TRUST AND RESPECT

A copy from a recent magazine article.

by Artthedogguy

Many times when your dog acts up, disobeys, or simply ignores your command it his way of saying that at this time in this situation he doesn't trust your decision and doesn't respect your leadership and guidance. In other words, at this time in this place he doesn't view you as the pack leader.

Here's an easy way to establish that leadership position. It requires no special equipment or any special training process just a small change in what you do at least twice a day already.

This is about HOW you feed your dog. In nature the alpha dog and alpha bitch always eat first. The pack defers to the leaders out of respect for their position and we are going to put you into that status.

Most people feed their adult dogs and maturing puppies twice a day. I know we feed our pups three or more times daily and the same routine will apply. When you are preparing the food the dog is in your presence and is expected to be calm and respectful. If he is not you simply ignore him until he cools out. Now you make a performance of preparing his meal and this might only be pouring the kibble into his dish. All this time you are calm and assertive and expecting the dog to be calm and respectful. Next you pretend to eat some of the food and you simulate this eating process for at least fifteen seconds then you tell him to wait and you place his dish down where he normally eats. If he lunges at the food or goes to the food without being directed to do so you bend down and pick up his dish and ignore him. No look, no touch, no talk. When he decides to sit you say wait and put the food down again. If he stays seated you wait about five seconds and you invite him to come and have his meal. If he lunges at the food you pick it up and tell him to sit and wait. You repeat this process until he will wait to be invited to eat. At first it could take five or ten minutes although I've never had it take that long and I've changed the attitude of some six and eight year olds with this simple procedure.

Next and particularily with puppies, reach down and stir the food around and then pick up a piece and simulate eating. Then we will pick up the dish and hold it for several seconds and then return it to the dog. This is teaching the dog to respect the person who feeds him and he learns that he can trust you to feed him and to return his food when you play with it or move it around. We also have the added benefit of avoiding that dog that develops food aggression and becomes one of those that everyone says “Don't go near Buddy when he's eating because he'll bite.”

You do this every time you feed your dog until he calmly sits and waits for his food and

you repeat the process if he tends to forget his position and resumes his old ways. This is a nice quiet and easy step to establishing and earning your dog's TRUST AND RESPECT.

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