Canine Kleptomaniacs

Today it is rainy and cloudy. Even on such days my dog is playing around and having much fun. She has many toys, and I like it the most when she is chewing on her chew toys. However, even though that she has got so many various toys, she likes to steal my things. She takes the "forbidden" objects like sunglasses and runs away with them. I have decided to do a small research on this subject, I wanted to find the answers to my questions: 1) why do dogs steal? 2) what should an owner of a dog do in such a situation? 1) As Why Does My Dog ... Steal Things? website, explains:

Certain breeds - including Golden Retrievers, Yorkshire Terriers and Papillons - are more likely than their canine peers to steal your things.

Ok, I my dog is more likely to steal things then. But what exactly are the reasons for this misbehaviour? :-)

When your dog steals something, she wants to take possession of the object for any number of reasons. She may want to play with it, because she views the object as a toy. If your dog steals food, her motives are obvious. (...) Some dogs steal because they long for your attention. They will take something just to prompt you to chase them. These dogs know what is important to you and they will grab the item just at the right time, so you see them do it. Their great hope is that you will follow in hot pursuit.

To sum up, there are three main reasons for dogs to steal our things: 1) they want to play and do this just for fun 2) they want to eat someting cause the smell of it is so tempting 3) they want to get some attention from you Basically, dogs like to steal: clothing, shoes and your children's toys, dogs chew these objects, tear them or toss them around. What should you, as an owner of a canine kleptomaniac, actually do? 1) provide your dog with its own objects to gnaw on keep your things in a safe, hard for reach place, pay attention to small objects which can be dangerous to your dog when swallowed (it can end-up even in a surgery) 2)keep food out of reach 3)don't chase after your dog - your dog views it as a funny game calling your furry friend back and offer a reward (treat) in exchange for a stole object It is all simple, isn't it?? Here another article on the subject: Dog Behaviour -Dogs Who Steal Your Stuff Below a video of a Yorkie puppy stealing : Some photos, which I took today in the morning: