How can i stop my dog stealing stuff off the shelves?
Blocking your dog at every turn and withdrawing her toys is not going to solve the problem…it’s just going to make her fearful or confused. At half a year old, she is still pretty much a pup. I rather think she’s doing it out of playfulness than dominance. Supervision is really important. Until your dog is 100% housebroken and trained not to touch your stuff, she should never be left in a room on her own. Crate her when you cannot supervise her. When she’s out of her crate, make sure you keep an eye on her at all times and keep a short leash on her (you can snip off the loop at the end so it doesn’t get caught on things). When she tries to jump up to the shelves, pull her back on the leash gently and say “No”. Lastly, of course, reward positive behaviour – praise her (be it with cuddles, praise, playing with toys or just general attention) when she is in the room and being quiet and calm.
1. Put everything – really, everything – out of reach of the dog. 2. Crate the dog when she cannot be supervised. 3. Pay attention to and reward your dog for being good – I suspect that she gets a lot more attention from her family when she acts out and takes things. It’s fun to be chased when you have a ‘prize’ – much more fun than being ignored. That’s why your dog continues to do this. 4. Take a class in positive training. Petsmart and Petco have good ones. Learn to recognize and reward calm behaviors, self-control, and any behavior that you would like to see repeated. Good luck!
