STOP THIEF!! (Joshua The Beagle likes to steal things...)

DeVore

Joshua (for those who have been following his story) is doing great. Better than great, every day is a bundle of fun and snoozes for him.

He still hasn't really gotten used to NOT being right next to me but he's improving on that score.

He has developed two new traits I'm not sure I'm wild about and I wonder if I should be concerned.

1. He barks (well, Duh DeV, he's a dog)... but he didn't used to! He barks when he's excited, when *anything* moves in his back yard, and when someone other than me arrives into the house. Funnily enough he doesn't bark at night, nor does he bay (which is a bit odd for a beagle I think no?)

2. The barking I can live with.... but he sneaks things from the kitchen tops and takes them to the same spot out in the garden and chews them. Not food stuff (I am smarter than to leave anything food-like within his reach after he nicked a 13 ounce steak I was going to have for dinner once!)... but things like bin-bags... mail... plastic stuff... anything wool... he's nicked people's shoes and even a packet of cigs once! It all gets taken to the same place and chewed.
He knows he isn't supposed to and he's time-outed if he's caught so he waits until I'm not around or working at my desk. He also scarpers if I spot him taking something (often with the thing in his mouth!) out into the garden.


Is this just something that dogs do or is it a sign of something? Excess energy perhaps? I run him pretty well but Josh could (and does!) run all day and not get tired.

boomerang

I'm sure you do this already, but how about supplying him with dog-safe chew toys (or raw meaty bones) to chew on? He sounds like a recreational chewer, it's a pretty natural behaviour and it's actually a great way for them to relax.

DeVore

I have just about everything that Kong has made (they are the only things that can stand up to his chewing) .... He does love a bone alright.
One of his favourite things I've discovered is the pizza box after I've eaten the pizza... he loves to shred it! I give him that deliberately and weirdly he leaves it alone until I do so.

I'm not so much concerned about him doing it (I can just keep the shelves clean) ... just curious if it might be a boredom thing or anxiety or anything... or is it just normal?

borderlinemeath

It's partly attention seeking I reckon. He knows he'll get attention from you, even if it is the wrong kind of attention, ie you telling him "stop!" or "no!", it's still attention, which in his world he would ideally like 24/7 . If you cleared the counters, he'd probably find something else in his sights to take to his spot to get the attention. And it's not that you don't give him enough attention, but he's looking to consume every waking minute of your attention, and has figured out a way to pull you away from all the unimportant things that you do (like work, eat, relax etc) so you can just lavish all your attention on him

jsabina

Mmmh Jago used to steal everything from the kitchen tops... or anywhere he could reach..
as a puppy he chewed phones, cables, whatever...
and of course steaks stolen... one day walking by me with a super big piece of parmigiano just brought from italy etc etc
now he kind of stopped... but also because I am checking carefully what I leave and where.. as I know he could take it.
It might be that he stopped when I adopted the 2nd older dog..

not a suggestion to get another dog just to say you are not alone!

DeVore

Thanks for the replies....

Funny thing is that he's quite particular about what he takes... he is never interested in cables, never has been. My desk gets left alone (mostly). I've a bookcase of books he doesn't go near and a table full of electronics that he ignores too.

Its almost always the kitchen ledge and almost always something cloth/paper/rubber/plastic.

I think Borderlinemeath may have a point, if Josh had his way I would spend every waking minute playing ball with him, pausing only to pull the chain on the bone-volcano.

Pretzill

Well my little guy has a penchant for stealing socks, and under garments. My other dog did the same but gave up the habit in favour of chew toys and tennis balls the latter being her favourite thing ever she's like a tennis pro when she hears the satisfying pop of a new tube of tennis balls being opened!

Your Beagle shares a worrying thing with my boy that's stealing cigarette packets - he chewed at a pack he'd stolen once had to get him vet checked nicotine is highly poisonous to dogs anyone carrying cigs into our house need to put them out of his reach thankfully he just had a dicky tummy for a few days but according to the vet had he consumed more it could've been dire.

So yeah used to light pawed dogs but now I take anything he takes away and replace with a toy.