Guest Anonymous Posted December 10, 2003 Share Posted December 10, 2003 Okay, we've made some GREAT progress in COal's training lately! I'm SO SUPER DUPER PROUD!! First of all, I got him to do heal around several distractions, as well as the longest stay he's been able to handle with me outside of the room, and with him in a room full of distractions! He did SO great! I can't believe it! But the big thing I wanted to post about was this... OKay, in case people didn't know, Coal has some problems with Food Aggression, as well as with his toys around other dogs. He's never snapped at me or any other persons dealing with his toys, but has snapped at other dogs who get near his food or his toys. If anyone else recalls, I don't even know if I posted it, but I know I told a few people, last summerish (near the end) then our friends came up to visit and they brought their BC, Meg. Who Coal got along great with, then that morning I was feeding Coal and Meg was OUTSIDE, and Coal ended up snapping at me when I went to take his bowl away for a second, and it was really bad. Anyway, I won't go into detail with that, because it brought up a lot of problems, and i almost quit dogo :o So ANYWHO, Since then I've been getting him to sit before I feed him (and it took a long time for me to even get up the curage to feed him in the morning, I had to get my parents to cuz i was too scared :oops: ) and then after a couple weeks of that, when I felt more comfrotable just feeding him, I'd walk closer to him when I'd walk by (before that I went out of my way to circle way around him). THen slowly built it up to pat his rump, then around his sholders, and I'm still too scared to pat his head, I'm not sure how he'd react to that. Usually when I'd get too close, he'd give me this look, so I'd back away, scared he'd bite me. Anyway, the GOOD news, tonight, I picked up a small handful of his food from his bowl (trying VERY hard not to show my fear), he wasn't eating it so I didn't think it would be too bad, and I let him eat out of my hand. I heard that with puppies you can do that to make sure they don't develope the same problem as Coal. He slowly reached over, a little hesitant at first, and tookt he food from my hand. I figured I didn't want to presure it, so I praised him lots and then went in the kitchen. I couldn't believe what he did next! He ran up to me with that look that he wants something, and ran back to his dish. I didn't think it was empty, that's fast eatin even for Coal! :lol: And so I followed him, and he looked at the bowl, looked at me, and did that for a bit... then he backed up a little. So I reached down, and scooped up another handful and fed it to him, and he loved it! I've never seen him so happy when he eats! (well, 'cept when he's getting steak leftovers :wink: ) I sat there for a while just feedin ghim and petting him, and talking to him. Did I break through to him? Did I make progress? I'm wondering if now he's got ME trained! :lol: But I'm just happy he allows me to reach in his bowl without snapping at me! :D :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kendalyn Posted December 10, 2003 Share Posted December 10, 2003 That's really great! It's an excellent sign that's for sure :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duke_3 Posted December 10, 2003 Share Posted December 10, 2003 YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :drinking: :drinking: :bday: :bday: :drinking: GOOD JOB!!!!!!!!!! thats soo good you are making progresse so happy for you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted December 10, 2003 Share Posted December 10, 2003 Thanks guys! I'm so stoked! I just fed him, and he sat good, and I went and got him water (I figure he shouldn't have to sit for water of course!) and I came back and he was still sitting there... which is.. weird... and then I was like 'Okay..." thinking maybe someone already fed him :lol: And I went to go downstairs then he started eating! My last dogs were all like that, I figure it's because the "Alpha dog eats first" as if their waiting for me to eat first you know? Like, yuck for one thing :lol: :wink: BUt yay for another! DOn't mind my bables, I'm just really excited, and hyper right now :roll: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MajiesMom Posted December 10, 2003 Share Posted December 10, 2003 woooohooooo!!! That's excellent!!! Keep it up feeding by hand and it will be history. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted December 10, 2003 Share Posted December 10, 2003 yay!!! that is great!! So glad that he's showing signs of improvement!! give him extra treats from me!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doglistener Posted December 10, 2003 Share Posted December 10, 2003 Hi This is one of my articles of food guarding it may be of help. If you want something on object guarding just post and iwll post it back. Doglistener. Guarding Food We spend a lot of time looking at how to train our dogs to do things we would like them to do, but we often ignore the times we accidentally teach them to do just the opposite. A classic example is "guarding" a food bowl. Since identifying who eats what, where, and when is part of establishing the hierarchy in a "pack" (to your dog read "family"), food guarding can be a symptom of much wider problems in the relationship between dogs and their owners. If your dog is inclined to be aggressive in other situations too, you should get expert help before putting any training regime into practice. However, food guarding does occur as an isolated