Can I just ask a question wrt preventing guarding stuff and retrieving stolen items etc?

[TheCunnyFuntOfEastwick]

My fog stole a biscuit wrapper with a few crumbs in out of the bin, so I got a treat out and swapped the wrapper for the treat.

Then a thought occurred to me, does this not encourage them to steal more things? I know that swapping is the best way so they don't feel the need to guard stuff but what if they think "hey I just got a treat for taking out the bin! I should do this more often!"?

Is that a stupid question?

Dog I don't have any fog.

Exactly the right thing to do.

Although some dogs do cotton on to the fact that they get rewarded for picking things up but they would always bring the object to you. So win win.

You can then exploit this trick and start to name the items and ask them to fetch things to you.

Brilliant game and useful for getting the tv remote car keys etc

I suppose it can be handy for a smart dog, unfortunately my greyhound was behind the door when the brains were handed out [hhmm] [hgrin]

Bless him But if you carry on replacing things he has "stolen" and replacing them you will have a calm chilled lad who loves it when you approach him, and is not threatened just relaxed.

My dog as a pup used to find random objects to run off with. Socks, empty cheese packets, pegs, loads of stuff. I did the swop if for treat method and he definitely doesn't pinch things for treats now, justlAs cuebill says, he now brings me these bits of crap treasures if out walking and tries to shove them in my hand.

He isn't threatened at all thankfully (have a 16mo DD so it would be a problem if he felt threatened when approached), he's very laid back if a bit of a cloth head :)

Similar thing, my previous dog was dreadful for coming back when playing with other dogs so we took to giving her a treat when she came back. Her utter greed resulted in her zooming at every dog we met and then racing back to me for her treat. Serious training fail there. :)