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How can I train my 4 year old adopted greyhound to stop stealing and chewing items around my house?

My new greyhound is sweet and affectionate, however when I turn my back or leave him alone he immediately steals whatever he can find (pillows, jackets, bags, etc.) He bites and chews each item. Not only is he destroying things, I'm afraid he will choke himself. Any tips for breaking this bad habit?

Public Comments

1. little spank. and say no.
2. Flick on the nose
3. I'd get him a muzzle so that he can't stick anything in his mouth to steal or destroy.
4. become the pack leader.
5. spray water or other mixture when the dog does it
6. um, i guess you can just point to the items and say no so that he'll know what you're talking about.
7. no, you may not be abele to reteach it because its allready used to doing what it dose
8. put a little oil of cloves on stuff you dont want chewed on ( like furniture) the bitter taste will keep him away.
9. Bitter Apple Spray. It works great and once he get's a wiff or taste of that, it will send him running the other way. It's non-staning and non toxic. Spray it where ever you don't want him to be or whatever you don't want him gnawing on. My dog hates it.
10. We got a little basket & put all the dog's toys in it. If she got anything she shouldn't have, she was scolded. Now she's 4 & will go get things from HER basket & leave everythign else alone. It may be harder since she is grown Be Persistent & patient !!!
11. You can hand over the packets of Chock late and ask him to distribute every time. He will become a HERO and he will not steal. Only thing is you should finish the number of chocolates every time and give him fresh chocolates.
12. i had the same problem and i started to watch ceasar millan's "dog whisperer" it made me see what i was doing wrong and how to put it right. my dog now steals nothing, walks by my side, does things on command i.e- sit, down, here, wait, find, quiet, etc...and is a very happy balanced dog. i know it sounds corney but it changed my life. have a look at his web site and try to catch some episodes of the dog whisperer. good luck
13. lava my friends pup does this, this is wat she has to say: hey there. my poodle is 1 and he ALWAYS steals things. he takes stuf and he is so bad! once he takes 5 items, we will take him outside. all dogs (if they're bad) will do this. we say no reallly loud and we put his head down to show dominence. also tap him on the nose good luck
14. One thing's definite - you can't use any Cesar Milan type techniques on any greyhound, or other sight hound for that matter, unless you want to totally ruin your dog! You haven't said how long you've had your greyhound and whether you got him straight off the track or if he'd been through a foster home. Regardless, his stealing and chewing is a form of separation anxiety. It's pretty common in rescued dogs and dogs who aren't used to living in a home. Since he's crate trained, it would be to his benefit (for his safety) if he was crated when no one's home. When you are home, keep him in the room with you. It's likely only a case of he has no idea what he can and can't do - he doesn't know how to live in a house and didn't have the opportunity to learn as a puppy like most dogs do. If he goes to grab something, say something "uh-uh-uh-uh", in kind of a low, growly tone. (It's worked for all of my dogs and fosters, too.) Avoid saying the word "no" and don't yell his name. The word no is much too over-used and dogs tend to tune it out. You just have to be vigilant, calm and patient and he'll soon catch on. My 2 males came here straight off the track and didn't know the first thing about living in a house, so the first month or so, it was a case of watching them like a hawk. They didn't know they couldn't cruise past the coffee table and pick up whatever was on it! But they're smart dogs - your guy will learn quickly - you just need to show him what's ok and what's not!