Need dog advice!

I know there are dog people on this board, so I'm hoping for some advice!

We adopted a wonderful foxhound a year and a half ago. Luckily for us, we have had only very minor issues with him which have all tended to revolve around him not getting enough exercise. So long as he is well-run, he is absolutely no problem at all and is a joy to be around.

Until now.

We were recently away for 10 days, and he stayed with my cousin. Ever since we've been back, our dog has been a real PITA - mostly by stealing food. He takes food from the counter. He takes food from temporarily unmanned plates. And it's driving me insane.

I came home today to find an (expensive!) jar of honey half eaten, which had been spilled all over the carpet. Yesterday, the peanut butter jar was broken into and totally consumed - and peanut-butter paw prints on my wood floors. Plus, it makes me sick to think about those paws on my table and countertops! 

We really do clean up well after ourselves and don't leave open food around. So I'm at my wit's end! We NEVER had this problem before the damn dog went to my cousin's.

So how does one un-train a previously well-trained dog? I've got two kids who I'm constantly cleaning up after, and really don't have the time or energy to deal with this. 

Help!

Does he only do it when you're gone? If not, perhaps you can catch him in the act and scold him (my dog hates to be yelled at, so this is a good deterrent for him).

I'm afraid I don't have any suggestions, other than to make sure food is never within doggie reach (which is hard). When I dogsat my parents' dogs, they taught my dog to 1) jump on the futon (all furniture is off limits for dogs) and 2) raid the litter-box for "treats" (ew). I was able to stop the futon jumping by yelling at him whenever he tried it, and the second by yelling the few times I caught him at it (usually he'd just wait until I left), and by moving the litterbox so it was less accessible.

Perhaps you can also talk to your cousin and see if anyone (like another dog?) taught your dog this behavior. If you figure out what he expects to happen (i.e. any dish within sight is fair game, or whatever), it may be easier to unenforce that behavior/reinforce different behavior.

Good luck! I hate when good dogs learn bad habits.

I know there are dog people on this board, so I'm hoping for some advice!

We adopted a wonderful foxhound a year and a half ago. Luckily for us, we have had only very minor issues with him which have all tended to revolve around him not getting enough exercise. So long as he is well-run, he is absolutely no problem at all and is a joy to be around.

Until now.

We were recently away for 10 days, and he stayed with my cousin. Ever since we've been back, our dog has been a real PITA - mostly by stealing food. He takes food from the counter. He takes food from temporarily unmanned plates. And it's driving me insane.

I came home today to find an (expensive!) jar of honey half eaten, which had been spilled all over the carpet. Yesterday, the peanut butter jar was broken into and totally consumed - and peanut-butter paw prints on my wood floors. Plus, it makes me sick to think about those paws on my table and countertops!  

We really do clean up well after ourselves and don't leave open food around. So I'm at my wit's end! We NEVER had this problem before the damn dog went to my cousin's.

So how does one un-train a previously well-trained dog? I've got two kids who I'm constantly cleaning up after, and really don't have the time or energy to deal with this.  

Help!

You say that he has been a PITA "mostly by food stealing". What else has he been doing? I only ask because sometimes stealing food can be a manifestation of separation anxiety.

It seems from your description that he is stealing food both in your presence and while you are gone. Stealing food is unfortunately a difficult behavior to stop as it is food and therefore a natural, normal behavior that is self-rewarding.

If your dog is going after food in your presence, and you would like to retrain him there are a few things you could try: Start by feeding him before the humans eat - this is a simple step that might help him be more satisfied and less likely to steal food from plates. You can also try feeding him two or three smaller meals instead of one big one (if that is what you are doing). For retraining purposes, you could start by keeping him by you on a leash with a head halter (the Gentle Leader is great for this) and discourage him using remote punishment.

Now, punishment is not something that is often recommended by veterinary behaviorists as its very difficult to use effectively and can often create anxiety or aggression problems. But! It can be useful when applied correctly.

The main principles involved in effective punishment include 1. Immediacy. Dogs cannot be punished effectively if more than 2 seconds have passed between the activity and the punishment. They simply cannot tie the two events together and whatever punishment has been meted out after that will be ineffective and/or inhumane. 2. Consistency. They need to be punished *every time* or as close to it as possible (which is why I suggest keeping him attached to you by a leash) 3. Appropriateness/intensity of punishment. This is where the "remote" punishment comes into play - often a squirt of water or a sharp, aversive sound (like a short "ah ah!") work well. Yelling or hitting are really not appropriate - these are the kinds of things that can also lead to anxiety/aggression problems!

If he is stealing food mostly when you are not around, you might have to end up housing him in a situation where he can't get at food. Maybe an x-pen or baby-gated away from the kitchen?

Another idea might be to put some of his food in food-puzzles or kongs where he has to work at getting his food, which you can leave behind when you go. This might distract him enough where he might stop trying to get at the "forbidden" food.

Another tactic might be to train him to go to a spot on command when people are eating or food is around. PM me if you want more details on how to do this - I fear I am probably already going on and on a bit!

