Stealing Food

[laramie]

I had realized this was a problem a few weeks ago, but today I decided to do something about it, the problem is I don't know what to do. Today, I came home from work (I work at a vet now instead of a grocery store ) with some treats in my pocket. I put them down on the table in my bedroom. I always close my door, but it was left open and the treats are gone. Sparrow never comes into my bedroom, especially when no one is in there. Fairley has been stealing food off the table and counter, so I know it was her.

She knows "leave it" but sometimes there's no one to tell her to leave it. What do I do?

Has anyone successfully corrected this behavior? I've seen It's Me or the Dog where Victoria corrects this, but I don't have a microphone and speaker to use. While I'm waiting for some suggestions, I'll check out Kikopup.

 

[MissyBC]

Hi laramie,

I have the same problem occasionally and have been meaning to teach this to Missy.

Hope this is of some help:

It's from kikopup.

 

[laramie]

Thanks's for the video. When I took them to training, we learned some impulse control. The problem is that it only seems to work when I'm in the room.

The instructor had us hold a treat in our hand with our fist balled up. When the dog no longer tried to get the treat from us, we gave her a treat from our stash. After they were no longer trying to get the treat, we would hold our hand open, and then later progress to dropping it on the floor. However, this only works when I'm in the room.

 

[MissyBC]

Sounds like an exercise that Missy and I have been working on in class as well. (different training facility though!)

Good luck!

 

[Anneke]

Thanks's for the video. When I took them to training, we learned some impulse control. The problem is that it only seems to work when I'm in the room.

The instructor had us hold a treat in our hand with our fist balled up. When the dog no longer tried to get the treat from us, we gave her a treat from our stash. After they were no longer trying to get the treat, we would hold our hand open, and then later progress to dropping it on the floor. However, this only works when I'm in the room.

That's how I trained it too. It works great over here, except with the catfood... I feed the cat on my kitchentable(we never sit there anyway) because of the dogs. The loooovvvveee catfood Cooper never used to steal anything from the table. But since we got Jinx... She has taught him he can actually climb up on a chair and then easily reach the bowls
Once I caught Jinx in the act, right up on the table with all four paws They don't do this when I am at home, because I have caught them in the act. So they stopped doing it.
But the other day, I left, but I came right back, because I had forgotten something. And... There was Cooper, so busy eating from the catbowl, he didn't hear me come in Boy, did I scare him But still every day when I leave the catbowls are full and when I come home, they are dishwasher clean(my cat is not a clean eater, he always leaves something in the bowl. The dogs are the ones licking everything clean)
I have to get me a webcam, want to set it up in the kitchen, so I can see which one of my dogs starts this