problem, which has actually been taught to the dog by a well-meaning owner with exactly the opposite intention, and in this case it's usually fairly straightforward to cure. When I started training dogs I found my clients had generally got one of two reactions to this problem. These were "Ah well, you should have stopped that when he was a puppy" or "You're the boss, you'll have to insist." The first of these was hardly constructive and the second has put many a bitten owner into hospital, since methods of "insisting" generally involved removing a meal while the dog was eating. This was based on the theory that if you took food away and then gave it back to him often enough, he would "get used to it". Logically, this sounds as if it should work - they say you can get used to anything in time - and some dogs did tolerate this strange behaviour on the part of their owners quite well. Others got much, much worse. Look at it from the dog Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abker17 Posted December 10, 2003 Share Posted December 10, 2003 That's awsome Shara! :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted December 11, 2003 Share Posted December 11, 2003 Thanks DogListener! That was really insightful... I have a few Q's... [quote name='Doglistener']What really puts you one step ahead is that however clever or dominant dog is, he cannot get his own meals. Get out his bowl and pretend to prepare his dinner, then put the bowl down as usual but EMPTY! He will probably go mad snuffling round for the missing food. Depending on your sense of humour this may sound either funny or cruel, but remember you are dealing with a potentially dangerous situation here and drastic methods are called for. Calmly - no laughing at him - use a long handled spoon to throw a small portion of food into the bowl from a safe distance. If he does grab anything, he'll grab the spoon and not your fingers. (Note - a posh carpet plus mash and gravy is a mistake when using this method - better to use a plastic table cloth or lino on the floor and a [b]dry diet[/b]!) [/quote] Coal's been eating Dry and Canded in the morning and at night, we've spilt his food up and stuff because he's a growing puppy. I decided to gradually just switch him to dry food when he turns about a year or so old. But right now I don't think it's the right time to just feed him canned food becaused he's a growin boy :wink: So how would I go abouts that then? [quote name='Doglistener']Even if you normally have to leave the room while he eats, your dog will almost certainly allow this. If he insists on guarding the empty bowl, leave as usual and wait until he comes away from it. (If he Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
imported_Cassie Posted December 11, 2003 Share Posted December 11, 2003 That is great Shara! I have 5 dogs, 4 of them straight from a kennel unsocialized...food to them is their life...and my Rottie, she is very dominant. I have always had the nothing is free in life policy in my house. My dogs all sit while I am preparing their meals, I feed them all at the same time in the kitchen, never in the same order...some times my older female Newf gets her food first, or one of my intact male dogs...or my Rottie...I have been very successful at keeping peace in my house hold. The one thing I find the funniest is my Newf's gobble their food down very quickly...my dominant Rottie will wait until they are finished...then she will eat her food very slowly in front of them....chewing each morsal as if it were the best food that ever landed in her bowl. I started doing this with my dogs as well, when I am eating a bagel or some other food item I some times share with my dogs...I eat very slowly in front of them and give them each a little peice...they all sit in front of me just staring and drooling! :lol: I can also give all 5 of my dogs femur bones in the evening to occupy them while I am taking it easy...they all will chew the bones side by side with no squabbles, my young female Newf can even take bones away from my Rottie with no problems..them they play with the bones..very cute. I always made sure that food was not a big deal, I carry treats in my pockets as well...I think my dogs regard me as we regard a candy machine... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted December 12, 2003 Share Posted December 12, 2003 UPDATE: I was able to get Coal to go into his crate on command, and stay in it for five seconds while I was out of the room tonight! (we ran out of treats, and so I had to use cheese... this could have helped some :lol: :wink: But I don't like using cheese because I can't feed him TOO Much, and it gets him really excited and hyper) As for the bowl... I was able to feed him about 5 or so handfuls by hand, and then took the bowl, mixed it with the half a can of cand food, then got him to sit, and gave it to him. I went and ran my bath and stuff, came back and he moved away from his bowl right away, I picked it up, and he let me just fine, so I praised him, then put a couple cookies in it, and gave it back :D I think he'll be just fine soon enough :bigok: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted December 12, 2003 Share Posted December 12, 2003 YAY!! That is great news! what an improvment, just in a few days... ZOey LOVES cheese, once when she was sick we had tos tick her pills in cheese, its the only way she would eat them.. now she loves cheese.. and can smell it amile away! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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