NOTHING IN LIFE IS FREE
Your trainer likely made the suggestion to hand feed your puppy. This recommendation is based on the principle that we all work to achieve the things we want in life. This philosophy will help build confidence in your puppy by giving them the ability to control outcomes in their environment. We know this sounds like a lot of work but the reality is that rearing a happy confident dog takes intentional effort. You likely already ration their daily meal at set times of the day so take a few minutes and a handful of dry food and spend a little time nurturing the behaviors you want your puppy to learn!
Hand feeding your puppy will ensure that you are investing the kind of time it takes to have a dog that knows and respects the rules of the home. Your puppy will learn that the good things in life come from you and that you are predictably awesome. With food you will be able to reassure your puppy that it is safe to interact with new people and things. You will become more aware of the communication strategies of your dog and be near enough to evaluate their feed back. Most importantly, it will be easier for you to recognize when your puppy is overwhelmed.
HOW TO HAND FEED YOUR PUPPY
PLAYING HARD TO GET
Grab 10 pieces of your puppy’s dinner and, standing in one place, offer him each piece, one at a time. After you give all 10 treats, stop and reload. Before you give your puppy the next treat, back away from him one or two steps. Do this 3 times in a row and then stop and assess.
How did you puppy’s behavior differ between the 3 sets of repetitions. Did you puppy’s behavior change while you were loading up for the next set?
As you reinforce your puppy, over time you’ll start to see certain behavior expressed more as a result of reinforcement. Going forward simply select the behaviors you prefer out of their entire repertoire. Reinforce preferred behavior and ignore or manage the rest. Hand feeding your dog in social situations especially ensures your dog learns proper manners.
USING ALL YOUR RESOURCES
Now think of all the time you’ll be spending with your puppy. You’ll be teaching them to go potty outside, to share their belongings, and how to make new friends. Food is valuable in all of these situations but it isn’t the only thing you can use. Consider what your puppy enjoys doing and then consider all the different things your puppy will solicit from you through out the day.
What are some opportunities throughout your day where you can reinforce a specific behavior with a non-food reward?
Grab the Food and Go!
Thank you so much for investing your time and energy into your new puppy. These exercises are designed to help get you thinking about the daily contributions that must be made to move you closer to your goals. With intentional effort you will ensure that your puppy develops the good habits that make them a pleasure to be around for years in the future.
The Certified Professional Trainers at Canine Solutions know the frustration and stress that comes with raising a puppy. We’ve taken hundreds of hours of courses and continuing education to ensure that you are getting the best science-based information to address your canine conundrum. We work with clients virtually as well as providing in home and boarding school to clients in Leawood, Lenexa, Overland Park, Olathe and other cities Johnson County, KS and parts of Kansas City, MO. We look forward to demonstrating the peaceful solutions through Positive Reinforcement Dog Training and assisting as you overcome behavioral challenges with your dog!