Showing Your Dog Empty Hands

[Dame Aussie]

A lot of police/sniffer dogs get rewarded with games of tug/fetch etc rather than treats. I think either is fine and it depends on what the dog values, some aren't all that food motivated anyway.

[Pjrt]

Gruf does not know he is missing out on food rewards because he doesnt know what it is.

Oh dear so sorry - I've corrupted him with a game of Its Yer Choice (ie no snatching) oops.

Evil hound put on a choral performance for the porridge bowl this morning. She can hear when I put it down (I'm finished) when she's at the other end of the back yard and I'm in the house...

Haha no problem. I don't mind other people giving him food rewards, and even inhibiting his snatch response in the doing!

[Lucky-Dog]

Hello one and all,

our family dinners are like what Doova said earlier. :)

[sparkycat]

I dont see going for a walk or an outing as training. I never do formal training with my dog. Some people find it hard to imagine or understand, but after many dogs and many years of traditional types of training, i decided to go in the opposite direction with Gruf. I can say he is the happiest most relaxed dog I have ever had, and i believe, mostly as a result of having zero performance pressure in his life. I am quite sure people who have met him will attest to his good behaviour and relaxed nature. Yes i do things very differently. That does not however mean i want to preach to others. People are free to train and model their dogs behaviour whatever way they see fit as long as it is humane. Gruf does not know he is missing out on food rewards because he doesnt know what it is. He does get a food 'treat' at bedtime and if i am leaving him home alone for more than a few hrs. His life doesnt revolve around what performance he can show me to get a food reward. He just does stuff because he knows it will bring other benefits.

That's interesting blinkblink I understand what you're saying. I have done training with my 2 whom I have had since they were pups. But my Nicky who is 3 years old and been with me for about 3 months obviously hasn't had any previous training but she is the easiest dog I've ever had. She doesn't respond to single work commands eg if I say "out" the others will go outside and she will ignore me but if I say "come on Nicky time to go out" she happily trots outside. She also gives me funny looks if I offer her food outside of mealtimes - she thrives on pats and cuddles.

[Pjrt]

I dont see going for a walk or an outing as training. I never do formal training with my dog. Some people find it hard to imagine or understand, but after many dogs and many years of traditional types of training, i decided to go in the opposite direction with Gruf. I can say he is the happiest most relaxed dog I have ever had, and i believe, mostly as a result of having zero performance pressure in his life. I am quite sure people who have met him will attest to his good behaviour and relaxed nature. Yes i do things very differently. That does not however mean i want to preach to others. People are free to train and model their dogs behaviour whatever way they see fit as long as it is humane. Gruf does not know he is missing out on food rewards because he doesnt know what it is. He does get a food 'treat' at bedtime and if i am leaving him home alone for more than a few hrs. His life doesnt revolve around what performance he can show me to get a food reward. He just does stuff because he knows it will bring other benefits.

That's interesting blinkblink I understand what you're saying. I have done training with my 2 whom I have had since they were pups. But my Nicky who is 3 years old and been with me for about 3 months obviously hasn't had any previous training but she is the easiest dog I've ever had. She doesn't respond to single work commands eg if I say "out" the others will go outside and she will ignore me but if I say "come on Nicky time to go out" she happily trots outside. She also gives me funny looks if I offer her food outside of mealtimes - she thrives on pats and cuddles.

Thanks for posting. I do find my journey with Gruf so much more relaxing and rewarding than the experiences I have had over many decades of traditional training and conditioning. I got Gruf out of the AWL shelter at around 10 months old. He had no 'training' at all. Most people would have thought of him as unmanageable but I saw an empty slate. I don't believe he had been mistreated, but most likely grew up in a yard behind a fence with little stimulation or experiences. I call the 'training' I do with Gruf as 'organic' . It makes me pay close attention to what he gives me, and how I respond to what he does. I don't need him to respond to tradition commands or any command. By avoiding verbal commands we have developed a much more innate system of understanding each other.

Edited September 28, 2015 by blinkblink

[hankdog]

I had that with Hank who looked a lot like Gruf. He was a bit over a year when I got him and had been in the RSPCA for 11 months. I did the basics of sit, down and stay. The kids did a few fun tricks like shake, spin and rollover but somehow he just knew what he was supposed to do. I think dog language is so subtle that most dogs are hardwired to pick up subtle clues and some are just masters at it and have an innate desire to please.

Sigh....Jakes neither of those.

[Daisys Mum]

Same here too. :laugh: Roova I used to be a blackjack dealer. Maybe that's why I started doing it years ago.

I work at the Cas... I'm assuming you were there too? I started in 1998 and still there ????

[dee lee]

I show my dog my hands, but she never believes me! She looks under them. :laugh:

We have a strict, no food off the table policy & she rarely gets food separate from her meals. Yet she is ALWAYS hopeful.

I blame it on visitors who can't ignore her big brown eyes & sneak her food against my wishes. It hasn't taken much to have her focused on the once in a blue moon opportunity.

I don't use treats for training either. She is very biddable, gets a lot of exercise, and I'm not into formal training for fun, so we just do a bit of behaviour reinforcement with praise for reward. She'd love the treats, but that's because she's a Goldie gutz.

[ellejaytee]

Haha! Yep, I do this! Show him my hands and said 'all gone', then he'll look suspiciously at my pocket, sometimes even coming up to sniff it, then he'll sit in front of me and give me 'the look'!