He waits until you sit down. Then a sock goes past at head height, tail up, eyes on you, and he stops just out of reach in the hallway. The moment you stand up he is gone, round the dining table, under it, out the other side. Two minutes later you have the sock back, wet, and you are both breathing hard. He clearly thinks that was the best thing that happened all day.
He is right. From his side, it was. Dogs Trust describes the origin of almost every case in one sentence: the dog picks up a slipper, and the owner “gets up and starts chasing them, which feels like a fun game to the dog”. You did not mean to invent a game. But you play your part in it perfectly, every time.
The fix is not to win the chase. It is to stop playing, and to make giving things to you worth more than running away with them.
The short version
- Stealing is usually learned. The item gets your attention, and the chase is the reward.
- Stop chasing. Every chase teaches him the game is still on.
- Do not tell him off. Dogs Trust warns this can leave him “anxious or confused about you”, and dogs who expect trouble learn to swallow the evidence or guard it.
- Swap instead of taking. Offer something better first, then take the item. Over time, he learns that bringing you things pays.
- Teach “leave it” and “drop it” when nothing is at stake, so they work when something is.
- If he stiffens, freezes, growls or eats the item faster as you approach, that is resource guarding. Stop, keep everyone safe, and get professional help.
On this page
Why he does it
Three things drive almost every case, and most dogs have at least two of them.
| Reason | What it looks like |
|---|---|
| Attention | He steals when you are busy, on the phone, or have just sat down. AKC puts it simply: when he steals, “you drop what you’re doing and focus on them”. |
| The chase | He waits to be followed, play bows, darts off. The object barely matters. You moving is the reward. |
| Your scent | Socks, slippers, underwear, tea towels. AKC notes that “objects that smell like their beloved humans are particularly coveted”. |
| Boredom | It happens more on rainy days, short walk days, and in the evenings. A dog with nothing to do finds something to do. |
Puppies and adolescents do this most, because they explore with their mouths and are still working out what earns attention. If your dog has suddenly started stealing as he hits adolescence, our guide to adolescent behaviour regression explains why that stage brings out exactly this kind of testing.
What to stop doing today
Stop chasing. Dogs Trust compares it to tug: chasing a dog with a stolen item “feels like a game of tug to the dog”. As long as you chase, the game is worth playing.
Stop telling him off. It feels like it should work, and it backfires. A dog who learns that you get cross when he has something does not stop taking things. He learns to take them somewhere you cannot reach, or to swallow them before you get there.
Stop prising things out of his mouth. AKC warns that forcibly removing objects risks injury to both of you. It also teaches him that hands near his mouth mean losing things, which is how guarding starts.
Stop reacting to low-value items. If he has a tea towel and it does not matter, Dogs Trust’s advice is to “simply wait until they lose interest and drop the item, then encourage them to do something else instead”. No audience, no game.
The exception is anything dangerous. Medication, small items he could swallow whole, anything that could poison him. AKC notes that stolen items can cause choking or “intestinal blockages if your dog eats them”. In those moments, use the swap below immediately with the best food you have, and if you think he has swallowed something, call your vet.
The swap: how to get things back
This is the core of the whole fix. Dogs Trust’s instruction is exact: “swap it for another favourite toy or tasty treat. Offer your dog the better item before trying to take what they have away.”
- Do not approach him. Walking towards a dog with a stolen item starts the chase. Stay where you are, or move away.
- Show him something better. A piece of cheese or chicken, held out or tossed on the floor a little away from him. Something he wants more than the sock.
- Let him drop it to get the food. Do not grab the item at the same moment. Let him eat, then calmly pick it up while he is busy.
- Sometimes give it back. If it is a toy or something harmless, AKC suggests returning it after the trade, to show “it’s no big deal to give things to you”. This is what stops him running off in future: giving you things stops meaning losing them.
- Reward bringing things to you. When he carries something towards you instead of away, that is the behaviour you want. Make it pay every time.
Keep a small pot of treats somewhere you can reach from the sofa. The swap only works if it is faster than the chase. If you have to go to the kitchen for food, he has already gone under the table.
Teaching leave it and drop it
Both cues need practising when nothing exciting is happening. A cue you only use in the middle of a theft will not work, because that is the hardest possible moment to learn it.
Leave it. AKC’s method starts with treats in a closed fist. He sniffs, licks, paws. You wait. The instant he backs off, reward him from your other hand. The lesson is “that leaving something alone is just as rewarding as trying to take it.” Build up to treats on the floor, then toys, then household items.
Drop it. Play with a toy he likes, offer a treat by his nose and say “drop” as he lets go, then give the toy back. Repeat until he lets go on the word before he sees the food. The trade is the training.
