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Stealing The Washing


pcarr
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My beagle puppy (5 months now), has begun to steal out washing

1. when i am putting the clothes in the machine (it is a front loader and on floor)

2. when any clothing is on floor (after work getting changed etc)

3. taking clothes out of ironing basket

when she gets hold of anything, especially socks, she runs away with them, i cant ignore her in the hope she will stop, our clothes will be damaged, but when we try to get the article back, she runs away, and play barks at us

i rang a puppy school and started Adolescent classes, but she has told us that we need to be the pack leader, and her behaviour is because she (the puppy) is permitted to sleep in our bed, and that we need to eat first (we used to feed her at a regular time - 5.30 - 6pm) now can be as late as 9pm depending on house hold work committments

so, i started following her suggestions, but now we have non-stop barking, and the dog is running away from us, as she doesnt want to be excluded from the house and all that is happening

she is still running away with clothes, no improvements at all - other bad behaviur started

I am so confused, she was such a good puppy with the exception of this one behaviour, and some walking - lead issues, but now she is unbearable

what should i do?? what would you do??

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Your socks will generally only last 6-24months, you're going to have your beagle for a long time.

I'd be making sure that I am the pack leader and putting my foot down regarding the clothes stealing.

If it takes a few pairs to get through to her that its bad and she doesnt get played with over it, she'll stop.

Give her a stern "BAHH" when she goes to pick up anything, then distract her.

Get her some toys, rubber, plastic, rope etc.. not fabric. Teach her what is hers, and what is yours.

Pick your clothes up off your floor.

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i rang a puppy school and started Adolescent classes, but she has told us that we need to be the pack leader, and her behaviour is because she (the puppy) is permitted to sleep in our bed, and that we need to eat first (we used to feed her at a regular time - 5.30 - 6pm) now can be as late as 9pm depending on house hold work committments

You got told a bunch of crap.

Your pup is playing. It's not nothing to do with dominance and everything to do with games.

Don't leave clothing on the floor or leave the basket on the floor if you ain't around. If she goes to steal it while you're loading growl at her.. BAHHHH or NOOO and praise her for stopping.

Teach her to come when she's called and praise and reward her EVERY time, regardles of how much you might want to wring her neck. :vomit: Teaching her to release an article for a reward is also a good thing. Give her some toys she can tug on with you.

I really wonder what the hell some trainers are on. Do they think your 5 month old pup's life consists of her trying to find ways to dominate you??

You can sleep your dog where you like and feed her when you like provided you set appropriate boundaries on her behaviour. You might also like to consider some crate training so you know where she is when you are unable to supervise her.

Find another puppy school.

I'd still be feeding twice a day at her age.

Edited by poodlefan
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Hi Pam

I've responded to your post in "The Lead!" thread in the training forum. Then I spotted the other of your posts/threads and see from that you are having a variety of problems and by the sounds, finding it difficult to cope with the trickery :o your pup is getting up to.

Scared of the harness.

You being told by your dog school instructor to drag her by the check chain when she refuses to walk :).

Her choking to the point of vomiting when being walked on a check chain :D.

Being told head collars aren't great for (specifically) beagles.

Stealing clothes.

By my calculations your dog is rising 6 months old now and whilst I agree with PF that in the sense of picking up your clothing articles it is likely to be in play, practising good leadership is a good thing to have in place by now as it would be from this age on that your pup is likely to begin to view relationships a bit different to how he/she did when she was only a baby puppy. It is good to have your leadership (which really is about setting boundaries and being calm and assertive) intact before your pup decides that you don't.

If I drop a sock on the way down to the laundry wash, my dog will pick it up. He's rising 15 months and he thinks he's really scored when I drop a sock :thumbsup:. But I'd already well and truly taught him to relinquish and I use that skill to have him return my sock to me. I have never engaged in the game of chasey with him and I've always been vigilant with him as a young pup to ensure that he doesn't manage to get hold of things that he shouldn't when I can't be there to stop him or use it as a training exercise. That doesn't mean I had to put everything up on the top shelf. What it did mean though was that I watched and noted the things he would show more interest in than I cared for him to. THOSE were the things I then prevented him from getting. For example my shoes (which I chuck into a corner of my walk-in robe (which I normally leave open - won't bother with the explanation of the 'why's' of that) .... I put a foot stool in front. That was enough to stop him and now he doesn't much bother with them whether the stool is there or not. If I dropped a sock and he got it, I never made a big deal of it. No fuss. No calling out to him. No chasey. No yelling or scolding. Just calm from the outset - almost indifferent. I'd ask him for it and when he gave it up I gave him a pat. No big deal. Consequently, he never learnt to take a lot of value from it. Therefore, he doesn't go seeking them.

