Your dog might be stealing things because they are looking for something to do or for some interaction with you. Dogs need both physical and mental stimulation to prevent boredom. Giving them a suitable outlet for their energy may prevent them from making their own fun.
Puppies steal objects completely out of curiosity. His whole world is new and he explores and learns through his mouth. When he takes your things, he is not trying to be disrespectful or naughty, he is learning. Most dogs that steal are between the ages of six to eighteen months.
Most dogs grow out of this phase as they get older. They lose interest in our everyday items and move on to other things. Dogs bred for hunting: These dogs have been conditioned to fetch and to bring us things. For generations that is what they've been taught and that is what they continue to do.
Stealing things is a very normal canine behaviour. Dogs, especially adolescents, are naturally curious and will pick things up to see if they can eat it or play with it.
It can be useful to get your dog comfortable with swapping something they have for something they consider to be of equal or greater value. For example, if you're taking away a toy, swap it for another favourite toy or tasty treat. Offer your dog the better item before trying to take what they have away.
Place the plate a few feet away from him on the floor. If he comes near it, snap your fingers or make some other kind of sharp sound, like “Tsch,” and tap him gently but firmly with your fingers. Most likely, this will take him out of his excited state, but you're not done. You should push the plate toward him.
Medical problems, separation anxiety, attention seeking, fear, and boredom are the most common reasons for destructive dog behavior. These problems usually arise from a lack of exercise, mental stimulation, or training.
Dogs do need to chew, even more so when they are teething but teething is over by 6 months of age. People complain of teething and destruction well into maturity. Puppy chewing is normal, yet destructive chewing is NOT synonymous with puppyhood.
The study finds that dogs are able to distinguish between cooperative and competitive partners, and that they're able to use tactical deception to their own advantage. The research suggests that the dogs were weighing their options, and engaging in deliberate deception to maximize their chances of getting both treats.
Stage 5: Adolescence (6 – 18 months) This can be the most difficult time during a puppy's development – adolescence. Your cute little puppy is becoming a teenager and will start producing hormones which may result in changes in behaviour.
The most challenging time of raising a puppy is the adolescent period. Dogs become “teenagers” and seem to forget everything they have ever been taught. This period is individual to each dog, but it may begin when he's about eight months old and continue until he's two years old.
Just when you may feel like you have hit your stride, the next big “difficult period” shows up! Many owners are totally blindsided by this next phase. It can vary a bit based on each dog, but your puppy likely will hit “adolescence” around 7-10 months, with 8-9 months being the peak described by most owners.
THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT PUPPIES IN THE 4-7 MONTHS AGE GROUP
Around the 4-5 month age pups get quite naughty (cheeky), they have worked you out by now and know how to get around you and they begin to ignore your instructions.
Besides stealing and playing keep-away, common puppy behavior problems include lack of house-training, hyperactivity, nipping, chewing, eating feces and getting sick in the car. Lack of house-training usually stems from giving the puppy too much freedom too quickly.
Destruction due to boredom and lack of exercise
If your dog only starts destroying things after you have left the house for a certain amount of time, it's probably simply doing so out of boredom. In fact, boredom is the most common trigger for destructive behaviour amongst dogs.
Provide chew toys as both deterrents and distractions. Redirect your pet's attention from destroying furniture to destroying toys that you provide. Keep a close eye on the dog, and look for major improvements in behavior. Some pets tend to lose interest in their toys quickly, so continue to buy new ones when needed.
Give Your Dog Exercise, Attention, and Mental Stimulation
In this case, give your dog a good exercise session before meetings and a stuffed KONG during them. If a dog grabs and destroys items whether you are home or not and the items seem to be random things, this may indicate natural canine seeking behavior.
This chewing phase has nothing to do with teething and is motivated entirely by entertainment and boredom. Adolescent puppies are like teenagers, you have to keep them busy to keep them out of trouble. When a pup chews for entertainment, he finds the activity rewarding. It's fun!
In a positive punishment training program, the dog's undesirable behaviors are punished by adding an aversive. Some of these include sudden loud noises (e.g. cans with coins and air horns), a spray bottle, a chin “cuff” (a smack), a muzzle hold, and pinning the dog to the floor.
"Dogs forget an event within two minutes," reported National Geographic, citing a 2014 study performed on various animals from rats to bees. Other animals have long-term memories, such as dolphins, but dogs don't seem to have a long-term memory that lasts much beyond those two minutes.
Learned Behavior
In the study, dogs acted guilty when scolded by their owners, regardless of whether they had actually committed the act for which they were being scolded. Based on this, it seems likely that dogs learn quickly that when pet parents unhappy with them, they can placate their humans by looking sad.
Training your pup starts with the week you bring them home, typically 8 weeks of age. At this age they are able to quickly grasp the commands to sit, stand, stay and come. The moment you bring your puppy home you essentially start house training.
Puppies typically develop the emotional maturity and temperament of an adult dog between twelve and eighteen months of age, although they may continue to occasionally exhibit puppy behavior like chewing and nipping until they're about two years old.