"bait" Training

[Tatsu]

Does anyone in here have experience in training their dog to only take food from specific people? I was thinking that I want to train my dogs to only take food from myself and hubby; but then realised that this isn't exactly viable, because if we go away for some reason or another and someone else has to feed the dogs, we need for the dogs to trust that they're allowed to eat!

At this stage both know that they are to sit and wait to be told to eat... but that's not to say that if we walk away with out saying 'eat' that they will continue to wait... it's more for the comfort of knowing that we're not being crowded by dogs trying to stuff their food down as we are putting it in their bowls.

My other question is, is this something that can only be taught from puppyhood or am I able to do this with a 3 and 4 year old?

any knowledge on this will help heaps!

Cheers,

Mel

[Lablover]

Sure just add a vocal/body cue.

[hortfurball]

Hey Tats, Kuges is trained to only eat with a certain word. Ella on the other hand would be a gonner. Some dogs are easier to train than others.

You do have to be very careful with this one and think of ALL eventualities, for instance, what if you and OH are involved in an accident (god forbid).

It is essential that some other people know the word. In my case pretty much all of my good friends and my dad know Kuga's word, and Ella's, not that hers matters much at this stage.

You know you've succeeded when someone comes up to you at a party and says "What's wrong with your dog? He won't eat the food I'm trying to give him."

Ok, so Kuges was trained from day dot, but I'm sure it's doable with an older dog. Ella at 7yo may finally be settled enough to try it in earnest with! :laugh:

Basically I make them both sit before their bowl is put down, then put bowl down, if they make a move "Ah!" to correct, then say word and off they go.

So start with introducing an individual word for each dog (if this is the way you want to go). Choose a word that nobody trying to bait them will think of, such as 'waffle' or something equally ludicrous. Make sure it doesn't sound similar to any normal command words, nor like anything a potential baiter might use in trying to get them to eat. ('eat', 'good boy', 'dinner', 'food', 'mmmm nice meat' and the classic 'ok') 'Winner' or 'neat' for instance would NOT be recommended.

To introduce this, you might have to feed them separately for a while until they get the hang of 'their' word.

Sit them as usual, and then say the new nominated word instead of 'eat' (your current one?) for a few weeks or until you are confident they have it.

Bring them back together and see how they go recognising their individual words.

Gradually extend the delay between putting the bowl down and giving the word. But occasionally do an immediate one too just to mix it up.

Practice the same with treats.

Never give the dogs any treats/food/scraps without their word. If you drop some food accidentally, they must also wait for their word before hoovering.

Once you get fairly confident that they've got it, put food down and take a step back before saying the word. Then a couple of steps. Bring a couple of your best friends into the equation so that the dogs learn it is the word, not the person that matters. This way when you go away it is as simple as giving the word to the person feeding them.

Next step - if your word is 'waffle' say 'poffle' and be prepared for instant correction if they so much as twitch! After that, try wiffle, wuffle, moffle, coffee, etc until they are 100% reliable with their word. (only one 'wrong' word per session, then the correct word and lots of praise, and don't do this every night in a row, it may confuse them, just once or twice a week)

I can rhyme anything with Kuga's word and he won't budge 'til I get it right. I can even keep the consonants and change the vowels and he still won't react.

(Ella, on the other hand, is a work in progress - good with her dinner and during training sessions, but anything else is a free for all)

After this pic was taken, I said Kuga's word then Ella's word then Ebony's word, and they all ate their biccies one by one. They only ate the biccie in front of them, because to eat the biccie in front of a different dog would require the word a second time and it didn't come. This is another important rule. They must wait for the word for each individual treat, unless it is in their bowl. To train this, put one treat near the dog and one a metre or more away. Say the word, allow the dog to eat the first treat, and correct if they go to eat the second, then once they are waiting, say the word and let them have it

Advanced training and foolproof testing.

Everything above may take 6 months to a year's practice, then, you can take yourself out of the equation to see how the dogs behave when their bosses aren't around. Make sure you get a friend to do this that you trust to discipline the dogs and be right on it, or you won't achieve anything. You can be in the next room, but the dogs have to THINK you can't see them. Do this in a variety of locations, your house, your friend's house, different friends, different scenarios (dinner, treats, "Oops I dropped some food and didn't notice" but being VERY aware of any movement)

I'll give you more info if needed on foolproof testing later if you want, I'm all typed out, lol! (and it's time to cook tea)

Any way that's what has worked for me, I just need to do some concentrated training with Ella and she'll toe the line.

Edited for clarity.

Edited February 8, 2009 by hortfurball

[Tatsu]

Thanks heaps horts.

Like i said mine sit for their meals and wait to be told but it's just always been 'eat' and if i decide they haven't waited long enough i re-enforce a 'wait'. I can walk to the other side of the yard as long as Nate knows i'm watching him, but if i don't say eat before i turn away then he's into it. Especially now that he's on a diet!

Oh and I wouldn't so much have to worry about specific words for each dog because they don't eat together, if i had them eating anywhere where Alei can get to Nate she decides she has to eat him first... even when she can see him through the glass door she carries on in a very threatening manner and guards her food rather than eating it.

This might sound horrid, and don't get me wrong, I love the two dogs that i have right now, but most of this research is for (when) I get my Dane, and i figure if i'm teaching a pup from day dot then I should also be consistent and teach Alei and Nate. Goodness knows i've been less than consistent in the past... but we all learn.

Oh and I would obviously do this with other people involved, not just hubby and myself. Little SIL (well she's almost 17 so not so little anymore) is very animal oriented and is about to get her own dog for the first time... oh the joys that will bring! lol but yes she is going to be my no. 1 helper!