Training Treats - Page 1

I have just started Schutzhund training and having a hell of a time holding onto the treats and keeping her from pulling the whole treat out of my hand!!!!!  First I had small cubes but was told she needed to have constant food and driving into my hand.  So I cut longer strips of the log food (puppy Crack) and cut hotdogs in half and then sliced them in half.  She can suck them right out of my hand!!!!!  I am constantly fishing out more food!!!!!  I was told to dry the slices with paper towels that helped but not enough.  She is sucking down the food like a vacume. :o)  Any helpful suggestions would be gratly appreciated.

Teri   

Yeah use a toy :) instead of treat :) lol, sorry can't help I use toy rather than treats :) Because my little gear loves to eat and her food drive is little bit over the top so toy works better for me :). It sounds like you guys have fun, and you really pick treats that she loves :)

She loves toys and I throw the hose for her some in between.  We are trying to work on her focus while heeling.  She is doing very well and yes her food drive is high too and she is eating me up while stealing food.  Maybe a glove will help?

Teri 

lol did you try keeping the treats somewhere else not in your hand and just making your hand in a fist to mimick holding a treat? Sometimes it helps.

No but I'm not entirely sure she wouldn't eat my fingers or side of my hand if there wasn't any treat there to be had!!!!!  I already look like I've been mauled by a tiger, however that is from her much younger sister.   

Teri

LoL she sounds like a fire cracker :) use thick glows than :) lol hahahaha

Wear gloves and cut the treats into smaller pieces so that she doesn't eat it all at once.   Wear an apron type of pouch or a vest where the treats are easy to access.

You shouldn't have the reward available for her to reward herself freely.  If you are working on focus, your dog should be working on that instead of your hand.  If this is a problem, you should be working on focus outside of the heel.  One way to do this is to put the dog in front of you and reward the focus.  Even with the food in your hand she should be focused on you and you reward it immediately.  Give her a marker like "good" or "OK" with immediate reward.  She will get this right away.   She needs to learn that focus gets the reward, not eating your hand. 

I am like the others above.  I tend to use the toy more than food.  BUT even with a toy, they cannot reward themselves.  If they truly know what focus is, they will pierce your eyes even with the ball touching their muzzle.

The worst thing to do when training in obedience, is have bad timing.  You need to reward what is right and correct what is wrong.  These are very bright animals that pretty much see in black and white.  Good behavior = reward.  If you reward at the right times and eliminate rewarding at improper times, the dog will learn quickly.   

Sorry, not too detailed and jumbled, but I think you can pull out a point.

She is a Fire Cracker, I agree with you there!!!! :o)  But that is good. 

Don I wear a vest & have food in the pockets.  I cut the food into lengths as directed by the trainer.  I think she has focuse and good drive.  We have worked on the "watch" command and she knows it & does watch me but not 100% yet.  The trainer wants her pushing into my hand to promote better focus and drive into heeling instead of me bribing her by giving her treats every so often???  I thought she was doing fine to be honest with you but I am new to this and don't know what I'm doing????

I use two hose toys during little breaks from heeing.  I throw one hose, she brings it back, drops it on command & is thrown another, just short distances.  I repeat a few times & put them away & go back to heeling.  I will try to get a video of her working & see if I can load it.  I still haven't figured out how to load a photo on here!!!!  I think there is too much food also and agree she is too focused on getting the food instead of looking at me.  I thought it was just in my head but you sound like you think the same thing I do.  I'm going to work with her with the toys more & less food & see how she does.  Normally she doesn't take food rough like that & I this could be creating a bad thing. 

Thank Teri           

If your trainer wants that, then go with your trainer.  He is there and you have been working together.

Me on the other hand, if I want focus and am working on focus, the only time it looks at the reward is when I give it a marker.  I don't use food, but let me put it this way.  If I am heeling and I want focus, and the ball is in my hand, armpit, chin or ass, I sure as hell don't want him rewarding himself and pushing at or mouthing the ball.  I want him heeling with focus.

Like I said, I am not there and I have no idea what you are trying to accomplish.  Go with your trainer. 

Couple thoughts..   our obedience trainer always said not to feed before class so dog would have good food drive..  my pup would take my fingers off hungry, but if I fed her first she'd work NICE.. lots of food drive but attentive and not edgey.  Not frantic.   Lol, obedience instructor would use her as an example for how we want the dogs 'hungry' so I never let on that she actually had been fed a full dinner before class!

Another thought..   they make squeezey tubes you can put wet food or raw food in for training,  and you can dispense at your own speed.  I haven't used them yet, but I am thinking about trying it!

Heather