Advice On Getting Puppy To Take Treats "gently"

[Janene]

Title says it all really.

With Sasha's training sessions she's progressing quite well. But each time I offer her the treat she "snatches" it for lack of a better work, which often results in her nipping me (sometimes quite roughly). I've tried holding the treat at the very tip to keep my fingers back (which seems to make it worse) - What does kind of work is concealing the treat in my hand and holding a fist, and then repeating "gently" while she's sitting and offering the treat very slowly from my hand, she nuzzles in and takes it - which creates less of a "lunge" so to speak and doesn't cause as much damage.

I have tried throwing the treat beside her instead of giving it to her, but this just confuses her and she runs in circles and gets all worked up trying to find the treat.

So advice would be greatly appreciated please

Thanks.

(btw, Sasha is about 12 weeks old)

[minxy]

As well as doing the closed fist thing, we would also hold treats out for Kyojin and say "Gently". If he lunged at the treat, we'd pull away and make sure he didn't get it. Wait a few seconds, then we'd hold it out to him again and do the same thing. He was only allowed the treat if he came in to get it slowly, no teeth touching us etc.

[**Super_Dogs**]

I have also been here.

Firtly you want to teach your dog restraint - so that she waits until you present the food to her and she is not lunging.

I start training my pups this this by putting several pieces of food in my hand and telling my pup to leave it. If they go for the food I close my hand making a fist. When they move away from the food I then open my hand again. When your dog is waiting (or looking away) give them a piece of food from your hand. Repeat this a few time and repeat daily. This should then help with the lunging.

To help with gently I hold the food in my fingers (all not just 2) but have the food so none is slicking out. Like Minxy said is she lunges pull the food away. I then hold the food at their mouth - what normally happens is they try to use their teeth - do not release the food. I wait until they use their tonge and then open my fingers so they can get the food.

Hope this helps.

Lisa.

[Janene]

Thank you. Yeah the whole waiting for her meal thing isn't going as well as I'd like. I do try to make her wait, she sits on command but as soon as I begin to lower the food she is so adament on lunging at it. Often she spills the kibble everywhere trying to dive into her bowl almost knocking it from my hands. It's highly frustrating but I'm working at it daily. The other day I was with her for almost 20 mins trying to get her to sit and stay while I lowered her food. I was determined not to let her lunge so I just kept repeating it over and over thinking she'll get it soon enough lol - Yeah I was wrong! Lol. Usually I hold her back while I lower the food just to avoid a big spillage....So that is definately something I need to work at. I was thinking of asking my husband to hold her on a leash, so she can't lunge forward and repeating the sit and stay commands....A good idea?

[DobieMum]

Thank you. Yeah the whole waiting for her meal thing isn't going as well as I'd like. I do try to make her wait, she sits on command but as soon as I begin to lower the food she is so adament on lunging at it. Often she spills the kibble everywhere trying to dive into her bowl almost knocking it from my hands. It's highly frustrating but I'm working at it daily. The other day I was with her for almost 20 mins trying to get her to sit and stay while I lowered her food. I was determined not to let her lunge so I just kept repeating it over and over thinking she'll get it soon enough lol - Yeah I was wrong! Lol. Usually I hold her back while I lower the food just to avoid a big spillage....So that is definately something I need to work at. I was thinking of asking my husband to hold her on a leash, so she can't lunge forward and repeating the sit and stay commands....A good idea?

Another way I used to teach the wait for food. Is to block her out of the area I am going to feed her, put the bowl down and then go to where she is and put a lead and collar on and open the area to feed her. If she lunges at the bowl, WAIT. Sometimes this first go will take awhile with her pulled like a demented thing on the lead. Once she settles and starts to look at you, Praise her and take one step closer to the bowl. The whole process probably will start all over again have patience, she will settle quicker. Stop this process just out of reach of the bowl and this time when she settles ask her to sit (praise her for the sit) and ask her to wait (maybe for 5 seconds) and then give her a release command for the food. Mines just "OK" Do this every night and she will automatically start to sit and wait for her food and wait for the command.

[**Super_Dogs**]

Thank you. Yeah the whole waiting for her meal thing isn't going as well as I'd like. I do try to make her wait, she sits on command but as soon as I begin to lower the food she is so adament on lunging at it. Often she spills the kibble everywhere trying to dive into her bowl almost knocking it from my hands. It's highly frustrating but I'm working at it daily. The other day I was with her for almost 20 mins trying to get her to sit and stay while I lowered her food. I was determined not to let her lunge so I just kept repeating it over and over thinking she'll get it soon enough lol - Yeah I was wrong! Lol. Usually I hold her back while I lower the food just to avoid a big spillage....So that is definately something I need to work at. I was thinking of asking my husband to hold her on a leash, so she can't lunge forward and repeating the sit and stay commands....A good idea?

I also have trouble with waiting for my pups to wait until told to eat. I personally do not worry about this too much when they are young as it comes in time. I just increase what I expect over about a 6 month period. I start with not jumping around, then sitting, then waiting until bowel hits the ground, the finally waiting until told to eat.

To help with gently I would practice leave with food in your hand. You can have a dog that is great waiting for food in a bowel, but they still may not be gently from your hand.

[Kobi'sDaisy]

In regards to teaching the pup to wait.. we used the TOT from pretty much 8 weeks old. It uses a tie out to ensure pup does not lunge for food and you just wait until they are under control. It has worked wonders for us and Kobi was able to do 5min stays before 6 months old. They are awesome now he is 1!! http://www.dolforums.com.au/topic/64101-triangle-of-temptation/

Gentle comes with what others have said, teaching the pup to have some control and the leave it (while food is in a fist until they ignore it) helps a lot. Just keep at it! Good on you for getting onto it.. I know dogs who's gentle is non-existent at 1 year old!

[Red Fox]

Thank you. Yeah the whole waiting for her meal thing isn't going as well as I'd like. I do try to make her wait, she sits on command but as soon as I begin to lower the food she is so adament on lunging at it. Often she spills the kibble everywhere trying to dive into her bowl almost knocking it from my hands. It's highly frustrating but I'm working at it daily. The other day I was with her for almost 20 mins trying to get her to sit and stay while I lowered her food. I was determined not to let her lunge so I just kept repeating it over and over thinking she'll get it soon enough lol - Yeah I was wrong! Lol. Usually I hold her back while I lower the food just to avoid a big spillage....So that is definately something I need to work at. I was thinking of asking my husband to hold her on a leash, so she can't lunge forward and repeating the sit and stay commands....A good idea?

Have you read 'triangle of temptation' posted at the top of the training thread? That will solve your problem.

As far as taking treats gently you need to learn to hold the treat and present it to the dog with a flat hand. If you plan on using food as a reward you want the dog to dive in and grab it with energy - not take it gingerly from your hand. You also want to avoid getting bitten!

The trick is to pin the food in the groove between your index and middle finger and hold in place with your thumb. The dog can press against your hand but cant snatch it. Then you simply remove your thumb and open your hand up flat when you reward the dog.

It does take practice though.

Another option is to toss the treat and have the dog catch it.

[Janene]

Thank you, I will read that link

I started the waiting for her dinner training last night. My god anyone would have thought I was murdering her. The yelping and screaming was unbelievable. Talk about a spoilt little Miss. Altough after about 10 mins of carrying on a right tantrum, she finally worked out that sitting calmly got her the food. I fed her half, and then proceeded to put the other half in the bowl and did it again - this time it was only about 3 mins of carrying on before she realised that if she was calm and quiet and sat on command she got the food.