Keep-away
Why does my dog steal things and run away?
The sock disappears, the dog reappears in the doorway with it, and the moment you stand up it is gone. Here is what that game teaches, why chasing makes it worse, and how a trade and a drop cue end it without a fight.
Why dogs steal
Stealing pays your dog three ways: your scent, your attention and a game of chase
The AKC's trainers point to scent first: objects that smell like their people are especially prized, which is why dirty socks are such a favorite. Attention comes next, because a dog quickly discovers that grabbing something gets an instant reaction. Play is the third payoff, and boredom feeds all three, since a dog with nothing to do goes looking for its own fun. VCA's veterinary behaviorists add that stealing is common in puppies and adolescents, which explore the world by chewing.
Food is its own category. VCA notes that food items are appealing on their own, so a sandwich left on a low table is not a bid for attention, just an opportunity. Cornell's veterinary college makes the preventive point for adolescents: a dog with plenty of acceptable chew toys is less likely to gnaw on a stolen shoe. Most stealing, in other words, is a normal young dog meeting an unguarded room.
- Laundry, socks and shoes: your scent
- Remotes and phones: grabbed when you are busy
- Food within reach: its own reward
- Almost anything, when the dog is bored or a teenager
What keep-away teaches
Every chase teaches your dog that you heading its way means the game has started
VCA's behaviorists put it simply: chasing makes the game more rewarding, so the answer is not to play. A dog used to being chased may even start bringing the stolen object toward you, not to hand it over but to invite the next round. The AKC calls keep-away an activity dogs love and lists three things to avoid: chasing, responding with anger or threats, and wrestling the item away.
Each of those teaches something you do not want. Chasing teaches that stolen things start games. Anger teaches that people near its things are a threat, and VCA warns that threats and punishment are likely to make a puppy more possessive. Wrestling an item away, the AKC adds, puts you at risk of defensive behavior and can teach the dog to hold on harder next time. The duller and calmer you are, the less a steal pays.
The trade
A trade and a drop cue end the game: something better for the item, and the item often comes back
The AKC's trade is straightforward: offer something better, such as a piece of chicken, for the toy, and give the toy back once the chicken is eaten. That last part matters. A dog that loses everything it gives up learns to keep things. Practiced on toys long before socks, the trade grows into a drop it cue, which the AKC describes as teaching that giving things up means getting something even better in return.
VCA's behaviorists supply the other half: crouch, use a happy voice and reward your dog when it comes and drops the item, so bringing things pays more than running off with them. They also suggest a take it cue for objects your dog is allowed, so it learns to pick things up only with permission. Our how-to on drop it teaches the cue itself; the steps below are for the moment a sock is already leaving the room.
- 01
Stop. Do not chase, shout or reach for the dog.
- 02
Turn sideways or walk calmly to the kitchen, away from the dog.
- 03
Pick up something better, a treat or a favorite toy, and crouch with a cheerful voice.
- 04
When your dog comes and lets go, pay it, then pick the item up without a grab.
- 05
Give it back if it is safe; if not, pay a few extra treats instead.
- 06
Later, practice drop it with toys so the cue is ready next time.
Management
Management stops the rehearsals while the training catches up
Every successful steal is practice, so the fastest progress comes from making steals rare. The AKC's advice is to keep items out of reach and puppy-proof the house, and VCA lists closed doors, baby gates and supervision, with a crate or pen when nobody can watch. Give the dog better options at the same time: exercise, mental work and a rotation of toys and edible chews, so the shoe rack is not the most interesting thing in the house.
Cape Ann summers bring their own temptations. Beach bags and wet towels piled by the door, sandals kicked off in the hall, and a cookout during St. Peter's Fiesta in late June with plates at nose height give a light-fingered dog plenty of chances. Put a lidded basket by the door and a gate across the kitchen on busy days. On daycare, Academy or overnight days, a frozen Kong at $6 or a puzzle game at $7 gives a busy mouth a legitimate job.
- Laundry baskets with lids, shoes behind a closed door
- A gate across the kitchen when food is out
- A crate or pen when nobody is watching
- Chews and toys rotated so they stay new
When it is serious
Swallowed objects and guarding are the two situations to hand to a professional
Some steals end in the stomach. The AKC warns that torn-off pieces can choke a dog and swallowed objects can cause intestinal blockages, and Cornell's veterinary college lists toys, socks and pieces of clothing among common culprits, with string and ribbon able to do worse damage. Signs of an obstruction include vomiting, loss of appetite, belly pain, diarrhea and lethargy, and Cornell stresses that prompt veterinary care gives the best outcome. Call your vet straight away rather than waiting to see.
The second situation is guarding. If your dog freezes, stiffens, growls or snaps when you come near what it has taken, stop practicing trades: the AKC advises against trading with a dog that already guards. That needs a plan from a professional. Polished Pup, our 10-week Level 3 program, includes resource guarding, and private sessions with Gabriella Pope, our Director of Training & Canine Behaviorist, start from $94. The training form brings a reply within one hour on business days.
At Dogtown
Training and better jobs for a busy mouth
Private sessions and programs for trading and guarding, plus enrichment add-ons that give a dog something legitimate to chew.
Asked and answered
Questions people ask about this
Short, complete answers you can act on today. More in the full FAQ.
Why does my dog only steal things when I am on the phone?
My dog brings me the stolen item, then runs off. What does that mean?
Should I just ignore my dog when it steals?
What if my dog swallows a sock?
Is it all right to give the item back after a trade?
More questions? Read the full FAQ
Sources
- AKC: does your dog steal things?
- VCA Animal Hospitals: stealing and stay away
- Cornell Riney Canine Health Center: gastrointestinal foreign body obstruction
- Cornell Riney Canine Health Center: the teenage years
- Discover Gloucester: festivals
- Massachusetts Veterinary Referral Hospital
Rules and dates change. We re-check every beach, licensing and ordinance page each spring and fall; the source above is the current word.
Keep reading
Next step
End the game of keep-away
Tell us on the training form what your dog steals, when, and what happens when you approach. We reply within one hour on business days.
- 01Free evaluationWeekdays 6:30 – 9:30 AM
- 02Book a dayOnline, in the app or by phone
- 03Play, rest, repeatReport card at pick-up
