How do I get my dog to stop picking up things?
Alden Leffler
2025-07-08 19:05:22
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: 10
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. 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.
Logan Gulgowski
2025-07-04 00:45:24
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: 8
We have tried to discipline and also reward good behavior but she does not stop. We have tried awarding her with treats when she listens but she never does. We feed her well and with delux food. We have also tried different types of food and regularly giving treats she is defiantly not starving. The only thing I can think of is when she was a stray she scavenged like crazy and is why she cannot kick this habit. We have again have tried countless times to correct this behavior. Say NO and BAD GIRL but she still does it no matter what we try.
Edwina Thiel
2025-06-29 00:47:17
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: 8
Make sure your dog is fed before walks. Ensure your dog has had a meal not long before you head out the door. You can even fulfill their scavenging need by making mealtime more interesting using slow feeders, snuffle mats, or puzzle feeders. If you don’t have any of these items, you can try scattering kibble around their feeding area as another opportunity to help satisfy their needs before going on a walk. Train your dog with “leave it” and “watch me” cues. Teaching your dog cues such as “leave it” and “watch me” can be extremely beneficial if they’re prone to scavenge on your walks. It’s best to work on both training methods in your home before trying them on walks so your dog is set up for success. Remember to continue rewarding them whenever they choose a treat over scavenging outside. Change up how you walk. You can make walks extra fun – and distract your dog from scavenging – by bringing along a toy, a ball, walking at a quicker pace, or even continuing to practice your “leave it” and “watch me” cues. Choose a less tempting route. If possible, change up where you walk by choosing somewhere away from gardens and hedges to help remove any temptations of eating plants and sticks. If you can’t change your route, simply redirect your dog’s attention by tossing treats up ahead while you walk so that your dog targets those instead of anything else on the ground.
Keith Legros
2025-06-17 14:17:30
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Teaching your dog basic commands will help keep them safe throughout their life. A command like “leave” or “drop” will help in many situations, and a solid recall will ensure that they come back to you if you spot a tasty temptation in the distance. Don’t forget to keep training sessions short and fun. Find out what really motivates your dog – this could be a treat or a toy – and use this during training sessions to get the best out of your pup. Visit areas with fewer temptations, one option if your dog is an avid scavenger is to take them for a walk in an area that you know has fewer temptations. You could take them for a walk in the countryside or woods rather than in a more suburban area where there is likely to be more residue and rubbish around. Teach your dog to walk to heel and pay attention to you, ensuring your dog is well trained is essential for their safety. Learn your dog’s signals, get to recognise your dog’s behaviour before they scoff their scavenging prize, dogs may sniff or circle when they’ve found a scent that they like. Pay attention to your pooch to see if there are any identifiers that will alert you before they lunge for that discarded sandwich wrapper. Once you have learnt their behaviour, you can call them away or distract them until you pass the potential danger.
Zack Kuhn
2025-06-08 09:33:51
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: 8
From a training perspective, there are two things you’ll need to do. Firstly, you’ll need to manage your puppy’s environment to the best of your abilities to prevent your puppy from being in a situation where they can get a hold of something they shouldn’t. Supervise! When your puppy is outside, you need to be out there with them. If your puppy is just learning the ropes and has a tendency to grab things, you’ll need to keep them on leash so that you’re able to prevent them from picking up something they shouldn’t have. Keep the yard tidy. While you won’t be able to clean up “everything”, pick up what you can. Clean up sticks, pick up garbage, rake up the bunny poo, and pick up the mulch that has made its way out of the garden and onto the lawn, etc. Every little bit that you can pick up will help.
You’ll also need to teach your puppy a reliable response to two commands: “leave it” and “drop it”. “Leave it” means don’t touch! Our goal in training is to teach our puppies that they are to leave something of interest and to move away from it. In order to teach a reliable response to the “leave it” command, you’ll need to set up various training scenarios in which to practice.
Despite your very best efforts to prevent your puppy from picking up something they shouldn’t have, there will be times when they do manage to get hold of something. It’s at that time you’ll need to use a “drop it” command so your puppy happily relinquishes the item to you. We teach this by playing tug games with our puppies so that we have the opportunity to teach them what “drop it” means.
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