, it can be useful to get your dog comfortable with swapping something they have for something they consider to be of equal or greater value.