I have a 1 year old yellow lab, Riley, and he is a thief. If I'm on the computer or washing dishing (ie. not paying attention to him) he will jump up and grab a dish towel, wash rag, tv remote (whatever he can reach) and runs around with it. I try to get him to sit and stay (which he usually does) so I can get what he has, but he ignores any commands, I have tried distracting him, ignoring him and nothing seems to help. Can anyone help me with this problem?
Riley obviously thinks he is playing a game with you knowing that he can get your attention when he takes something and runs away with it.
In a separate training session, you could work on the "drop it" command. Always start off with positive reinforcement.
Teaching "drop it":Get together a few items your dog might like to chew on, and some good treats like cheese or turkey. (I'm sure you now have your dog's attention!) Have a piece of food ready in your other hand as you encourage your dog to chew on one of the objects. Once she has her mouth on it, put a piece of food close to her nose and say "drop it". When the dog drops the item, say "yes" and give the yummy food treat. Then offer her the item again. Do it at least 10 times each session aiming for 2-3 mini sessions per day.
If he takes something that you don't really care about (a dish towel) it may be good to ignore the behavior as chasing him around seems to be what he wants. Of course, you can't ignore a dog with your remote control which is when the "drop it command" can be helpful.
Another way that isn't as positive, but works for "counter surfing" is to use a small mouse trap (the size for small mice, not rats). Set up the counter in a boobie-trap scenario. For example, put a dish towel on the counter with the mouse trap on top. Then pretend to be not paying attention. When Riley goes to pull the rag off the counter, the mouse trap should snap and scare him. This is good for keeping dogs out of bathroom trashcans too.
Thanks I will try the "drop it" command, I tried the mouse trap and Riley picked it up and it didn't go off until he put it down then he just chewed on it....
