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Aussie's Will Steal More Than Just Your Heart

by Doug Arnold
(Hanceville, AL. USA)

Jack exhibits the Aussie Gaze that is known to cause even the largest Bull to stop dead in it's tracks.

Jackaroo (aka "Jack") travels to work with me daily and has the job of official greeter when visitors shop for used cars at my business. When lunchtime comes around we usually order out and bring the lunch back to our offices to eat and keep an eye out for potential customers who love to come in often times on their lunch hour.

I knew Aussies held the well-earned reputation of being food thieves from my daughter's Aussie that stood on her hind legs and walked over and stole a steak right off the table once at our house. But Jack had never shown me this dark side of his personality before. We ordered Mexican and the food came in round foil dishes. Just as I sat down to my enchiladas and tacos a customer drove onto the car lot and got out to take a look at a car.

Jack was sound asleep under my desk so I went outside alone to greet the guests and answer any questions and was only out a short time with the man. When I returned to my office I got quite a shock. My round tin plate was just where I left it only completely empty, well except for the tomatoes, which apparently Jack didn't care for.

There Jack lay under my desk just as I'd left him. He pretended to be asleep but he just couldn't quite help licking at the hot taco sauce as it burned his tender puppy lips. Not a grain of rice or crumb of taco shell littered the desk or floor to give evidence of his transgressions. I could only utter a single statement - "Jack you are a thieving son-of-a-bitch" To which he looked up only slightly (as if to say, "why yes I am!") then lowered his head and closed his eyes for a nice afternoon siesta.

Comments for Aussie's Will Steal More Than Just Your Heart

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Hazel the horror lol
by: Christina

We have a Mini Aussie named Hazel who is approaching a year old. She is a liver red merle. We love her to death but I call her Hazel the Horror, because she steals everything and anything and chews everything except her toys and what she is supposed to. She has stolen batteries also. Remotes. Decorations from Xmas, Halloween, countless phone chargers, laptop cords, even my medications from my purse. She loves to pickpocket my purse like a thief in the night. She only managed to get the childproof bottle chewed through once and I had to take her to the vet and it was costly to say the least. She has even gotten my entire wallet from my purse and took it under my daughter's bunk bed that is what I like to call her lair lol she drags her stash there. Chewed my credit cards up before I found it. 😭 Also got 2 pairs of my prescription glasses and chewed them up from the purse I had to replace. So now I have to put the purse always in a drawer. She can stand on her hind legs and reach quite high so even the kitchen table she will get to it. And all food is fair game. She also likes to continually play a little game all day of pushing my daughter's bedroom door open with her front feet and then go in there for about 2 minutes and until right when my kid shuts the door then jumps on it again to want let out this goes on and on all day I believe just to annoy my daughter because she finds it amusing. 😂😂 She is for sure always entertaining and lucky she is so adorable. But also a very good watchdog, barks at any sign of noise or disturbance near our home and even though she has chewed almost all our belongings and even tracked paint through the carpet on occasion, I can't imagine a day without a Hazel horror event in it. ❤❤

Burger Time
by: Kelsey

We were having a Memorial Day cookout and my nephew had just made himself a burger. He put all his favorite trimmings on it. Then I watched from across the room as he set his plate down on the table and our Aussie snuck over and smacked the plate straight off the table and inhaled the burger in 1 clean bite! It was hilarious. Besides that she was sock thief, toy thief from my other dogs, and she would eat literally anything she could get her paws on (except vegetables hahaha). She was truly the best. She passed away a year and half ago but I think about her every time I take my socks off and think to myself that I better not leave them on the floor!

Foster theif
by: Anonymous

My family is currently fostering an Aussie right now (on top of the Border Collie we already own), and he steals everything. He's stolen my dad's notepads, stolen and broken my mom's favorite pen, stolen my taxidermied tail, stolen water bottles, stolen a chip from the orthodontist, stolen and ripped apart my mom's shoes, taken napkins, taken my undergarments, stolen my headphones; you name it, he's probably taken it.

My Little Thief
by: Brooke's mom

My six month old Aussie will steal anything she can get her mouth on. I admire her persistence. She's stolen socks, shoes, a small garbage can, clothing, shopping bags, toilet brush, hair brush, my purse, rolls of paper towels, the tv remote... I could go on. In the past week she's inhaled a raw chicken breast, raw bacon and super spicy blackened salmon skin. I literally cannot turn away from food for a second. I think for her, stealing is an invitation to play chase. I love her to death but I don't think there's anything she wouldn't steal. The other day she was dragging her kiddie swimming pool around. You could fit 10 of her in it. But it was empty, so light weight. Every day is a new day in thievery. The are lucky they are so cute!

thieves
by: toxicroadkill

we found our lethal white just thrown out like trash at 6 weeks, brought her home, cleaned her up, and within a few weeks, she was queen of the house..herding our 120 lb black lab and us..

one day, for whatever reason, she decided she did not like the flooring in the bathroom.. so she removed it..and shredded it..

another day we woke to a weird noise, looked over..and there she was butt in air, head in the hole in the floor she dug... (in the house)..

then there was the sleeping ordeal..for several years, if you would move at night, there went the teeth into the leg, or thigh..i developed this reaction, that when i moved in my sleep..I would move quickly to avoid the bite..

now that she's about 5, the personality has calmed down some..she still herds us and the lab, but she is a total thief.. watching tv, with a plastic glass of milk (she loves milk)..she comes up, grabs the glass, and she's gone with it.. along with socks, dog toys, and a amazing assortment of stuff... the routine visit to clean out the kennel of stolen items..

turn your head, and her and your food is gone in a flash..amazing how quick they can move..

we woudnt trade her for anything.. great dogs.. we plan on getting another aussie when our lab passes..

