Staranais Posted August 14, 2010 Share Posted August 14, 2010 I know, I know, most dogs eat things without any command at all. I'm talking more about things that your dog doesn't want to eat - pills and so forth. I'm sick of hiding my girl's glucosamine in things & having her find it & spit it out, so I decided to shape eating things on command this evening. I want to be able to hand her a pill (even a nasty tasting one) & get her to eat it on command. Am willing to bribe with spectacularly tasty treats, since I realise swallowing pills isn't ever fun. I think it went OK, she will now pick the pill up and roll it around inside her mouth for several seconds to earn mark/spectacular treat. Haven't managed to get a swallow out of her yet, though. Perhaps tomorrow night. Anyone tried this? Any hints? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaxx'sBuddy Posted August 14, 2010 Share Posted August 14, 2010 (edited) just another thought, if you stick the pill down the side of her throat then it is really easy to get it down. my dogs just eat what i give them especially if i make them work for it and that includes pills. i make out the pill is the treat Edited August 14, 2010 by Jaxx'sBuddy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Staranais Posted August 14, 2010 Author Share Posted August 14, 2010 Oh yeah, thanks, I can pill her physically if necessary. But I'd just rather avoid the battle, and turn it into something I can request, to make it more pleasant for both of us. My last dog would work for his pills, but this girl is smarter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaxx'sBuddy Posted August 14, 2010 Share Posted August 14, 2010 Oh yeah, thanks, I can pill her physically if necessary. But I'd just rather avoid the battle, and turn it into something I can request, to make it more pleasant for both of us. My last dog would work for his pills, but this girl is smarter. yep mine isnt the sharpest tool in the shed but she is very sweet Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Staranais Posted August 19, 2010 Author Share Posted August 19, 2010 Am I really the only person who has taught this? Anyway, tonight she ate all four pills in order to get the special treats I was offering. Success! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nekhbet Posted August 19, 2010 Share Posted August 19, 2010 no I have this for my dogs, my malinois will bregrudgingly eat her veges like peas and broccoli when I tell her I also get them to drink on command as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TerraNik Posted August 19, 2010 Share Posted August 19, 2010 My boy needs to take a lot of pills for his condition at times and so I have paired the pill with a massive reward. He now comes running when I say the word "tablet" and will open his mouth wide as soon as I put my fingers on either side of the top of his muzzle so that I can slot the pill in. So a little different to what you are doing, but you can definitely condition it to be positive! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
W Sibs Posted August 19, 2010 Share Posted August 19, 2010 (edited) I taught Emmy that tablet is the best treat ever too. She has to work for her worming tablets. She loves it. Umm.. Charlie kinda just knows that things goes quicker if he just goes with the flow. He doesn't like tablets and will never get it out of hand, but he knows he is fighting a losing battle.. so when I hold his head up, he open his mouth for me so i can stick the tablet down his throat easier.. it's done within seconds. He only gets a pat on the head for being good though He does put up a fight with the boyfriend tries to give him his tablet though... Edited August 19, 2010 by CW EW Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PAX Posted August 19, 2010 Share Posted August 19, 2010 My Koolie was a shit to give tablets too, could sniff them out of anything. One time she was ill and needed to be medicated BID, so I thought, too bad she just has to do it. I squashed her shoulders in between my legs and shoved the tablets down, I gave her yummy treats after wards. I starting adding a cue, and it took no time for her to work it out. I give the verbal (lollies), she presents between my legs, I touch her face and she opens her mouth and swallows the bad tablets...bless her. She always gets something super yummy after it, I guess I trained it, but I didn't mean to or hope or think to get it this good. Smart dogs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erny Posted August 19, 2010 Share Posted August 19, 2010 (edited) Am I really the only person who has taught this? Anyway, tonight she ate all four pills in order to get the special treats I was offering. Success! Hi Star. With all of Mandela's ongoing health issues since forever, teaching him to "take a tablet" on command was one of the very early things I taught him. I find it difficult to recall exactly now, but I think we did initially start with the usual 'open mouth manually, pop tablet down, hold mouth closed' ritual. To get him to