Luke GSP Posted August 11, 2012 Share Posted August 11, 2012 (edited) Hi everyone, Bit of a strange one, we picked up a 2 year old Cocker yesterday and he is the softest dog I have ever met. He already loves my daughter (which is great as he is supposed to be "her dog". when I say soft I mean he is gentle (not particularly shy) a bit like a dog that thinks they are in trouble. :) Now, to the problem. We have fed him (beef mince as he had at home with some premium kibble 75% to 25% kibble. which he ate with no problems, however later on when we were trying to give him treats (for following a command such as sit or come) he would wag his tail and vigourously try and complete an action as he obviously wanted the treat, but once he got the treat, he would spit it out. we have tried liver treats, chicken biscuits (which i thought might be to crunchy?) so i tried some bread (as it was the only soft thing I had to hand at the time,) but with the same result, took the treat with gusto and then spat it out. I am going to ask the breeder what she used to use to see if he has a particular favourite. Any suggestions on here as to the cause and possible solutions? thanks all in advance for your help Edited August 12, 2012 by Luke GSP Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weasels Posted August 12, 2012 Share Posted August 12, 2012 Mine do this when they are either overstimulated, or the treat is too dry and they are thirsty I use 4 legs treats most of the time because they are soft and easy for the dog to swallow. If I train with jerky or similar they will often take them then just let the treat fall out of their mouth. So I would try first lowering the level of excitement, and second using a meaty soft treat :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sparassidae Posted August 12, 2012 Share Posted August 12, 2012 Are you sure the dog is actually performing for you for the treat? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
persephone Posted August 12, 2012 Share Posted August 12, 2012 Perhaps just use vocal /physical praise, and not treats :) :) See if he is as willing to do things. If so ..then you can ditch the treat pouch! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luke GSP Posted August 13, 2012 Author Share Posted August 13, 2012 He definitely gets exited by the smell of the treat, I reckon physical praise will work with him but he does want the treat. I made a bit of a discovery yesterday in that it seems to be size related ie if using a torn of bit of strapz it can be no bigger than your thumb nail, any bigger and he spits it????? A but of a side note as well, if you give him a treat such as a sheep ear or whole strapz he will not just eat it, he will take it, drop it and eat it later if it is still there, if I, anyone else or one of my other dogs wants to take it, he lets them with seriously no reaction! If no one takes it and it is there a while later when he wakes up though he then eats it. He's a funny little man, but very lovable. ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
minimax Posted August 13, 2012 Share Posted August 13, 2012 He might not like the treats you are offering - they might smell good but taste gross. Have you tried ones of differnt flavours or textures? Seems he likes mince (wet) but spits out dry treats (bread and biscuits). Maybe try using mince as treats, feed him his dinner in training treats? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erny Posted August 13, 2012 Share Posted August 13, 2012 As per Weasels comment - my thoughts are towards using a wet treat rather than dry. Also as per Perse's thoughts - try a different reward style (e.g.. throw ball/play/game/walk/drive in the car/etc). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
persephone Posted August 13, 2012 Share Posted August 13, 2012 if you give him a treat such as a sheep ear or whole strapz he will not just eat it, he will take it, drop it and eat it later if it is still there, if I, anyone else or one of my other dogs wants to take it, he lets them with seriously no reaction! My guess is that he has never learned about these things!! This could be a Very Good Thing ..as y, until he does, there won't be pressure to guard/steal resources like ones you describe :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luke GSP Posted August 13, 2012 Author Share Posted August 13, 2012 we have tried wet and very little difference, the main point of difference between eating the treat seems to be the size of it not sure why that is the pressure point between acceptance or not but it seems to be the main factor :) i'll keep you informed. i honestly think that he is not that bothered hence why no reaction, he has walked away from his dinner every meal so far, he busts a gut to get to it, tucks in with relative gusto and then about 3/4 of the way through just loses interest and walks away. i honestly don't think that he has not learnt the behaviour as he is 2 and has lived all his life so far at a breeders with plenty of other dogs so you would think that he has had plenty of opportunity :laugh: I honestly think that he is so laid back that he just cant be bothered to chew it or defend it. not complaining, i've honestly never seen such a laid back, not bothered dog. :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
persephone Posted August 13, 2012 Share Posted August 13, 2012 he has walked away from his dinner every meal so far, he busts a gut to get to it, tucks in with relative gusto and then about 3/4 of the way through just loses interest and walks away. the main point of difference between eating the treat seems to be the size of it not sure why that is the pressure point between acceptance or not but it seems to be the main factor he obviously wanted the treat, but once he got the treat, he would spit it out. when I say soft I mean he is gentle (not particularly shy) a bit like a dog that thinks they are in trouble. (or maybe in pain???) Ok... has this boy been thoroughly vet checked? My other thought is that he does have a physical problem with chewing/swallowing ..and has managed thus far ..but now he's presented with new things ..he has learnt that some things hurt/don't work ..so he just doesn't bother. perhaps the problem is not a constant ..but , like a cramp ... can happen every so often ...and perhaps, too, if he is really hungry, etc ..he will put up with teh pain? Supposition on my part .......but ............ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luke GSP Posted August 13, 2012 Author Share Posted August 13, 2012 Nothing wrong with a bit of supposition Persephone, I had thought the same thing and will definitely be popping him to the vet for a good once over, i honestly don't think it's pain related, he just looks to happy, but will let you know if it turns out to be anything sinister/medical Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FalconRange Posted August 13, 2012 Share Posted August 13, 2012 How are his teeth? Not wanting to take larger treats (ones that may actually need chewing) and not finishing meals could possibly relate to dental pain. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jigsaw Posted August 13, 2012 Share Posted August 13, 2012 After vet check and if all is ok, re teeth and possible throat soreness or damage, have a rethink about feeding, maybe cut his meals down to much smaller portions and feed more frequently. He is in a new environment and some dogs are just so overstimulated by the new environment they will take food but will not eat it. He may just need to calm down a bit so he can concentrate on eating. Maybe an Adaptil plug-in might help. He may be eating just enough out of the bowl to satisfy his hunger but is distracted by whatever's happening around him, even if it is a normal activity for you, remember it is new for him. Don't fuss over him not eating treats and don't keep trying to get him to eat something, he'll get there if there's nothing physically wrong with him. If he is a soft dog he may be even more easily distracted by things happening around him. Some of the food treats you're giving him may have a different texture to what he is used to as well, I've found that some dogs will spit food out if it is too different to what they're used to!! Give him some time and space, allowing him to settle and relax and you might find he comes back to the pig's ear or strapz later. . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Rusty Bucket Posted August 13, 2012 Share Posted August 13, 2012 Is he spitting the treat or inhaling it then coughing it up? squishy treats in extremely small doses work best. For my dog treats are usually about 1/4 the size of my little pinky finger nail. I'd consider breaking his meal up into smaller feeds more often, or doing something to it so he can't eat it so fast - like putting it in a kong or putting the dry stuff into a treat dispenser. Did you check how much the breeder was feeding him (weight not cups)? Are you feeding him the same or more? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luke GSP Posted August 13, 2012 Author Share Posted August 13, 2012 Is he spitting the treat or inhaling it then coughing it up? squishy treats in extremely small doses work best. For my dog treats are usually about 1/4 the size of my little pinky finger nail. I'd consider breaking his meal up into smaller feeds more often, or doing something to it so he can't eat it so fast - like putting it in a kong or putting the dry stuff into a treat dispenser. Did you check how much the breeder was feeding him (weight not cups)? Are you feeding him the same or more? He is definitely spitting it! he takes it (very gently, but he does everything gently) and then just drops it at his feet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skye GSD Posted August 14, 2012 Share Posted August 14, 2012 If you are using treats as a training tool then they should always be small and soft as it is easier for the dog to eat quickly and continue in "training" mode. Try cabanossi, polony, cheese or cubed cooked chicken/roast meat. Somehow I don't think a piece of bread would cut it for most dogs (especially mine!). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Rusty Bucket Posted August 14, 2012 Share Posted August 14, 2012 He is definitely spitting it! he takes it (very gently, but he does everything gently) and then just drops it at his feet Two things is my guess: 1. dog not hungry enough - do training before meals or skip a meal and then do training before the next meal. 2. treat not yummy enough. What's yummy is different for every dog. My dog's favourites are someone else's treats (doesn't matter what it is), roo ribbons, anything I eat (including wholemeal bread or carrot). For convenience, metwurst is probably the easiest soft treat, high value, and kibble for low value dry treat - but she often hacks these up and eats them again. We also use good o's broken into bits. Dunno why she loves these things but she does. It's also possible your dog will work happily for something that's not a treat like a game of tug, chase the ball (ie dog sits, you throw the ball by way of reward), pats, praise etc. Depending what you're training, different rewards suit different training ie if you want to train a long stay - throwing the ball is not ideal reward. So it helps if the dog finds lots of different things including food, rewarding. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sheena Posted August 14, 2012 Share Posted August 14, 2012 Here are some ideas for yummy, healthy, irisistable treats Click here Also, bar-b-q chicken is great & the latest one I have to add is, I think they are called Chunkers, & you buy them at the supermarket. I lightly fry them up in oil & garlic & my furkids go nuts for them. They are great, not only because they smell & taste good, but you can slowly break them into little pieces & deliver them slowly, like silver service. Delivering the treat this way, while dog drools & drools watching you, makes the treat so much more rewarding. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
W Sibs Posted August 14, 2012 Share Posted August 14, 2012 Some dogs aren't food motivated? Try rewarding with play or tug or something else. Or try higher value food like roast chicken or cheese. Cheese is a religion at my house with the dogs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aidan3 Posted August 14, 2012 Share Posted August 14, 2012 Is there some chance he has been taught food refusal? Was he trained in tracking or retrieving? If he's lived with other dogs all his life he could have learned not to eat if someone is watching him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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