Little Thief!
by: Anonymous

My Aussie DexterMorgan is so cute it is hard to be angry with him... even when I look outside and see him standing on the patio table, just looking at me. I have found him standing on the dining room table, looking out the window. And, today I found him on the kitchen counter, with a 20 dollar bill in his mouth - he had gotten up there, opened my purse, and taken the money out. He will take scissors the moment I put them down, delights in taking my clothing outside when I'm trying to hang it up, and I can't count the number of times I have found him on my bed with something (usually important) shredded. He will take food that is on my plate if I'm on the couch and turn my head... he's THAT fast. And, he lounges around like a cat, on the backs of the chairs and couches... but it's the stealing... he has stolen paint masking tape (with paint wet on it, and taken it to my new comforter to play with); sometimes things he takes are so big he can't get them out the doggie door... I found him in the yard with my concealed carry permit and two credit cards... which he'd gotten out of my purse ... which was on the kitchen counter... but he is SO cute... he looks at me with those blue eyes, and I just shake my head.

Thieving Aussie
by: Eva Noble

I to have an Aussie who will steal anything, and I do mean ANYTHING! She steals food off of the counter, sneaks her tongue onto your plate, eats napkins, paper towels, measuring cups, and this morning, she stole a AA battery and bit a whole in it. I had to call the vet to make sure she would be okay. I worry about her eating something that will seriously hurt her one of these days. She will also steal socks, plastic containers, and books.

I have been trying to break her from this terrible habit for 2 years now, to no avail. I have learned to not turn my back, or even avert my gaze for a second when there is food out, or it will be gone! I guess it's a good thing for her that she has stolen my heart as well. That, and I am a Force Free dog trainer. LOL

Sneak
by: Charles

Ours has picked up the habit of snatching my socks (just before I put them on or after I take them off) and running around in the game of "catch". He's so smart that if I put one on the computer table (that abuts the couch) while putting the first one on; he darts around and gets on the couch and reaches across to snatch the second sock before I've had time to put the first one on. At that point the chase is on.

We've not had too much trouble with food snatching, but I have caught him eyeballing us while we eat. Generally, he doesn't get people food.

Your story made me chuckle because I know its in ours as well.

Take care.

Lucy is Lucky
by: Kimberly

I have a beautiful Aussie who loves to , as you say "silently" steal off the coffee table anything that belongs to our 5 year old. She will do it so slyly that right in front of me, I wont even notice - til I hear our 5 year old yell - "Lucy, your so lucky".

:)
by: Kimberly

Superb story, I think most Aussie owners can relate!
Brings many memories to mind of my boy... although the time he ate a jalapeno cheddar roll, blueberry lemon cinnamon roll, chocolate peanut butter rice krispy treat, and an entire bag of cheese puffs in under 5 minutes (all of which were completely unopened when I left and completely unwrapped when I got back) is the most prominent memory of my food thief!

Food Mongers
by: Amelie

Love the story. My little Aussie is driven by food. Always looking for snack - anything that isn't nailed down is fair game for her! Early on, I gave her snacks (too many) because I felt guilty as she looked at me longingly with her big blue eyes. Love hearing stories like this. It reassures me that she isn't just hungry, but goes with the Aussie territory.

My Bandit
by: Chuck Ebert

I read the article about thieving Aussies with great delight! Our first Aussie was named "Bandit", AKC name Talcook Thief of Hearts.

He also lived up to his name, once while preparing center cut lamb chops I had them on the center island while I went to the pantry to get some additional items. Shortly I noticed, as I was getting ready to grill the chops that two were missing. I went into the bedroom to ask my wife if she had decided not to eat and she said no, she was looking forward to it. All of the chops were in the exact position I left them so I went into the back yard where Bandit was quietly laying down. I reached into his mouth and found a cleanly stripped lamb chop bone.
We are now , challangingly, raising two of his pups from his most recent litter, Remy and Ryder. They are chips off the old block! Luckily, Bandit is now mature and is helping raise them. AUSSIES ARE ABSOLUTELY THE BEST!

Counter surfers
by: Cleve Preston

I currently have three Aussies, and had another, Tug, that was hit by a car. They all have a reputation for counter surfing. Anything left on the edge of a kitchen counter, and resident human is out of sight, becomes Aussie food. When caught in the act, I've never seen a more apologetic and guilty looking dog. When not caught, they don't know a thing about it.

Aussie Bandits
by: Vivian

What a great story and the picture is just beautiful. My mini aussie is also great at stealing, especially my napkin when it is on my lap, he is so quiet about it and slow that I don't even know its gone until I see him eating it. But, you just look into those eyes and you just melt. Thanks for sharing your story.

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