The Dogmother Posted November 23, 2010 Share Posted November 23, 2010 This posted by another lurcher owner made me laugh... so very true... they are all thieves, in fact, their name in Romany ('Lur') means 'thief'! Jasper has added to his tally of items filched from the shopping bags of passers-by on the local trailway. Previously, with a deft 'head in, grab, head out' manouevre, he'd obtained a set of car keys and a woolly hat - both retrieved and returned without fuss. Today he hit the jackpot and came out with a pork pie And by the time hubby had reached him, he'd unwrapped it, downed it in one, and was sitting at the side of the path looking a little queasy This is in addition to twice nicking the apple out of the hands of a toddler in a buggy - the second time the toddler thought it hilarious and said 'Jasper take apple!!' Oh, and the bag of jelly babies from under another buggy... And a cricket ball from some people playing in the nets on the sports field.... We've been really lucky so far that even people who don't know Jasper have found it all rather funny and not been annoyed - the man who lost his pork pie thought it hilarious and wouldn't accept any money from hubby - but I've a horrible feeling I'm going to have to keep him on lead on the trailway, at least, because that pork pie must have been very rewarding and reinforcing Or get his recall so good I can reliably get him back on lead when I see someone approaching with a bag - if he doesn't see them first... I usually manage to deflect Ruby when she's on a thieving mission, and she knows not to steal food at home, but the temptation is far too strong when she sees a small child with an ice cream I have to get her on a lead darned quick! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lillybettybabs Posted November 23, 2010 Share Posted November 23, 2010 You have to love em! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beach chick Posted November 23, 2010 Share Posted November 23, 2010 heee heee! I have on occasion found that Ozzie has beaten me to a picnic bag left unattended on the beach... difficult one that, if you cant see the owners in sight, what do you do?!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bramble Posted November 23, 2010 Share Posted November 23, 2010 heee heee! I have on occasion found that Ozzie has beaten me to a picnic bag left unattended on the beach... difficult one that, if you cant see the owners in sight, what do you do?!! If you're a lab, you eat the contents, whether you can see the owner or not!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beach chick Posted November 23, 2010 Share Posted November 23, 2010 yup, and then you pretend the aforementioned lab does not actually belong to you, despite the dog toy, lead, poo bags etc you 'just happened' to be carrying!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coco Posted November 23, 2010 Share Posted November 23, 2010 I'm waiting for the day out Huskamute Ozzy meets a child with food, he's got to be on a par with a Lab for a walking dustbin. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lesley Posted November 24, 2010 Share Posted November 24, 2010 The Good Citizens silver level trains dogs to walk past someone with food - Jazz and Tali were excellent at ignoring the food.....not sure whether they'd ignore a pork pie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lavenders_Blue Posted November 24, 2010 Share Posted November 24, 2010 Our JRTx has embarrassed us a couple of times with his thieving. On one occasion my Dad had walked him down to the market to buy some fruit and veg and exercise the dog at the same time. He was stood at the fruit and veg stall paying the chap when he realised the dog had gone suspiciously quiet. He looked down to find the dog had sneaked underneath the stall, pinched the chap's sandwiches and was stood there tucking in! Moral of the story - DON'T let your dog roam about the market on an extending lead (nice one Dad) The second occasion was out walking along our local canal where there are often people fishing. The dog was walking off the lead and had raced ahead, as he often does. We heard a shout and as we got nearer to the scene of action it became apparent that the dog had sneaked up and taken the fisherman's sandwiches. Moral of this story - if you are a fisherman, keep your sandwiches in a sealed box! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted November 24, 2010 Author Share Posted November 24, 2010 I always make sure that any builders I have in keep their sarnies in their van TBH, she doesn't do it if she thinks that I am looking - she was very well behaved when the fair was in town and ignored dropped snorkers and burgers, it's more the thrill of having something that isn't theirs that makes lurchers do it; they're opportunists by nature. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meezers Posted November 24, 2010 Share Posted November 24, 2010 heee heee! I have on occasion found that Ozzie has beaten me to a picnic bag left unattended on the beach... difficult one that, if you cant see the owners in sight, what do you do?!! My late LabX , when she was a youngster being walked in the park, once disappeared into one of those tents they put over electrical / dangerous works in public places, and came out with someones packed lunch in her mouth By the time we'd caught up with her she'd eaten the lot, no one came chasing after her from the tent, so we assume the worker was underground at the time. Often wonder what he thought had happened to his sarnies Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lillybettybabs Posted November 24, 2010 Share Posted November 24, 2010 There's a story about a very well trained black lab on a shoot, He trotted up to his owner with red blood looking substance around his mouth, The owner panicked and thought the dog had been attacked by a cock pheasents spurs, On closer inspection the red substance looked to cloudy for blood. The said substance was tomato sauce and the well trained gundog had helped himself to the guns breakfast! Note how i'm not owning this dog! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted November 24, 2010 Author Share Posted November 24, 2010 My last lurcher used to take up her station under the highchair when I was feeding Rosie, she cleared up any dropped food, and woe betide any biscuits that were dangled downwards in pudgy hands Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beach chick Posted November 24, 2010 Share Posted November 24, 2010 ha! my girls are still incensed by the memory of my mum's now deceased black lab taking chocolate biscuits from them - hands, left lying on a coffee table, etc etc!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lavenders_Blue Posted November 25, 2010 Share Posted November 25, 2010 My last lurcher used to take up her station under the highchair when I was feeding Rosie, she cleared up any dropped food, and woe betide any biscuits that were dangled downwards in pudgy hands And then as the kids get a little older, they quickly learn that posting unwanted food into the dog is a good way of getting rid of it when Mum's not looking Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