ETA: You didn't mention how old your dog is, and I forgot to mention that, as is often the case with behavioral problems - there are also a lot of medical reasons why he might be obsessed with food or polyphagic. So, I would also suggest a checkup with your vet if this is not easily resolved. :-)

Best of luck! Feel free to PM me I love animals and behavior so I find these kinds of cases fun!

You say that he has been a PITA "mostly by food stealing". What else has he been doing? I only ask because sometimes stealing food can be a manifestation of separation anxiety.

Thanks so much for your replies, Reinadeluz and equestrianerd!

Reinadeluz: When you say that it is a manifestation of separation anxiety, are you referring to the time he was away from us and with my cousin? Apparently, he cried for the first 4 days that we were gone. According to my cousin, he was inconsolable. Also, there were 4 other dogs that my cousin was caring for, so I doubt our dog got much attention or exercise. 

The major food-snatching issues (ie. the ones that are leaving me really annoyed and result in destruction) happen when the dog is left alone. Hmmm ... so perhaps separation anxiety IS the issue?

Reinadeluz: When you say that it is a manifestation of separation anxiety, are you referring to the time he was away from us and with my cousin? Apparently, he cried for the first 4 days that we were gone. According to my cousin, he was inconsolable. Also, there were 4 other dogs that my cousin was caring for, so I doubt our dog got much attention or exercise. 

The major food-snatching issues (ie. the ones that are leaving me really annoyed and result in destruction) happen when the dog is left alone. Hmmm ... so perhaps separation anxiety IS the issue?

I honestly can't say for sure, since I haven't conducted a behavior interview with you or anything but it is definitely possible! Which is why I mentioned it, although of course, it is equally possible that it is not separation anxiety.

For some background: Separation anxiety is a distress response that dogs (and cats too!) can experience when separated from the people or person to whom they are most attached. This can lead to problem behaviors in the absence or *perceived* absence of their owner (ie, some dogs exhibit distress even when their owners go to take a shower - they are perceived to not be there anymore because the dog can't see them) like episodes of destruction or vocalization and elimination.

Does your dog show any distress or anxiety when you are about to leave for the day? Sometimes dogs can pick up on what are called "pre-departure cues" ie cues that let them know you are about to leave and can trigger the anxiety (things like picking up keys, putting shoes on, etc can all be pre-departure cues).

The best way to figure out if your dog has separation anxiety is to videotape him when you are gone and have a vet look at the tape to see if he is exhibiting signs of distress and anxiety.


 

Thanks again. Videotaping him is an interesting idea, and I'll think about doing that!

We've got to board him tonight because we're going out of town (only one night). I'll wait to see how he behaves when he comes back to us tomorrow.   

Maybe you could try kennel training? My best friend has giant kennels for her two German shepherds and they actually feel comforted when they go into them. Obviously she doesn't keep them in there all the time, but you could try doing it in intervals or something. I dunno. Maybe that's a bad idea at his age, I just thought I would suggest it. 

I am not an dog trainer but my friend is.  I had issues with "separation anxiety" with my dogs in the past.  The one thing that has worked is limiting the space they are in while I was away - I built up from crate...to one room...to one floor...to whole house.  She said sometimes giving them too much space is to much for them. 

Even though they are 4 yrs old, I am doing the same thing now.  I just moved to England and my husband and I are living with my in-laws.  I am going to let them build up to using more space in the house, while we are away, in hopes to not aggravate my in-laws.

Best of luck.

Just a note - crate training (or kennel training) cannot be used to treat true separation anxiety. It may help in sevans' case if her pup is just trying to get at food because, well, food is yummy (and the crate is a way to keep the dog away from the kitchen), but if the dog actually has separation anxiety it can make things worse. Just a thought!

To treat separation anxiety you really need to apply behavioral modification techniques (counter-conditioning and desensitization) and sometimes anxiolytics are indicated, if the animal is so far gone that they are damaging themselves while the owners are gone.

ETA: Sevans, I feel bad referring to your dog all the time as "the dog" whats his name? :-) I'm ashamed I haven't thought to ask before now!

ETA: Sevans, I feel bad referring to your dog all the time as "the dog" whats his name? :-) I'm ashamed I haven't thought to ask before now!

His name's Henley. 

Quick update: we boarded him overnight, and he's been back with us since yesterday afternoon. He's been great so far. No food issues at all, and he even had a chance at some yummy nachos on the counter! 

Maybe that's just the readjustment period, though?!

Glad he's shaping up, Sevans. Maybe he just realised he could steal food when he was at your cousin's, rather than having seperation anxiety.

I had a really super dog trainer (like the dog whisperer, he was a miracle man) when I got my pup, and he was a big proponent of setting the dog up so that you can catch him in the act. So for instance if the dog likes going on the bed and you don't want him to you should invited him up and then when he gets up, disapprovingly tell him to get off. After a couple of times it really sinks in and they don't even want to try it.

So if he starts taking food again, you might like to try setting him up. Leave something tasty within reach (like ridiculously in reach, on the seat of a chair or something) and keep a casual eye on him. If he goes for it give him a sharp verbal command - preferably one he already knows, like leave or off, or wait or something like that. You'll want to scare him off before he gets a taste. Do it again and again and he'll get the point.