OK, everyone who has an adolescent knows that they like to dip into the closet. Maggie loves to get a sock (just one, and always my husband's), bring it to the family room and just lay it down and look sheepishly. I usually keep the closet door closed. She finds them anyway, just now off the top of the dryer. If there are no socks available, she grabs a glove off of the bench or table (wherever my husband left one laying around). Now, as for me, she will go into the kitchen and drag the hand towel out (she has to know that is my territory, right). She never chews on the stuff now that she is a year old. It's rather comical, I should take a picture right now: She is sleeping with a sock and a dish rag just in front of her paws -- you get the scene.

I guess I am hoping that this does not signal pack issues Our strategy has been pretty much to ignore this. We don't chase her down for the prize. AND, I usually do take it away by walking calmly by, bending down and picking it up when she least expects it. Usually with an "OY".

My husband and I have spent a lot of time with the banter, "why are you leaving your socks everywhere?" or, "really, I need the towel in the kitchen"

I also hope it is not a pack issue because Falcon occassionally walks past the refridgerator or oven door handle and snags the dish towel folded over... He doesn't run off or chew it - just slings it off! I don't make a big deal out of it... truth be told, it makes me smile, but I don't praise him for it!

I don't know what Ed would say...but I know Cesar would say "Ladies, you're fooling yourselves." I heard him say it in an episode recently. About the same issue. LOL!

 Quote: mariellena simon

"Ladies, you're fooling yourselves"

More details please! Kidding ourselves in that this is harmless or not worth making a deal about?

I'm intrigued, lol

I took it to mean that the pretending not to notice was not lost on the dog. Not noticing was not going to stop the behavior. If anything, it would escalate into more destructive and protective behavior. That was my take on it, anyway. I'm just the average "Dog Whisperer" audience member. Not an expert.

And remember, this was not a well trained dog to begin with, so there were more issues than just stealing socks. Just one they thought was cute. And he didn't.

My pup steals socks, runs into his crate, and buries his nose in them and inhales deeply. It's hilarious and a bit disturbing. If I catch him in the act I'll take the sock away and replace it with something he is allowed to have. He's always surrendered them without issue and doesn't destroy them so I haven't really actively tried to get him to stop it.

My male used to pick up my mothers left shoe or slipper if she left it on the floor.
I always wondered if I should ignore it or take it away etc.

So I decided I would train a new behaviour without telling her. So now if someone leaves shoes or slippers on the floor, he will take them one at a time and put them on the shoe rack. She was dogsitting one day and rang to tell me that my dog was a genius - I just grinned and said nothing.

The other issue with socks is a safety concern. I've lost a dog due to his swallowing a sock. He was highly motivated to seek socks, and we didn't take it seriously enough. The surgery to remove it was not successful.

I would: 1) do more to secure the household; 2) provide a safe alernative to the sock for the dog; 3) correct the dog for taking socks 100% consistently.

AM

Well, I have seen the light! In a matter of a week or so, this has turned from one sock, once in a while, into the whole pile off of the dryer... You are right, Mariellena, it escalated. At this point she is only a sock hog (and one pile of folded towels hit the floor). But I am putting a stop to it even though it is so dang funny.

I gave her a new rope chew toy. She's getting a firm 'no' when she even so much as looks like she might be sock hunting. I still keep closets closed, and I'll put the laundry away more quickly next time. But if anyone has a great strategy for getting one's husband to pick up his socks he leaves with his shoes by the back door, I'm listening...