This all started when we were scraping wallpaper when decorating our new house about 3 yrs ago. We went to pick up the paper and she would go for the paper. She wasn't aggressive with it, but it made it difficult to pick it up! Now every time any adult goes to pick small things up from the floor, she goes to try and pick it up first. Although she still isn't aggressive, she does get quite excited and has nipped a couple of us (never breaking the skin). She is generally a very laid back and friendly dog, but it seems almost instinctive as she will even jump up to do it if she's sleeping. We've tried telling her off and spraying her with a water bottle to try and stop her but it doesn't help. The saving grace is that she has spent a lot of time around kids in the family of all different ages, and she will let them pick things up. Does anyone else have this problem? Or have any tips for trying to teach her to stop?
Sounds like it has become quite an exciting game. Have you tried putting something on the floor that doesn't matter. Go to pick it up, if she runs to get it, stand back up and don't look at her. As soon as she loses interest, go to pick it up again and keep repeating. Eventually, you should find that the game isn't fun anymore so she may as well let you pick it up without fuss
I frequently drop things and my little one will zoom to get it - well, it might be food? And she can get to wherever/whatever it is faster than I can. But she quickly learned NO and LEAVE IT - and it does help having a picker-upper by my side. The LEAVE IT helps when I have to leave her so I could go across the road to the little store. I take a few little treats while she is watching, she goes o on the couch while I go out of the door, and then it is LEAVE IT, One, Two, Three - and I throw them in while I go out, close and lock the door. But I do not say "OK, you can have them" until I am closing the door. LEAVE IT seems to be the magic words for her, but all dogs are different and what works for one will not necessarily work for another one.
That's quite a habit by now! I would now be deliberately dropping things on the floor and throwing a tidbit for the dog at the same time. Away from the dropped article. Hopefully, in time, your dog might start looking to you for a tidbit when items fall on the floor. Perhaps, you might then teach the dog to pick the things up and bring them to you.
Hi, Harper used to do this. Especially with freshly washed laundry when the basket was to heavy and I dropped it. She wold pick it up and parade around whilst carrying it after she had been digging in the garden. Yuck! There was no way I was wearing that afterwards. Straight back in the wash. Lol. I'm not being much help am I! Eventually she learned the word LEAVE. I am sure she would find the disgust on my face amusing. Jane x
