is this normal?

Question

My dalamtion seems to like nothing better than stealing my hankies from the bin or anywhere else she can find them. Is she just being bored and acting out? She's 9 but still quite active

She gets 8 hrs of walking at the weekend from Fri to Sunday adn during the week she gets45min in the morning and 45 min in the evening. She also plays alot in the hosue with my partner adn I so im not sure I can do much more physical stuff without sending her to an early grave!

Answer 1

Lot of other good answers, but one more thing I'll add is that you can throw in some training in addition to her daily exercise. I don't mean "teach your dog to be obedient and she'll stop stealing hankies"; I mean that doing some brain games supplements physical activity more than you might imagine. Teaching tricks (especially with clicker training) is a fabulous way to keep an aging dog mentally active, especially as they start slowing down physically. Older dogs won't learn new things quite as quickly as puppies, but who cares? If you and your dog are having fun together and it gives her something else to think about, there's certainly no race or deadlines on how quickly she picks up new things. Just 5 to 15 minutes a day (yes, that's really all you need to do) can have an amazing impact on a dog's state of mind.

I've also seen some of these guys be SO proud of themselves for what they can do. When I started clicker training for the first time, it was with my old girl Katie who was 13 at the time, and one of the things I taught her was how to go paw at a plastic lid that I'd put on the ground. She was a dog who'd never enjoyed [traditional] training the whole earlier part of her life, but once we found a fun way to train, she got extremely animated and excited every time I asked her to show off that trick for other people. At 13, 14, and 15 years old, anything that got her animated and excited was darn impressive in my book. That was the first time I realized how much impact a few minutes of training a day can have on a dog's mental health.

Answer 2

First of all, I wonder if your Dalmation has been spayed? She is seeking out your scent, as she is very close to you and stealing your hankies from the bin, or anywhere else, is her way of always being close to you, her Mum. I really don't think that she is doing this behaviour out of boredom, and she clearly has lots of play time, and exercise with walks outdoors. If you don't want her to continue doing this with your hankies, then give her an alternative, such as a toy to play with, and make sure that you put your scent onto any toys before introducing them to her. Good luck for the future.
P.S If she takes your hankies to her bed, or hides them somewhere else, then it could be a sign of a phantom pregnancy, if she hasn't been spayed.

Answer 3

With 2 of my dogs its paper kitchen roll which is same type of thing really, if I have a piece on the table after eating, then 1 of them will come up and stand looking at it then look at me as if to say 'have you finished with that!' and if I'm not quick enough they will steal it and believe me when I say that they are very quick!!!

Answer 4

she can smell your scent on the tissue my dog does the same thing only he steals my clothes and gets them covered in hair and hes a dalamtion x terrier so it might be a breed charicteristic

Answer 5

Make sure she has plenty of chew toys. Maybe she is just bored when you're gone and is rebelling. Be patient with her, she sounds like a neat dog. :)

Answer 6

My dogs do that, they just love having something in there mouth, they always need something to chew...If you want her to stop, everytimes he/she does it, lift her up, take it out her mouth, tap her bum lightly say "No, bad!" put her down, and give her a ball or dog toy!

Answer 7

I think it has a lot to do with smell and it is something fun to do since I am sure she gets a good reaction from you :)

Answer 8

my dally does the same but with slippers and shoes, its just to get you to play with him/chase him. anything with your sent on they like, i would try to stop her putting head in bin though as one day she may eat something bad for her.

Answer 9

mine does that too,think it's because they like your scent and they want you to chase them with it,they just want to play and be mischeivous.think mine just likes the taste!he rips them up and enjoys watching me pick it up!it is definately normal.

Answer 10

My dog likes to steal tissues and rip them up. but then again he likes to rip anything up. :-)