July 7th, 2010
Uh oh. You thought you’d closed the laundry room door, but here comes your dog with definitive proof that you didn’t. The proof is in his mouth: some lacy lingerie that belongs to you and that you don’t want him to have. So how do you get that item back?
Chasing your canine panty raider is not a good idea. After all, he’s got four legs to your two. Backing him into a corner isn’t a good idea, either: a cornered dog is a dog for whom what had been a game can turn a lot more serious. When that happens, a dog probably won’t relinquish an item readily—and trying to force him to do so is more likely to get you bitten than to prompt your dog to forfeit what he’s holding on to.
A better way to get back that unmentionable is to offer your dog the prospect of getting something even better if he agrees to drop what he’s already got. In other words, you trade him what he already has for something he wants more. For many dogs, that something they want more is an especially tasty treat.
Of course, it’s a good idea to practice this maneuver before your dog makes off with an unauthorized object. Here’s what to do:
Choose a great trade item. Make sure the treat you offer is something you know your dog is crazy about. That means you need to offer a food that’s aromatic, flavorful, and otherwise special.
Give him a toy he likes but isn’t necessarily nuts about. Offer your dog the toy and let him play with it a little bit. Then, offer him the treat.
Say “trade” as he drops the toy to take the treat. Give him the treat.
Return the toy. Giving back the toy after you’ve made your trade is extremely important. The reason: by giving back the toy your dog will learn that, in most instances, you won’t take away something that he has. That way, when you really do need to confiscate an item, he’ll return it readily.
Repeat—and practice often so that you’re ready for a real-life Klepto Canine situation.
Important caution: do not practice this cue if your dog snaps, growls or tries to bite when you come near his food, treats or toys. Consult a professional trainer to help you deal with the possessive behavior (which trainers call resource guarding).
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4 Responses to “Teach Your Dog to Trade”
Susan McCullough has been a professional writer for 30-plus years, but didn't start focusing on dogs until 1996, when an overzealous Sheltie attacked and shredded a message that had been faxed to Susan's office. Instead of merely telling the sender "My dog ate your fax," Susan decided to see seek expert advice about how to share an office with one's animal companion. She turned that advice into an article for a national pet magazine, and she's been writing about dog behavior and care ever since.
Excellent post, Susan and a good reminder for all of us. Many dogs are relinquished to shelters when showing possessive behaviors. So sad, when all it would take is a little patience and training.
Thanks so much, Kerri. But it’s important to realize this post is aimed more at preventing such behaviors. A dog who already has possession or resource guarding issues needs the one-on-one help of an experienced professional positive reinforcement trainer.
I’ve used this method to teach “drop-it” to both food-motivated and prey (toy) motivated dogs. With my dog, sit, stay and drop-it were commands we began teaching during the first week we had him. We used both food and toys to exchange. I’ve had great success with highly prey motivated dogs (the ones who don’t ever like to drop it, even if they’re not possessive-aggressive) using two balls to play fetch. One stays in my hand while the other gets thrown, etc. The dogs think it’s a great game and don’t even realize it’s training (but do they ever, anyhow?)
I taught my dog to play fetch exactly the same way!