Given the problems you are having and at the risk of sounding as though I'm only trying to sell the services of a trainer/behaviourist (whether that's me or not), I again recommend you arrange for someone with training/behaviour knowledge and expertise to come to see you and your dog. It sounds to me that you just need some expert guidance so that you can learn to steer your pup's otherwise 'normal for dogs' behaviour, down the right track.

Edited by Erny
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It really confuses me why something as simple as puppy stealing the washing can be such a drama to deal with?

Don't leave clothes on the floor, don't allow her access to the laundry while you're putting washing in the machine and don't let her near the washing basket when you're taking clothes out that have been ironed...

What's so hard :thumbsup:

Edited by Aziah
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Because, Aziah, sometimes 'life' happens and yes I agree that for the most part, especially when pup is going through those early times of "anything is very exciting and interesting" stages of life, prevention is good and often pups grow into unwanted habits when we don't practice prevention or control. But all the same, some people just need that extra help/guidance as to what to do when these things occur, whether they are occurring due to the pup having lots of opportunities to practice or not.

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Erny I didn't mean to be rude (and I probably was) I just want people to stop and think...

Puppy is stealing washing = don't allow puppy near dirty/clean washing or laundry

:angeldevil:

Edited by Aziah
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You might notice my name/ID. Well it's kinda in fun but our lab puppy inspired it.

I echo what the others said - keep the washing away from pup or vice versa. When we bring our load of washing out, Archie looks like all his Christmases have come at once - or if we leave clothes on the bathroom floor, he pops his head in there and grabs the best looking item - usually a bra or pair of undies. We can always tell when he's got something because he trots off down the hallway with glee and his claws on the floorboards are a dead giveway.

We just don't leave our clothes around, or shut the door, or put the puppy out.

In the same way that you wouldn't leave your gold chain, your dinner, your favourite book, a hundred dollar note in her reach, you need to move the clothes out of temptation's way.

The best thing as others have said, is to teach her to 'leave it'. This can be done with clicker training and a toy. Give her the toy, play with it a little and give her the command to 'leave it', when she relinquishes, click and reward with food. Repeat this and practice it heaps. There are other methods to this as well. Replace the 'bad' items with his toy or good item quickly and praise her.

Our 5 month old does this now even with bones and (most) food. It really does work.

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My two foster puppies think it's great fun to take my Ugg boots or my work boots for a run around the back yard... and what I tend to do is to grab a teddy bear or other suitable dog toy, and swap the boot for the toy - so far the incidences of the boot stealing have decreased somewhat... time and patience will definitely be the key to any training in this regard.

I refuse to put everything out of pup's way to stop them stealing them. These are foster pups that will be going to new families at some point - so they need to learn some basic boundaries. My adult permanent furkids were taught the same way, and they never steal anything of mine that is on the floor...

... and for good measure - my dogs sleep on my bed, and eat before I do... and they still know who is the pack leader around our house... *grin*

I'd be definitely finding a different trainer too - the one you have been getting "advice" from sounds like they've gotten all of their "experience" from a very outdated textbook...

T.

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Erny I didn't mean to be rude (and I probably was) I just want people to stop and think...

Puppy is stealing washing = don't allow puppy near dirty/clean washing or laundry

:laugh:

I know what you mean, Aziah. Sometimes it is a case of people lamenting because their young dog destroys things such as socks, only to find out that nothing has ever been done to discourage this or prevent it when no-one is around to supervise, right through its early puppy days.

I didn't think you were being "rude" .... I only felt that what you said deserved to be expanded upon :(.

Edited by Erny
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It really confuses me why something as simple as puppy stealing the washing can be such a drama to deal with?

Don't leave clothes on the floor, don't allow her access to the laundry while you're putting washing in the machine and don't let her near the washing basket when you're taking clothes out that have been ironed...

What's so hard :laugh:

dunno why but so many things are a drama and MUST be dealt with, management goes a long way in training a puppy.

I do feel for this poster though, the info from her training establishment is causing no end of problems.

examples from Erny...

I've responded to your post in "The Lead!" thread in the training forum. Then I spotted the other of your posts/threads and see from that you are having a variety of problems and by the sounds, finding it difficult to cope with the trickery your pup is getting up to.

Scared of the harness.

You being told by your dog school instructor to drag her by the check chain when she refuses to walk .

Her choking to the point of vomiting when being walked on a check chain .

Being told head collars aren't great for (specifically) beagles.

Stealing clothes.

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Well let me just say my dogs steal socks,jocks until the day they die.

Like others have mentioned stealing that sock is a dog greatest accomplishment :laugh: but again like others they will return the sock when asked.

Its fun & gets a reaction after all the floor is the dogs domain.all its toys & belongings that we expect them to play with are there .

Puppies want to join in because life can be boring,there little helpers & clothes are alwasy a great fun thing & for some pups being told off still gets the attention they crave for or expect.

