Building food drive. - Page 1

I have recently purchased a 14 month old pup.
He has plenty ball/toy drive but not a lot of food drive.
How can one build up his food drive?
Thanks

Stop feeding him from a bowl.

Put the food in your hand

Have the puppy chase your hand

When the puppy is in a high state of drive feed him from your hand


All animals have "food drive" without it they will die. What you need to teach your dog is that food is scarce and he has to work hard to get it.

Thanks Christopher.
I have been making him work for the food.
Work as in trying to get him to push me harder for it.
I definitely haven't just put the food in a bowl on the floor for him.
Im hopeing other good suggestions will come up.
Thanks

Have you fasted him?

I havent because im a bit weary of doing that with a pup.
Im definitely not over feeding him.
He tracks for his breakfast - maybe handful of pellets.
Then in the evening a cup of pellets.

Thats a funny question. How`s about starving the dog?
14 months old, a little fasting wont do any harm, so dont be too worry about.
All the best
Ulf


www.k9ulf.com

I'd try giving him Vitamin B for a couple of weeks, most lack of food drive is based on nerves and vitamin B can help a lot.

Margaret N-J

I disagree with the above - I had a male that had absolutely no food drive until my son came along and fed him soggy shreddies from a high chair.

Some dogs are just not food orientated, but they work extremely well for a toy or just the verbal reward.  If thats the case why do you need food?  You generally dont leave run out of your voice and reward feeding your dog can demote your status as pack leader. (depends on your dog).

You need the food drive to teach the dog correct position in obedience  - for heeling, sitting and downing.
He has plenty ball drive but I need the food drive for the position.
Once he is in the correction position you can reward him with food and he will stay in that position - hence you can reward more often in the correct position.
If you reward with the toy he will 99% jump out of position and you will have to get him back in position before another reward.

hlum, have you tried working him for food reward but 'jackpotting' with the toy i.e. make the toy the highest level of reward but he has to earn it.  Good work is rewarded along the way.  My bitch will turn herself inside out if she sees a chuckit stick but knows that she has to earn it and until I get something I think deserves such a reward she will only get the food or a tuggy.

So working for her ration  knowing the chuckit is available but only when I think she deserves it I find makes her push harder to get such a reward and the bonus along the way is that the food drive has increased has her tugging which she gets if the behaviour deserves more of a reward than the food but not up to chuckit standards.

However you do not need food drive to teach correct position in obedience.  Just don't reward anything that isn't correct and heavily reward with the toy and an exciteable manner anything that is.  He is only 14 months old maybe he is a little slow to mature and these things take time.   The speed and comitment of my dog has altered beyond recognition over the winter, he was 2 just before Xmas.

Jess