swallow, I'd lightly blow on his nose. He'd poke out his tongue in a licking type motion and that has now ended up being his signal that the tablet has been swallowed. ALWAYS followed up with a treat. Fast forward to current, and I call out "want your tablets?" and he'll come over from wherever he is - or even if I say nothing but he hears the tablet bottle rattling. Holding the tablet/s in one hand I say "take a tablet" at the same time using my hand in a sweeping motion not dissimilar to the hand signal for 'sit'. He sits. I then bring the tablet to his mouth and most times he'll take the tablet quite willingly/happily. I usually don't need to do anything else - no holding muzzle or anything, other than perhaps the flat of my hand under his chin to keep his head tilted upwards. He still tends to poke his tongue out to signal the tablet is swallowed. If he doesn't poke his tongue and I'm not sure he's swallowed the tablet, I poke my tongue out and he follows suit. Sometimes he likes to have a bit of fun with me and pretends to swallow (tongue lick and all) .... the other day he even took his treat and ate it, and THEN promptly spat the tablet!!! When he sees me see the tablet on the floor, he'll pounce on it with one of his great big feet, drags his foot over the floor and then gets all confused and puzzled because he thinks the tablet disappeared - not realising it is on the underside of his foot. Other times he'll pick the spat-out tablet up off the floor himself with his mouth, but I need to get his head up otherwise he chews the tablet and if he doesn't like the taste he'll spit it. Several nights ago, Mandela was off his food - even when I said the magic "tea" word, he didn't bother to get off his mat. But when I said "gonna take a tablet?" up he hopped and trotted over. So he obviously sees the whole thing as something good and I think the mucking around part (not that he does this all the time) is just for some extra fun. Mind you - Mandela's on 2 x thyroid and 4 x Chinese herbal ..... TWICE a day, at the moment. He gets a bit over it by the last tablet. I try to double them up if I can. ETA: What tabs are you needing to give your girl? Is this something to do with her leg? Hope she's ok. Edited August 19, 2010 by Erny Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aussielover Posted August 20, 2010 Share Posted August 20, 2010 I have a labrador... enough said But sounds like a good idea! I wish all dog owners would teach that! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sas Posted August 20, 2010 Share Posted August 20, 2010 I'm not sure why you just don't put the dogs pills down its' throat, loads of pills don't taste nice so expecting the dog to eat something it doesn't like on command isn't doing anything beneficial to your relationship i.m.o. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erny Posted August 20, 2010 Share Posted August 20, 2010 (edited) I'm not sure why you just don't put the dogs pills down its' throat, loads of pills don't taste nice so expecting the dog to eat something it doesn't like on command isn't doing anything beneficial to your relationship i.m.o. I can only think you've misunderstood, Sas. My boy takes the tablets the same way as anyone who puts the tablets down their dog's throat - difference being that I don't have to force, he opens his mouth for me and comes running to me for the purpose. Gotta be better for the relationship than NOT training for it and using force to put the pills there in the first place, particularly if the administration of medication to the dog is long-term and frequent. And even if the latter doesn't compromise the relationship, the former is a darn sight easier all round. Where, in the description of what anyone (myself? Staranais?) has posted here could you possibly get the idea that the dog's relationship with owner is or would be compromised? Edited August 20, 2010 by Erny Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Staranais Posted August 20, 2010 Author Share Posted August 20, 2010 Sometimes he likes to have a bit of fun with me and pretends to swallow (tongue lick and all) .... the other day he even took his treat and ate it, and THEN promptly spat the tablet!!! When he sees me see the tablet on the floor, he'll pounce on it with one of his great big feet, drags his foot over the floor and then gets all confused and puzzled because he thinks the tablet disappeared - not realising it is on the underside of his foot. Other times he'll pick the spat-out tablet up off the floor himself with his mouth, but I need to get his head up otherwise he chews the tablet and if he doesn't like the taste he'll spit it. Aw, he sounds like a cutie! It's glucosamine, MSM, and fish oil, Erny - pretty much indefinitely. She's coming right, I think. It's taking a little while but we're hanging in there! I think she'll always have a slightly wonky gait, but the limp appears to be (touch wood!) gone. She will hopefully be well enough to work again soon. Sas, I can pill her physically, but in general I find that inducing my dog to volunteer behaviours is better for our relationship than physically forcing her to do things. Perhaps your dogs are different, but this does not damage our relationship. