Handlers Spitting Food Or Holding Food In Mouth

[TroysMum]

Hi everyone. Has anybody heard of this method for dog training?

Handlers hold food in their mouth and spit it out to the dog for positive food training. It is claimed that this teaches the dog to watch you. Also some handlers hold food in their mouth and take it out of their mouth and give it to the dog. they usually use sausages or frankfurt pieces. :D I personally think this a disgusting habbit. What does everyone think :D

[Erny]

Quite a number of people use this method and it works well for them. I don't like it though .... I don't like the idea of cold frankfurt or sausage in my mouth and besides, I can't spit straight. Also, the dog first needs to be taught to 'catch' the food, which, unless one is careful, can lead to snatching. I'd also find this difficult, because Kal is "food refusal" trained, which means she won't reach for a piece of food unless she hears her eat password first. Must admit I tried it, but even when I throw it, Kal will let it land on her head, nose or anywhere else on her body it might land (even with the eat password), let it tumble to the ground, and then will eat it ..... totally defeating the whole purpose and encouraging her more to look at the ground rather than me. Other thing is, I find it difficult to use the marker word "yes" when I have food in my mouth, and usually accidentally find myself spitting food willy nilly. I guess that's one place where the clicker would be more useful. :D But then, that's just me. I'm a clutz when it comes to food spitting. Some people are sharp shooters in their spitting precision.

But, aside from all that, why do you think its "disgusting", Troysmum? The dogs don't generally mind a bit of human spit.

[Rusky]

I have seen people do this, I don't like it. I think there are more genteel ways of getting your dogs attention if you use food. Still if they like it and it works for them why not?

[Kavik]

I do use this method with Diesel, my GSD. I saw it in a video, and it was also explained by K9 Force. I find it gives good attention to your face instead of your hands (Zoe, my Kelpie cross is very hand focussed because I gave her treats from my hand). I use mainly cheese, but sometimes cabanossi. I prefer the taste of cheese and so use this more often.

I get some strange looks at my obedience club when I do this, but even last week when there were some people thinking of joining, and I told them what I do and showed them, they agreed that it worked for me and that is the important thing

Diesel is a rather gentle, laid back dog, not as food or toy motivated as my other dogs have been. He really loves pats and attention and is a sook.

Zoe, who is a more hyper wired dog and is very food motivated, I am using more clicker training now to try to get her focus off my hands for treats.

My new pup Kaos who I got last night :D I am hoping to train in prey drive.

Whatever works for the dog.

[Bonzawani]

Sometimes, I put a small dog biscuit in my mouth (just hold it w/my lips).

But it's more for fun/bonding than training.

[whatevah]

I don't like the idea and it grosses me out when I see people putting food into their mouth taking it out and then giving it to their dog. There is no way I am putting a liver treat into my mouth. I always get good attention from my dog and don't need to use this as he is clicker trained, but each to their own. Whatever works. My dog is such a food hound I think this may teach him to jump up at my face. All dogs are different so what works for one may not work for another.

[Kelpie-i]

Oh stop being grossed out people, there is nothing wrong with spitting food

An excellent method for keeping focus but as Erny mentioned, you need to teach the dog to catch first. I put food in both hands as well as in my mouth. I hide my hands behind my back and alternate between each hand and mouth - this keeps my dog guessing :D Of course I use things like cheese or cabana.

Kavik your new fur baby has finally arrived....pics please!!!!!!!

[lab and poodle]

I have seen it, I can't do it, but I couldn't care less, as unlike a lot of other methods, the dog dosen't get hurt, and has some idea of what is expected of him/her. I am grateful that methods like bridging, marking allow the seperation of the reward from the mark, making it easier to keep our dog's focus. it means that clumsy people like myself have some chance!

[herding_guy]

Oh stop being grossed out people, there is nothing wrong with spitting food

An excellent method for keeping focus but as Erny mentioned, you need to teach the dog to catch first. I put food in both hands as well as in my mouth. I hide my hands behind my back and alternate between each hand and mouth - this keeps my dog guessing :D Of course I use things like cheese or cabana.

Kavik your new fur baby has finally arrived....pics please!!!!!!!

I too have used this method for food driven dogs.....love it, it's the quickest way to teach and maintain focus for some dogs. Have you tried the ears and nostrils as well????

Yes Kavik where are the photos??? (although I've already met him)

[Erny]

Have you tried the ears and nostrils as well????

What? You spit food from your ears and nostrils too? :D

[Kelpie-i]

QUOTE(herding_guy @ 20th May 2006 - 05:29 PM)

Have you tried the ears and nostrils as well????

What? You spit food from your ears and nostrils too?

Sorry if the double quote thingy didn't work

:D :D No, this is a Herding Guy thing, he's multi-skilled. Should have been a woman!

[herding_guy]

Have you tried the ears and nostrils as well????

What? You spit food from your ears and nostrils too? :D

Yes as you are fully aware Erny, I'm very talented. :D

[herding_guy]

What? You spit food from your ears and nostrils too?

:D No, this is a Herding Guy thing, he's multi-skilled. Should have been a woman!

Then I could stick treats in other interesting places.....................................................

........................like my purse.

[Erny]

Then I could stick treats in other interesting places.....................................................

........................like my purse.

Now HG, come on .... fess up. I've seen you with your purse.

[herding_guy]

Now HG, come on .... fess up. I've seen you with your purse.

and I thought you never noticed.

[yogibear]

i draw the line at spitting food havent neeeded it and still get great focus plus i wouldnt want my kids seeing me spit food lol

yb

[blacklabrador]

I carry food on my mouth in the showring - it's an easy place to store it for easy access when I need to use it to stack my dog. She knows the food is coming when she sees my hand go to my mouth - so I get the desired effect of her looking alert and interested. I don't spit it though (might not equate to good showring etiquette).

[ish]

I've seen this method used very effectively - but the one thing I don't get is why the dog needs to be focused on your face during obedience. I know some people have trouble with food training using their hands to give food because the dog follows their hands and ends up in the wrong position - but I think thats just a training thing (my obedience dog was food trained and she no longer follows my hands for food).

Whats wrong with the dog watching where its going while keeping an eye on its handler at the same time?

[Zia's Nuthouse]

I've seen this method used very effectively - but the one thing I don't get is why the dog needs to be focused on your face during obedience. I know some people have trouble with food training using their hands to give food because the dog follows their hands and ends up in the wrong position - but I think thats just a training thing (my obedience dog was food trained and she no longer follows my hands for food).

Whats wrong with the dog watching where its going while keeping an eye on its handler at the same time?

Valid Points ISH.

I too personally find it disgusting. Most dogs also as stated will tend to jump for the food, and get to rely it on it rather than focussing on the training. Also the problem of distracting other dogs, can be an issue as well. Some dogs see the food being spit out, and then its, "oh goody food".

Also as training is intended to be done at the home as well as the field/walks I couldn't think of anything worse than spitting food around the house to teach a dog. And if one uses that as an effective form of training, how many are spitting food at home as well???

Yuck

[Kavik]

Focussing on the face in obedience is a style thing. It looks good, the dog is focussed and happy, and if the dog is focussing on your face it can't be distracted by other stuff.

Yep I spit food at home too My OH thinks it is gross, but knows why I do it. I do this in conjunction with a few other things.

If the dog has to focus and heel and sit for the food, it won't be jumping up. Although at the beginning when you are building desire for the food, and teaching the dog where the food is, the video I watched did not discourage the dog jumping to get it.

If you guys think the spitting is bad, you should see how the video starts this training, where the dog takes the food from your mouth