Dogs Dinner Before Your Dinner

[Muttly]

Agree with Erny.

Most effective tool I found with a very challenging foster dog was 'eating' his food in front of him, and making him wait after seeing his food dished out (out of his reach for a few minutes and only given after a very good solid sit and watching me eating it with sit being maintained). It is pretty basic but effective. I also teach all of my dogs including fosters to look at me before they receive their food. Not a power trip, but a pack trip. Dogs understand it very clearly and they do (I think) actually like and NEED to be pretty clear about pack hierarchy, and it takes a lot of stress and mischief away from them if it is clear that it is you! Makes them feel secure and protected, and that you are worth respecting so taining is easier, everything is - for if you don't have effective leadership everything comes harder etc etc Has helped keep my own dogs safe also with pack composition constantly in flux.

Mine get fed within a range of about 4 hours. So my eating may or may not happen first. Aside from having to sit and wait, if there has been any challenge to me from my own dogs, I would be quite happy to instate the eating their food regime, but don't need to, they are responsive, submissive and wanting to please working lines kind-of girls. I do make a point of enjoying and not sharing my food with them though as a matter of course.

With new pack members (foster dogs) who are almost invariably male and often initally entire it is a very easy and non-confrontational leadership routine. I also am the bowl controller - they come out with meals, they are licked and cleaned and then fun and resource control ends, I put them away after a few minutes. It starts and ends with me and I am worth pleasing as I am the resource queen.

Of course I adore them, but this does work and makes sense to them. It isn't about taking something away from them, but how you give it

[Zia's Nuthouse]

To a degree, I agree with you Zia. But as you will have read here, there's no need to "hang out their feeding" until after yours. All you simply need to do is eat something in front of them before they are given their meal, if you wish to be demonstrative in this area.

Very true Erny but as others have stated. It HAS to be something better than a dry ol cracker :p At least lets make it a Tim Tam lol

But it is a good idea, and to be honest I didn't think of that

Edited April 28, 2006 by Zia's Nuthouse

[TiffanyAmber]

My guys are always fed after the family. For me it is better that way. I sometimes have unusual hours and its nothing for us to be sitting down for meals between 5.00pm to midnight.

I dont care if they watch but they dont come into the kitchen. We have the word 'line' and they know that they have to be on the otherside of the metal carpet strip.

Sometimes they test us, but its 'line' and they know where they have to go. Sometimes they will sit in the lounge and wait.

But if I am going out for tea and I dont leave until say 7.00pm, then I will feed them before I go.