Why it happens
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Born to look for food
Dogs' ancestors ate whatever they could find, and that instinct has not gone anywhere. The dog does not understand that the sausage on the table is yours. Its guilty look when you come back is not a pang of conscience but a reaction to your voice and posture.
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Every success is a reward
One snatched meatball is enough for the dog to try again. Even if it only works now and then, a win like that strengthens the habit more than a daily one would, much as a lottery hooks a person.
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A great nose and a reachable table
A dog smells food far better than we do, and a large dog standing on its hind legs reaches the worktop with ease. Labradors, retrievers and beagles are especially food-driven and persistent.
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Hunger or boredom
A dog fed at irregular times, or left with nothing to do for long stretches, searches harder for something else to eat. A kitchen full of smells becomes the best room in the house.
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Titbits from the table
If family members now and then drop the dog a bite from the table or give it a taste while cooking, it learns that the table is a source of food. After that it makes no difference whether a person hands the food over or the dog helps itself.
What helps
- Keep food out of reach Do not leave food unattended at the edge of the table or on the worktop, defrost meat in the oven or a cupboard, and keep the bin closed. When the attempts stop paying off, the habit slowly fades.
- A steady feeding routine Feed at the same times and in the same place. A full dog that knows when its next meal is coming searches less. If the dog seems hungry all the time, talk to your vet about the size of its portions.
- Its own spot while you eat Teach the dog to lie on its bed or a mat while you cook or sit at the table, and reward it right there. Do not feed from the table, and ask every family member and guest to do the same.
- Puzzle feeders Give part of the day's food in a puzzle feeder or on a lick mat. The dog gets to search and work for its food in a way that is allowed, and the kitchen becomes less interesting.
- Teach "leave it" Teach "leave it" with rewards: when the dog backs away from a bite, it gets something even better from your hand. Do not scold it after finding the food gone: the dog will not link the scolding to the theft, it will only learn to steal when you are not there.
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When it is a question for a vet
See a vet if the dog has suddenly started hunting for food all the time although it is fed as before, especially if it also drinks more, urinates more or loses weight. Call a vet at once if the dog has stolen something dangerous, such as chocolate, grapes, raisins, cooked bones or food with xylitol, or if it vomits, has a swollen belly or is listless after a theft.