Naughty wiz!

Wis is 20 weeks old now and is starting to calm down again which is nice but he has found a new naughty habit. Wiz now steals food. He knows its naughty and has never done this before. We don't feed him from plates. Good used to be safe now he will take it from anywhere, table, side, plates he even took a muffin out of my hand. Should I be putting him in his crate when I eat??

He is so cute! When he jumps up on the table say "off" in a stern voice. You can even give him a treat once he listens! Never leave food out or laying around that he can get! No harm in popping him in his crate for a few minutes so you can eat in peace, but you do want to teach him this is an unacceptable behavior so he can learn not to do it..don't avoid it all the time because you wont want to have put in him in his crate every time you want to eat something! If you don't teach him it is not allowed he will never learn, putting him in his crate will not teach him not to do this!

Crating him will stop him from stealing food, but he won't learn that it isn't acceptable.

At the moment, there's no point scolding him for trying to steal it, unless he's already been taught that it's wrong. He won't see it as bad behaviour. So the best thing to do is teach him not to steal the food by correcting him.

When he tries to steal food, as Cara said, use a word like 'off' or 'down' (or any word which is easy for you to remember) and push him down from the table. When he gets down, immediately praise him and give him a fuss. Keep repeating it and be firm. He should learn eventually.

You could also try teaching him that when you eat he should lie down in a particular place - a mat or something similar - until you've finished. You'll get indigestion from getting up & putting him on the mat for a while, but he'll soon get the idea.

I wouldn't crate him because, as Eleanor says, it doesn't actually teach him it isn't acceptable.

Right brilliant thanks. He knows its wrong coZ he runs off really quick and hides. So we can't put him in the "naughty room" it's only been the last week that's he's been stealing off us lol

Are you using his crate as his "naughty room" ????

No we use the bathroom lol

Okay good, just making sure! We use the bathroom as well! The crate should always be a place where they feel safe and can relax/ have some time for themselves!

Yeah he loves his crate which is rather odd. He knows the difference between them he hates the bathroom now lol