Summer is a bad time for us...

[2cats2many]

...because the lovely, empty places that I usually take the mutt for a walk are now full of picnic-ers and bbq-ers and my dog is the ultimate food thief. Training her to not steal food is an ongoing and mighty battle and I'm struggling to let her off lead at the moment.

She isn't agressive, just passively creeps over to strangers, tail wagging, tongue licking and then grabs whatever she can and runs. Many people are really nice about it all. Others are (understandably!!) pissed off.

I've tried baiting food to try and put her off stealing stuff, but she has happily woolfed down every foul bit of food I've tried to entrap her with.

Maybe a long line is the answer? What do people think?

She's a collie/lab by the way.

I feel the same as you - we can't go to our regular walking places for the same reason. Also, I am very cautious with my dog around children as he can be a bit snappy, so I always put him back on lead when youngsters around (school holidays etc.)

I feel your pain too

In the summer I walk her early in the morning -I like to take her in the evening as well but have to choose my places carefully as people can still be out having picnics.

Really frustrating on hot summers evening when a swim in the river would be great to cool her down .

Ours is a lab so can sniff a picnic at 100 yards !

Keep her on a lead.

Yes, I'd use a long line. You do have to be careful using them (esp the retractable type) - let her go long when you're out in the open, reel back in and lock when nearing anyone (before you reach them).

Either muzzle her so she can't steal food or keep her on a lead/long line?

Good point, it might be worth trying a muzzle. I don't generally like them much but in the case of a food stealer, if she's otherwise well behaved it might be appropriate, if she doesn't hate wearing it.

If you have a dedicated food thief, then a muzzle is very sensible. The season started last week at our local park - saw the first barbeque remains, including a disposable barbecue and some half cooked (burnt and semi raw) chicken left abandoned nearby. This is lethal for dogs . Later in the year, you can also find half eaten pizzas, leftover KFC meals (often with bones), other takeaway remains, sandwiches etc - in hot weather, this is a recipe for a dodgy belly apart from the bones issue.

Two of our three greys wear a muzzle - this is one of the very good reasons why. As long as people in parks continue to be horrible, litter leaving messy louts, then taking precautions is a sensible thing to do.