Delayed gratification in dogs?

[Anonymous]

My dog has this trick he does: he will snatch an item he should not have (a sock, a pencil, a piece of paper...) and then come and trade it for a little treat or chicken. Yesterday I made meatballs. He stole two socks. He traded the first for a piece of chicken, but refused chicken for the second sock. He kept it in his mouth, looking at me and waiting. Eventually I gave him a little piece of meatball and he traded the sock for it. Is it common for dogs to know to hold off for a higher prize item?

[Anonymous]

Sure. Smart puppy! Dog-proof your house better.

[Anonymous]

You have trained him to do this.

[Anonymous]

Ooh, clever of him!

[Anonymous]

that is adorable

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You have trained him to do this.

This. You reward your dog for picking up a thing you allege he knows he shouldn't have. It's a game, and you're losing.

Enjoy it while it's cute, I guess. Maybe consider teaching your dog better boundaries, before he gets something you value (or something dangerous to him).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You have trained him to do this.

This. You reward your dog for picking up a thing you allege he knows he shouldn't have. It's a game, and you're losing.

Enjoy it while it's cute, I guess. Maybe consider teaching your dog better boundaries, before he gets something you value (or something dangerous to him).

Oh FFS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You have trained him to do this.

This. You reward your dog for picking up a thing you allege he knows he shouldn't have. It's a game, and you're losing.

Enjoy it while it's cute, I guess. Maybe consider teaching your dog better boundaries, before he gets something you value (or something dangerous to him).

Oh FFS.

FFS? This isn't cute, it's dangerous to the dog. The dog isn't "so smart", he's conditioned to wait for better treats as a reward for taking things he shouldn't.

I mean, maybe OP's use of "shouldn't" is a bit weak; it's not like they seem to care what the dog takes.

For me, I prefer my dogs not take anything that isn't theirs. They're all smart enough to understand this, and I don't have to play weird "bribe me" games with them.

I see no appeal to this "trick". Since OP offered it like some sort of "is it normal for dogs to be as clever as my dog" humblebrag, I commented against it.

Take your dog for a walk, FFS. Maybe you'll feel better.

[Anonymous]

The dog is smart.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You have trained him to do this.

This. You reward your dog for picking up a thing you allege he knows he shouldn't have. It's a game, and you're losing.

Enjoy it while it's cute, I guess. Maybe consider teaching your dog better boundaries, before he gets something you value (or something dangerous to him).

Oh FFS.

FFS? This isn't cute, it's dangerous to the dog. The dog isn't "so smart", he's conditioned to wait for better treats as a reward for taking things he shouldn't.

I mean, maybe OP's use of "shouldn't" is a bit weak; it's not like they seem to care what the dog takes.

For me, I prefer my dogs not take anything that isn't theirs. They're all smart enough to understand this, and I don't have to play weird "bribe me" games with them.

I see no appeal to this "trick". Since OP offered it like some sort of "is it normal for dogs to be as clever as my dog" humblebrag, I commented against it.

Take your dog for a walk, FFS. Maybe you'll feel better.

Oh do bore off somewhere else.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You have trained him to do this.

Nope, the dog has trained her.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You have trained him to do this.

Nope, the dog has trained her.

Exactly. And she thinks it's cute. I'm sure she'll find it adorable when he wrecks her stuff, right? And the vet bill from the "off-limits (but not really)" items he eats.

This post on a parenting board strongly suggests she has kids who are equally "smart" (in her eyes), and probably a menace to everyone else because they're boundary-lacking jerks. But I'm sure she thinks that's adorable, too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You have trained him to do this.

This. You reward your dog for picking up a thing you allege he knows he shouldn't have. It's a game, and you're losing.

Enjoy it while it's cute, I guess. Maybe consider teaching your dog better boundaries, before he gets something you value (or something dangerous to him).

Oh FFS.

FFS? This isn't cute, it's dangerous to the dog. The dog isn't "so smart", he's conditioned to wait for better treats as a reward for taking things he shouldn't.

I mean, maybe OP's use of "shouldn't" is a bit weak; it's not like they seem to care what the dog takes.

For me, I prefer my dogs not take anything that isn't theirs. They're all smart enough to understand this, and I don't have to play weird "bribe me" games with them.

I see no appeal to this "trick". Since OP offered it like some sort of "is it normal for dogs to be as clever as my dog" humblebrag, I commented against it.

Take your dog for a walk, FFS. Maybe you'll feel better.

Oh do bore off somewhere else.

I love the antiquated, would-be-rich tone some posters take on this forum "Dooooooo bore off..." So many pearls to clutch.

Your dog is obnoxious, like its owner. I'm glad you find it cute.

[Anonymous]

When we adopted our dog, we were instructed that if he took something he wasn’t supposed to have, we should trade him a high value treat for the item. How do you stop a smart dog from making the connection and stealing items to get a HVT? I guess you only make the trade if the item he’s taken is dangerous? So as long as OP’s dog doesn’t eat socks, they’re not a threat and she shouldn’t trade to get them back?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You have trained him to do this.

This. You reward your dog for picking up a thing you allege he knows he shouldn't have. It's a game, and you're losing.

Enjoy it while it's cute, I guess. Maybe consider teaching your dog better boundaries, before he gets something you value (or something dangerous to him).

Oh FFS.

FFS? This isn't cute, it's dangerous to the dog. The dog isn't "so smart", he's conditioned to wait for better treats as a reward for taking things he shouldn't.

I mean, maybe OP's use of "shouldn't" is a bit weak; it's not like they seem to care what the dog takes.

For me, I prefer my dogs not take anything that isn't theirs. They're all smart enough to understand this, and I don't have to play weird "bribe me" games with them.

I see no appeal to this "trick". Since OP offered it like some sort of "is it normal for dogs to be as clever as my dog" humblebrag, I commented against it.

Take your dog for a walk, FFS. Maybe you'll feel better.

Oh do bore off somewhere else.

I love the antiquated, would-be-rich tone some posters take on this forum "Dooooooo bore off..." So many pearls to clutch.

Your dog is obnoxious, like its owner. I'm glad you find it cute.

what dog?