You need to train your pup it isnt a game but you need to be patient,hes only a baby & like a human toddler is exploring life,objects & your reactions

I have to say if you dont want a seek & destroy breed you may have picked the wrong one but i hav eto agree with others your trainers thus far are :( .

There is no way a puppy should be waiting that late to be feed ,it is a baby & its meals are important to it.if your pup is also sleeping inside it wont help with toilet training or hanging on.

Feed your pup like you have been ,dogs have no clue about what eating after them should mean but for a baby thats very hungry it will result in a pup going crazy & learning new bad habits

My bed is a very busy place ,i have 3 setters who share mine but they all respect my commands.

I personally wouldnt have adog off that age sleeping on the bed more due to injury risk.

We learnt many many years ago about babies & beds & it resulted in a very badly broken leg because she jumped & wasnt ready .

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thanks for the advice everyone,

as for not leaving clothes around - i try, but i live in a very busy house, with grown children, all who throw clothes in the laundry, the dog just has to get sight of anything in the laundry and it is a goner, as for my ironing basket, it isnt normally left lying around for her to play with, but she goes to amazing feats to get to it, and well, then the items are gone, as she runs through the house and oiut the puppy door!

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thanks for the advice everyone,

as for not leaving clothes around - i try, but i live in a very busy house, with grown children, all who throw clothes in the laundry, the dog just has to get sight of anything in the laundry and it is a goner, as for my ironing basket, it isnt normally left lying around for her to play with, but she goes to amazing feats to get to it, and well, then the items are gone, as she runs through the house and oiut the puppy door!

Sounds like the children require "reeducation". Maybe when they've retrieved enough of their clothes from the back yard, they'll learn to put them in a laundry hamper. :rofl:

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thanks for the advice everyone,

as for not leaving clothes around - i try, but i live in a very busy house, with grown children, all who throw clothes in the laundry, the dog just has to get sight of anything in the laundry and it is a goner, as for my ironing basket, it isnt normally left lying around for her to play with, but she goes to amazing feats to get to it, and well, then the items are gone, as she runs through the house and oiut the puppy door!

Sounds like the children require "reeducation". Maybe when they've retrieved enough of their clothes from the back yard, they'll learn to put them in a laundry hamper. :rofl:

Agree. Not for us to tell you how to run your house but maybe when the grown children find their favourite t shirt destroyed it might be motivation.

Today, I heard a noise in the kitchen and went out to find 5 month lab boy licking some foil on the ground - he'd jumped up to my leftover moussaka and managed to get the foil covering it in his mouth. Thankfully it wasn't the whole dish.

They grow quickly and it's hard to keep up with them !!!

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thanks for the advice everyone,

as for not leaving clothes around - i try, but i live in a very busy house, with grown children, all who throw clothes in the laundry, the dog just has to get sight of anything in the laundry and it is a goner, as for my ironing basket, it isnt normally left lying around for her to play with, but she goes to amazing feats to get to it, and well, then the items are gone, as she runs through the house and oiut the puppy door!

:cool: I'd be throwing their clothes back in their respective rooms and shutting the door (to keep puppy out). Let the kids worry about their clothes when their washing isn't done and they've run out of clean clothes to wear.

Edited by Erny
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Grown kids should now better,i agree let them chase there clothes & take same part of the training.

We tell all our new puppy owners kids that if you leave Barbie laying about ,she will likely become legless or headless.You leave your transformers about youw ill here a crunch crunch & the big kids are told dont leave the remote controls on the floor or where a puppy can get it.

Has must be puppy proof until such time as it gets it.

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I have grown kids and they have learnt the hard way about leaving things lying around. They know Mokha loves a sock or shoe or under wear(his favourite) and if they leave it lying where he can get it its there own fault. We have a baby gate on the laundry so I can safely put on the washing(also front loader) but these days they have both learnt to leave it alone while I load the machine. Teach leave or drop it and don't chase the pup to get it back. We used to do this and it just made it into a game. I stand still and call Mokha back to me and most of the time he brings it back because I say "Good boy" he loves that or sometimes he gets a treat if he comes straight back.

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I would certainly not be making a baby (and he is still a baby) wait till that late for his single meal. I would be feeding him twice a day - and like many others - I'm not fussed about the eating before the dog - there are lots more important ways of showing leadership and earning trust and respect.

I would definitely be investing in a crate (for bedtime) and crate or playpen for inside when you can't be watching, or at least baby gates to keep the pup out of places you don't wnt pups in.

A thing I did with my bitch when she was little, was to use the 'umbilical cord' method - of having a light long lead on the dog while I was busy around the house, but didn't want to put her away. Helps with bonding, helps with hosuetaining - and mkes you pay attention to the pup.

I'd be trying to spend more time doing little bits of training with the pup, to keep the pup's brain occupied. With the grown children, you could stir up some competition to see who could teach the pup the cutest trick (providing the training is done in a fun, positive way. That should help both kids and dog :).

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