Thursday, October 25, 2018

Col. Potter Training Tip: Let's (not) make a deal

Remind me again that we have to learn from our mistakes…

Puppy Peaches (now about 11 months old) loves to steal shoes! And my remote control. And my cell phone. And pencils and pens. Of course, I need to manage my stuff better so she doesn’t have the opportunity to grab it, but she is so quick. I constantly find new failures at “puppy proofing” my house.

How do I get my stuff back from Peaches after she grabs it? All the trainers warn you not to chase the dog (since they think “keep away” is a great game) so I thought I found the perfect solution: I would trade, a treat for the shoe!

It's so much fun to steal stuff like mom's rain shoe.
Trading worked perfectly at first. Peaches would run off with my shoe and I’d announce loudly, “trade ya!” and she would bring it back to me and drop it, awaiting her treat. I would congratulate myself on my brilliant solution as I gave Peaches her bit of cookie. But these terriers are smart. Too smart. Peaches quickly learned that the most reliable way to get a cookie is to steal something and keep it until she hears me say “trade ya!” She has turned into a regular kleptomaniac.

It's time to call in the professionals…
“When [the puppy] has an item that you must get back right away, use a distraction to get her to drop it on her own. Rattle the treat bag, go get her leash, or begin playing with a ball by yourself. Pretend that you don’t even notice there is a dog around, but that you just happen to be doing something terrific without her. Be fascinating; catch her attention in some way that entices her to come see what you’re up to. If what you are doing is appealing enough, she will either drop her ‘prize’ somewhere on her way over to you, or come over with the stolen item in her mouth. Once she comes over to get in the game, ask her to ‘sit.’ If needed, you can put a piece of food near her nose to encourage her to drop her prize, saying ‘drop it’ as she opens her mouth to get the treat. But don’t give her the food right away, make her work for it. Ask her to sit or down a few times, so she doesn’t think you are rewarding her for stealing [my emphasis].”
The Puppy Primer, Second Edition, by Patricia B. McConnell and Brenda Scidmore
“...[R]ewarding her for stealing.” That is exactly what I’ve been doing.

Okay, Miss Peaches, the game is over, the jig is up... no more deals! Now, where is my cell phone...???

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