Food stealing

Some people might think this is cruel,

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No, I KNOW it is cruel.

Why as an owner would you not simply avoid having the problem in the first place by keeping food off the counters where it is accessible to large dogs? I grew up with a Great Pyrenees which is a LOT taller than a lab and we recognised that if she could reach something it might be a temptation. The few times she did get something -- once, an entire tray of cooling buns from the over -- we laughed at our own forgetfulness and these became much loved stories that we still retell even though that sweet dog has been dead for nearly 20 years.

Responsible management solves more problems. To me counter-surfing is an OWNER created problem, not a dog training problem. If there's food out, an untrained dog is going to try to get it. :sl*p: So: gate off the kitchen. Watch your dogs more carefully. Train them to wait outside the threashold of the kitchen. Crate them when you are in the kitchen. Take the time to teach an adequate downstay in their beds so they don't countersurf.

I agree with Karlin,it was my fault he pinched the toast.I should know better my lab was the ultimate food taker.Any chance,including curries.I only knew he didnt like lemons becos he took one once and left it.He had my dinner once when i went to the front door.

While you believe it is cruel I must ask you a question. Did you learn not to touch the stove top because your parents told you so, or did you burn yourself. Sometimes you can take every precaution and a dog or child still will find away around your instructions. Sometimes the best way is to let the child get burnt. It teaches a lesson through experience and not just commands. I know not one person can tell me that they haven't had to learn the hard way. We never leave things out on the counter or table top, but our dogs are far more crafty than I could ever give them credit for.

I have placed food on the counter top while unloading from the grocery store. It wasn't longer than me closing the door, but our dog managed to steal all the pastries from within the bag. She took advantage of me closing the door so she wouldn't wander outside. What am I to do? Let her outside while i unload the groceries or close the door.

While I'm all for helping and maintaining healthy enviroments for our furry friends, but one cannot just tap the hand and say bad every time. You've NEVER spanked your child? I think some of the problems in our world stem from not doing just that. Remember I would never condone child or animal abuse.

TKC said:

Personally I prefer to teach my dogs not to steal food by reinforcing their self control, teaching leave it and take it and letting them know when they get it right.

The peanut butter and jalapenos works because it is a form of + punishment and aversive. And we know that + punishment works.

I guess one has to decide what kind of training they wish to do with their dog remembering that it will ultimatly affect the bond and relationship with their dog.

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I completely agree. I feel like I am an extremely responsible owner. People always comment on how well behaved our dogs are. We usually take the more headstrong from the litters and as such require a stronger form of training. My dogs never shield away from me, always come when called, do their tricks, and even sneeze on command. The one thing that we had to do was reinforce who was in charge. Like I said in my previous post sometimes the best adversion is experience.

entfy said:

While you believe it is cruel I must ask you a question. Did you learn not to touch the stove top because your parents told you so, or did you burn yourself. Sometimes you can take every precaution and a dog or child still will find away around your instructions. Sometimes the best way is to let the child get burnt. It teaches a lesson through experience and not just commands. I know not one person can tell me that they haven't had to learn the hard way. We never leave things out on the counter or table top, but our dogs are far more crafty than I could ever give them credit for.

I have placed food on the counter top while unloading from the grocery store. It wasn't longer than me closing the door, but our dog managed to steal all the pastries from within the bag. She took advantage of me closing the door so she wouldn't wander outside. What am I to do? Let her outside while i unload the groceries or close the door.

While I'm all for helping and maintaining healthy enviroments for our furry friends, but one cannot just tap the hand and say bad every time. You've NEVER spanked your child? I think some of the problems in our world stem from not doing just that. Remember I would never condone child or animal abuse.

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That is just about the most awful thing I have ever heard. Would you seriously allow a child to get burned just because they don't listen to you? How about using safety products designed to keep your kids away from such things or wait how about actually watching your children when you are cooking. Jeez, I guess I should have just let my boys wander into the street and get hit by cars rather than actually make sure they don't run into the street. Yes, there is a time for natural consequences, your child refuses to wear a jacket on a windy day and they get cold and then they ask for the jacket....but seriously the example you gave and quite honestly the idea of intentionally allowing your dog to eat something hot/spicy just to keep them off the table seems down right abusive to me. Just my opinion.

