If you don’t yell or swat, what CAN you do?

You want to end your dog’s incessant food filching fast.  I get it. Your first impulse may be to scream, swat, squirt or even shock the perpetrator. But punishment can only diminish a behavior if it’s applied with sufficient strength, immediately following the event, and – here’s the essential and impossible requirement – every single time.

Do you really want to lurk behind cabinets and doors so you can bust sweet Mopsy for doing what comes naturally to her? Not me. I have two problems with aversive punishment for pets and children: It damages a cherished relationship and I would hate doing it. And one more fly in the ointment – there is nothing about punishment that teaches the student what you want her to do instead. Losing your @#$% at a dog who steals won’t help anybody. Fuhgeddaboudit.

There is a simple solution but sadly, it requires self-discipline. Willy Sutton would never bother robbing a bank that had no money. Don’t help your good dog go bad. Eliminate temptation by putting her elsewhere when you cook and eat. Stash your dishes immediately. Leave nothing on your table or counter. All new dogs, starting on day one, should only be fed from their bowl, unless you’re rewarding a good deed like obedience. (Praise is a great reinforcer; petting is even better.)

Dog’s and humans have a lot in common. That’s why they’re man’s and woman’s best friends. We’re all operant learners, meaning that we only go to a job that pays. What’s different about dogs is that they believe they must earn everything from us, including any attention, however subtle. If you respond to thievery, with a touch or a spoken word (even a threat or reprimand), your dog will be certain he’s earned it. And what gets rewarded gets repeated.

If you feed a dog from the table, he’ll catch on quickly and keep showing up at your fast food drive thru. When you’re not doling out fistfuls of fries, he’ll launch a reconnaissance mission, like the scavenger he legitimately is, sniffing around the kitchen and pantry and maybe jumping on counters, ready to grab and run.

For help with behavior problems, you can sign-up for a Zoom Group Conference on my website, drjeffnichol.com.

Dr. Jeff Nichol is a residency-trained veterinary behaviorist in Albuquerque. He provides consultations by Zoom group and individually/in-person. Sign up for his weekly blog or post questions (drjeffnichol.com) or by US Post to 4000 Montgomery Blvd. NE, Albuq, NM 87109.