Bring it. Once drop is reliable, reward him for carrying things to you. Many dogs who steal turn into dogs who fetch slippers on request, because the urge to carry was never the problem. The direction was.
If he only listens when he can see food, that is common at this stage and fixable. Our guide to a dog who only listens when you have treats covers how to fade the food out without losing the behaviour.
Making stealing less rewarding
- Tidy the targets. Laundry baskets with lids, shoes in a cupboard, tea towels off the oven door. Every successful theft is practice.
- Give him legal things to carry. A basket of his own toys he is allowed to raid. Many dogs steal because there is nothing interesting at their level that is theirs.
- Fill the evening. Dogs Trust recommends “physical and mental stimulation to prevent boredom”, including “suitable toys and chews” and homemade puzzle feeders. A dog who has just done a sniff walk and a chew does not need to start a game.
- Give attention for calm. If stealing is how he gets you to look at him, look at him more when he is lying quietly. That shifts the whole economy.
When it is not a game: resource guarding
Most stealing is play. Some of it is not, and the difference matters, because the advice for one is dangerous for the other. A dog who is playing keep-away wants you to chase. A dog who is guarding wants you to go away.
Dogs Trust lists the signs. The early ones are easy to miss: “lip licking”, “whale eye, where the whites of the eyes are showing”, tension in the face and body, “standing over the item” and “staring at the perceived threat”. The later ones are not: “a stiff or frozen posture”, “lowering their body over the item”, “eating quickly and swallowing items that aren’t food”, then growling, lunging, snapping and biting.
| Keep-away game | Resource guarding |
|---|---|
| Loose, bouncy body, play bows | Stiff, still, body lowered over the item |
| Looks at you to see if you are coming | Stares at you hard, or avoids your eyes with whale eye |
| Runs off when you move | Freezes when you move |
| Drops it when he gets bored | Eats or swallows it faster as you get closer |
| Silent or playful noises | Growling, lip lifting |
If you see guarding signs, do not take the item and do not tell him off for growling. Dogs Trust is explicit: “it’s important to never tell off a growling dog”. The growl is a warning. Punish it and you remove the warning, not the worry, and the next step is a bite. Back off, keep children away, and get help from your vet and a qualified behaviourist. Dogs Trust also advises calling a vet if “there’s a risk your dog swallowed what they’re guarding”.
AKC gives the same warning about trading: if your dog shows stress signs such as growling or a tucked tail during a swap, stop, because that needs professional help rather than more practice.
Common questions
Why does my dog steal things and run away?
Usually because it works. Stealing gets your attention, and chasing him turns it into a game. Dogs Trust describes most cases starting exactly this way: a dog picks up a slipper, the owner chases, and the dog learns it is fun.
Should I chase my dog when he steals something?
No. Chasing is the reward. Stay still or walk away, and if you need the item back, offer a better treat and swap.
How do I get my dog to drop something?
Offer something he wants more, such as a piece of chicken or cheese, before you reach for the item. Let him take the food, then pick up the item calmly. Practise “drop it” with toys at quiet times so it works when you need it.
Should I tell my dog off for stealing?
No. Dogs Trust warns that scaring or scolding a dog for stealing can leave him anxious or confused about you, and dogs who expect to be told off often start hiding or swallowing what they take.
What if my dog growls when I try to take something?
That is resource guarding, not a game. Do not take the item and do not tell him off for growling. Keep everyone safe and speak to your vet and a qualified behaviourist.
What if my dog has swallowed something he stole?
Call your vet straight away, even if he seems fine. Swallowed objects can cause choking or intestinal blockages, and the earlier a vet assesses it, the more options there are.
The bottom line
Your dog is not being naughty, he is playing a game you have both been playing for months. Stop chasing, stop telling him off, and start swapping: something better first, the item second, and sometimes the item straight back. Practise leave it and drop it when nothing is at stake, tidy the things he loves to steal, and give him more to do in the evening. Watch for the difference between a bouncy dog who wants to be chased and a stiff, staring dog who wants you to go away. The first is a training project. The second needs professional help.
Sources
- Dogs Trust. How to stop your dog stealing: how the habit starts, why chasing and telling off backfire, enrichment, and swapping for a better item.
- Dogs Trust. Resource guarding in dogs: early and late warning signs, never telling off a growling dog, swap don’t take, and when to call a vet.
- Gibeault S, MSc, CPDT, for the American Kennel Club. Does your dog steal things? Why dogs steal, the risks of chasing and forcible removal, teaching leave it and drop it, and stopping trades when a dog shows stress.