LucyDog said:

That is just about the most awful thing I have ever heard. Would you seriously allow a child to get burned just because they don't listen to you? How about using safety products designed to keep your kids away from such things or wait how about actually watching your children when you are cooking. Jeez, I guess I should have just let my boys wander into the street and get hit by cars rather than actually make sure they don't run into the street. Yes, there is a time for natural consequences, your child refuses to wear a jacket on a windy day and they get cold and then they ask for the jacket....but seriously the example you gave and quite honestly the idea of intentionally allowing your dog to eat something hot/spicy just to keep them off the table seems down right abusive to me. Just my opinion.

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Your taking this the wrong way. I'm saying that if you keep telling them to not touch it and reprimanding them and you keep catching them trying to do it, one time you will miss it and they will get burned. It isn't that you should just let them do it, but that you tell them not to and they disobey you and learn the hard way what happens when they don't listen to you. Same thing with a dog, but they cannot understand you as well. You tell them know, but they see food and say "I want that" you tell them no knowing it is bad for them, but once you will miss it and if they eat the jalapeno they will come to the realization that " Hey Dad said not to eat food off the table, now I know why. Its hot!"

Sorry, I can't resist chiming in -- you hit a sore spot. No, I have never spanked my two children. I have never screamed at them either. No, I'm by no means a perfect mother and my children are by no means perfect children. But I realize that I am the adult and they are the kids -- it's MY job to teach them to be great people, and doing so without extreme punishment requires thought and effort on my part -- but it is absolutely possible.

It's the same with puppies and dogs. The impetus is 100% on ME to train, care for, and protect Holly. I was told that raising a puppy with young children would be very difficult and IT IS! But the burden of undesirable dog (or kid) behavior falls to me, not my dog or my kids. I have to supervise 100% of the time, absolutely no exceptions. And if I can't supervise 100%, then I have to create a safe environment -- a crate, playpen, child-proof locks, etc. Imagine feeding 2 and 6 year old children with a 10 month old puppy around! My 2 year old drops food because that what they do, and my 6 year old gets distracted because that's what kids do too. And Holly would take every advantage of the situation if I let her. Just another example of times when the burden is on me to supervise or create a safe haven.

As adults and people who have CHOSEN to live with animals (and in some cases children as well), we need to grow up and accept the responsibility that comes with caring for them. To me it's not a matter of opinion, it's about right and wrong.

A dog is NOT "disobeying" by taking food off a counter that YOU left there within reach. :sl*p:

Maybe you need to reconsider getting such a gentle and sweet natured breed as a cavalier if this is your approach to managing dogs.

At any rate I am sure you will probably find an alternative forum on which to take your training philosophy.

Bye.

My Gus is a gentle calm doggie,but a major food stealer when we are clearing up, he will nudge the chairs out to get to the table and take leftovers from the plate!

Even visitors know now to push chairs right in. On the rare occasion where he has got something,I never blamed him but whoever let it happen,usually a new visitor that hasn't been warned!

I would never be so cruel as to leave something horrible out for him to eat on purpose!!!! Why would you do this??? Why did you cover the peppers in peanut butter, if you were going to be so cruel why not just leave the peppers? Putting peanut butter on them so they can't spit them out is just so spiteful!! Also I don't think it would really work my guess is the dog would either forget or try their luck next time, in the hope it would be something nice.

I'm sorry you feel that way amanda, but like i said i have done this for my bigger dogs, ie BLACK LABS, and it has worked wonders. Well thats until we found out that our youngest black lab loves to eat jalapenos. :smile: but i did warn that maybe it might be a bit much for them.

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I hope you take on board the advice that both TKC and Karlin have given you in their posts. Jalapenos contain acid and can result in a chemical burn. Dogs cannot digest jalapenos, and they can be extremely painful for them to pass and may lead to rectal scarring.