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yesmaam Posted August 20, 2010 Share Posted August 20, 2010 I know, I know, most dogs eat things without any command at all. I'm talking more about things that your dog doesn't want to eat - pills and so forth. I'm sick of hiding my girl's glucosamine in things & having her find it & spit it out, so I decided to shape eating things on command this evening. I want to be able to hand her a pill (even a nasty tasting one) & get her to eat it on command. Am willing to bribe with spectacularly tasty treats, since I realise swallowing pills isn't ever fun. I think it went OK, she will now pick the pill up and roll it around inside her mouth for several seconds to earn mark/spectacular treat. Haven't managed to get a swallow out of her yet, though. Perhaps tomorrow night. Anyone tried this? Any hints? Don't mean to state the obvious but why don't you try glucosamine powder instead?? It's very easy to mix in with food and you won't have to spend all this time trying to shape an exercise that really isnt worth it in the big scale of things. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Staranais Posted August 20, 2010 Author Share Posted August 20, 2010 Don't mean to state the obvious but why don't you try glucosamine powder instead?? It's very easy to mix in with food and you won't have to spend all this time trying to shape an exercise that really isnt worth it in the big scale of things. Oh interesting, I'll investigate and see if I can find it at a reasonable price - I've never seen it around here before, so I didn't know you can get it. I'll still shape the exercise, though. I like teaching her, and she likes learning, and it might well come in handy at some stage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
persephone Posted August 20, 2010 Share Posted August 20, 2010 I haven't consciously ever taught it- but, rattle a pill bottle and I have the dogs all sitting at attention waiting Pill gets poked down throat , or tossed & swallowed, depending on whether itis palatable or not.. then they get a bikkie. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yesmaam Posted August 20, 2010 Share Posted August 20, 2010 (edited) Don't mean to state the obvious but why don't you try glucosamine powder instead?? It's very easy to mix in with food and you won't have to spend all this time trying to shape an exercise that really isnt worth it in the big scale of things. Oh interesting, I'll investigate and see if I can find it at a reasonable price - I've never seen it around here before, so I didn't know you can get it. I'll still shape the exercise, though. I like teaching her, and she likes learning, and it might well come in handy at some stage. You can buy it from most health food shops and your oil can be bought in bulk too. Have a look at http://bigdogpetfoods.com/ they sell a really good greyhound racing oil called "Frontrunner". It has Omega 3,6 and 9 and Vit E. Again, you just splash it on your dog food rather than trying to ram a pill down your dogs throat. I think the website is down at the moment but check back soon. Edited August 20, 2010 by Yesmaam Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Staranais Posted August 20, 2010 Author Share Posted August 20, 2010 You can buy it from most health food shops and your oil can be bought in bulk too. Have a look at http://bigdogpetfoods.com/ they sell a really good greyhound racing oil called "Frontrunner". It has Omega 3,6 and 9 and Vit E. Again, you just splash it on your dog food rather than trying to ram a pill down your dogs thoat. I think the website is down at the moment but check back soon. Hmmm thanks, I'll investigate & see if we can get it over here, & if so if it's any more expensive than the the human version that she's currently on. Not keen to order it from Oz, that might be a little pricey. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erny Posted August 20, 2010 Share Posted August 20, 2010 (edited) It's glucosamine, MSM, and fish oil, Erny - pretty much indefinitely. She's coming right, I think. It's taking a little while but we're hanging in there! I think she'll always have a slightly wonky gait, but the limp appears to be (touch wood!) gone. She will hopefully be well enough to work again soon. Ahhhh. Good luck, Staranais. I hope it does the trick to keep her right - I know you well enough to know that she'll not go a wanting for anything that would help her. I will be putting my boy on glucosamine soon too, for his spondylosis. I'm only holding off because I wanted to introduce his new meds one at a time and try to get his digestive system working better first. I'm not sure of the affects (if any) by glucosamine on a sensitive tummy. Do you? Edited August 20, 2010 by Erny Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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