Teamwork or opportunity? At times, ravens appear to work in partnership to trick or steal. Dogs are often selected to be playmates or victims of raven-style games. More than one dog owner has reported that ravens have a taste for dog chow. While one raven distracts the owner of the dog dish, the co-conspirator will eat with gusto.

 

The stealing behavior may also be called pirating. Ravens will pirate food from other small hunters like otters, squirrels and even cats.  Flying over in attack fashion, the raven will startle the animal into dropping its food, which will swiftly be claimed by the buccaneer bird.