This dog's hilarious thieving habit stumps even the experts - WaPo [View all]

Duke the golden retriever was getting settled in his new adopted home when one day he grabbed a pair of reading glasses and pranced off with them.

Then Duke moved on to fine china — picking up teapots, plates and cups in his mouth and gingerly placing them on his bed to cuddle with. After that, he began thieving books, magazines and electronics from around the house. He even nabbed a 12-pack of toilet paper and an entire lamp and dragged them to his bed. “He wants these very odd items,” said Cathy Hoyt. Hoyt and her husband, who live in Richmond, adopted Duke 18 months ago. They had been warned about his strange tendency to take and guard household items, but nothing prepared them for the reality of it.

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Hoyt said she gives Duke different kinds of dog toys to keep him busy and entertained, and she makes sure he gets plenty of outdoor exercise to tire him out. Still, he will abscond with pretty much anything that is not nailed down when he goes to his bed.

“Duke is our fourth senior,” said Hoyt, adding that they’ve adopted all four from Southeastern Virginia Golden Retriever Rescue, Education & Training (SEVA GRREAT). “We love taking in seniors because we know it’s harder for them to find loving homes.” A picture of Duke, now 11, appeared on the rescue’s social media, “and I was like, ‘Oh, my gosh,’” Hoyt said.

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In most instances of resource guarding, a dog is protective over items that directly benefit it in some way, like treats, bones and toys. But dogs can also be drawn to items that offer them comfort. “I think he does it for security,” Hoyt said, explaining that since Duke switched homes so many times, perhaps he clings to things that make him feel he has marked his space. Although Duke will sometimes growl when Hoyt tries to get an item back from him, she said, he is not overly aggressive. She will often trade him a treat for whatever item he has, or if she lets him have it for enough time, he will tire of guarding it.

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https://wapo.st/435qBlu

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Really worth it to watch the story which is full of clips and photos of Duke dragging stuff.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-apps/imrs.php?src=&w=1440&impolicy=high_res