# Stealing, guarding and aggression



## Marley1 (Jan 11, 2013)

Hi all. Hope everyone is well and their pups are doing good? Our little one is now 15 months but probably for the last 6 months or so we have had a major problem with refusing to drop things he has stolen. He mainly takes things he isn't meant to have such as mobile phones, pens, toys etc when we try to get him to drop them he refuses point blank and has become quite aggressive also.
We had a trainer come to the house at the start of the problem who told us to reinforce the basics to regain the pack leader status and her advice was to pull him up off his front paws to get him to 'give' however after all this time he still does it and if anything I would say that he has become more aggressive even growling when we walk towards him if he has something!
So I'm after some advice as he recently bit my uncle when he took a tissue off him and he didn't know his "issues" and I just feel that it really needs to get sorted out before he does someone else harm.
It's awful to see him like it as he is just the nicest dog 98% of the time but I just wish we had been stricter with this before as perhaps now it wouldn't even be an issue!


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## tessybear (May 1, 2011)

Dexter loves to snatch things like socks and tissues and will never give them back. He doesn't however become aggressive over it. My trainer said always give them something in exchange and don't encourage him by chasing him.


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## RuthMill (Jun 30, 2012)

I believe in the swap game that Tess has suggested. Show him something even better and he should give up what he has stolen.


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## kendal (Jul 16, 2009)

Trade with somethig far better like a ball o4 a high value treat. If its a ball make it bounce. 


I dont adree with the pulling him up to get him to give that will just make him hold on more. 
Yes if nessasery keep a lead on him so you can stoo him running away with it. 

Play lots of trading games with him, if he loves balls use two balls throw one, when he comes back bounce the ball you have make you ball more interesting and tell him to drop or give, second ball doesnt get thrown till first ball is dropped. 

If he is aggressive over food/threats. Hold the chew and let him get realy into it then tell him to lea e you can use a lead to re inforce this. The easiers he leaves the chew the quicker he gets to chew again. Repeat several times


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## hugcar (Feb 19, 2011)

Hi, my 3 year old has had issues like this I have now gone back to using the word drop followed by leave (I only use leave for anything that he is not to have like pens/toys). I use drop for anything that is his toys/bones. I also went back to giving him his toy and getting him to drop I would then take it give him a treat then give him the toy back, I then gave him his toy for longer periods of time trying to judge when he was about to go into possessive mode and get in there first. It has took a few weeks but it is working. When it comes to items he should not have I use a more strict tone with drop and when he drops follow this with a stern leave, never give him back this item.
It has been really difficult as they are so cute and I hate telling him off but that's why I got into this bother in the first place they know they can wrap you round their little paws!
We still have the occasional stand off but these are less frequent and don't last as long.

Good luck 
From owner with many holes in her socks!


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## Marley1 (Jan 11, 2013)

Hi all. Thanks for the replies! The strange thing with him is that he doesn't get possessive over his toys or food or anything unless it's something he isn't meant to have! Tried the trade thing with his toys and it's not an issue at all. The other night he ran off with my mobile phone in his mouth! He took it to his bed and if we even went near him he growled like mad! I don't chase him although it a difficult one as something like a phone you don't want to ignor. He does the same with shoes that he has gone into porch to get. If we give him a shoe he isn't interested!
I will keep going with what you have said and hopefully we will get there though! Thanks again x


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## Florida Cockapoo (Aug 24, 2012)

I don't agree with what the "trainer" says about pulling him up. It seems to me that will only make it worse. 

Did anything change for him to start stealing things? I guess I would start by removing anything out of his way that he can get to. Like not leaving the phone laying around. Piper has some aggression issues also, but not like that. One of the ideals is not to put him in the situations that will cause the aggression.

Piper has aggression over chews, but only around other dogs. So the ideal is just not to give her chews with she is around other dogs. And also work on her "Leave It" and "Drop It" which I do need to work on.

If you can find what sets your pup off. Then that should be a start at limiting the aggression. Maybe go back to training him on drop it with stuff he doesn't get aggressive over then over time up it to stuff he likes to steal.


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