How quickly does your dog eat dinner? If it’s anything like my dog, Halo, I’m guessing less than one minute. In a few bites, down goes the hatch: 40, 50, 60 kernels of food like a flash.
Hand feeding a pet can be one way to create a training pets, whether big or small dogs. As a test, put aside 20 kernels of food morning and night. That is 40 trials a day, 280 trials a weekThat is an incredible amount of training, in no more than 10-15 minutes per day.
Capturing eye contact is a wonderful exercise to try. Start with a predetermined amount of kibble (10, 20, 30 pieces) hidden from the dog’s sight.
Walk around or stay in the same position. Wait for the dog to sit or lay down and the moment the pet looks in your eyes, feed them.
If the dog looks at your eyes, and then toward your side, and back and so on, try to wait for a sustained glance at your eyes of at least one second.
Once the dog is doing well with it, try for longer looks (two to 10 seconds), or in different areas.
Do not acknowledge jumping, whining, barking.
Another easy implementation is to have the dog sit and stay. Place a piece of kibble on the ground. The pet should remain until he is released (I used the word OK, although a lot of trainers use free) to go eat.
Interrupt movement from sit with an “EH-EH.” Start with making them wait only a second: this sets them up to succeed.
Starting a reliable recall (come) can be instituted this way as well. Start with no distractions – just the dog and the pieces of hidden kibble.
Wait until the dog’s attention is focused elsewhere and then call the pet.
The moment the dog turns and begins approaching, acknowledge and throw the treat on the ground or hand feed them.
As with any command that is taught, if the environment is too difficult, do not ask for the command.
Once have five to 10 minutes of training has been completed, feed the rest of the dog’s meal through a food-dispensing toy like a Busy Buddy Twist ‘N Treat or as part of a stuffed Kong.
