Dogs do not steal. They can’t, they don’t understand the principles of ownership. They only understand the concept of possession. If something is available, and they want it, they’ll take it unless they have been trained not to.

It’s fairly easy to understand why dogs take food that hasn’t been given to them – it’s food! Dogs can be conditioned to expect a dependable meal once or twice a day, and will look forward to it. But the concept of regular scheduled meals is a human creation based upon the expectation that food is always available. Dogs, in fact all animals, will eat whenever they are hungry and food is available.

The most straightforward way to stop a dog from taking food that isn’t offered is to keep all food out of reach. A dog can be trained that certain places are not available to him. He can be trained to understand that the kitchen table, dining room table, and outdoor picnic table is off limits for any reason; that front paws on the table are not acceptable behavior.

When he is so trained, food placed on these tables while you are around should be perfectly safe from being purloined. I wouldn’t recommend that you leave a ham sandwich on any of those tables, however, when you are away for the day. It would be an excellent test of the dog’s training, but would nonetheless be torture. Dogs want to take food that is appealing.

Never feed your dog from the table at which you are eating. This simply reinforces the dog’s connection with the table as an acceptable food source, and turns him into a beggar. If you wish to share some food from the table, remove it from the table and offer it to the dog in the dog’s traditional eating area or utensils.

Determining why your dog takes your personal property requires more investigation to find a reason. Often, when the dog takes something while you are watching and taunts you with it, the dog simply wants to play and is using your readily available property as a toy. This is common behavior for dogs that have learned to play games like “tug-of-war” with an old sock.

From the puppy stage, your dog should be trained to expect that such games will be played only when using the dog’s own toys, and suitable toys should be provided to allow for these different games. If an owner succumbs to the temptation of playing tug of war with a kitchen towel, the dog will learn that he can play that game with anything that the owner happens to be holding.

Again, as with food, any items that are at risk of damage or could injure the dog should be kept out of the dog’s reach. When the dog is caught taking items, such as shoes, slippers or other clothing normally stored on the floor, give the dog a sharp “no” command, and then heap praise and petting on the dog for dropping the item.
Occasionally dogs will chew on available items when home alone or bored. When a dog is provided with suitable toys that he has been praised for using, he will defer to those toys for play rather than taking your personal property.

Article by Nancy Cope of Pampered-Dog-Gifts.com an online dog boutique where you will find great gifts for your pooch.

This type of indiscriminate humping isn’t about mating. Even a dog who is frenzied by hormones knows the difference between a receptive partner and someone’s leg. It’s not even about pleasure, although that may play a role. Dogs mainly hump because they’re trying to assert themselves. The longer they get away with it, the more powerful they feel.

Humping usually starts during a dog’s adolescence – between 6 months old and 2 years old – depending on the breed. This is the time when reproductive hormones are starting to reach adult levels, and some dogs go a little bit crazy. And dogs are always trying to prove that they’re tougher than the next guy. Some do it by humping. Others do it by putting their feet on another dog’s back. They reach sexual maturity before they reach emotional maturity

Humping is not strictly a male behavior, although males are the worst offenders. Unlike females, whose hormones ebb and flow with their reproductive cycles, males maintain fairly steady hormone levels all the time. The hormones themselves don’t cause humping, but they make dogs more likely to do it. That’s why neutering or spaying is the best way to reduce or eliminate this unpleasant behavior.

There’s another reason that males are more likely than females to latch on to human legs, one that has nothing to do with reproductive urges. Males are just more competitive. They’re always trying to prove (to people as well as to other dogs) how big and tough and independent they are. Humping is just one way in which they push the boundaries and assert their dominance within a family.

Watch a litter of puppies at play, and you’ll see that they spend quite a bit of time climbing on top of each other. The more assertive dogs may take advantage of their position and throw in a little humping. It’s their way of saying that they are, quite literally, top dogs. They hump to show their dominance more than for any other reason.

Once dogs are out of the litter and living with people, the same instinct remains. Human legs don’t have special appeal, but they’re accessible and easy to wrap paws around. In the wild, dogs never mount dogs who are higher in rank than they are. The only time that a dog tries this with people is when there’s some confusion in his mind about who’s in charge and who isn’t.

See an amusing video of our yorkie humping his bed.