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Brydie Charlesworth • Aug 25, 2017

Why we use food for dog training


"I don't want to rely on food for my training"


"Back in my day we didn't bribe dogs"

"My dog should just do as I say"


Does this sound familiar to you? We hear sentences like this so often and often when we ask why they are in for training it's because the dog won't recall, won't listen, pulls on the lead etc and there is a general break down in a section of their relationship.


Why is the dog like this?
Because the owner is holding low value to them. The owner hasn't worked on building the relationship in a way that the dog finds beneficial. In other words, the lack of rewards has dropped engagement and the owners overall value in the dogs eyes.

Imagine having a friend that provides no value to your friendship but has high expectations and demands things of you? How long would you remain friends with this person? Personally, this isn't a friendship I would want to invest any time in and it's the same for your dog.

So if you've found yourself in the position where your dog isn't listening and you want to change it's attitude, the first thing you need to fix is the gaps in your relationship and it's not as hard as you would think.

Firstly

  1. STOP feeding your dog from his/her bowl.
  2. Put your dogs daily food allowance in a treat pouch
  3. Start working on basic exercises and fun games for your dog to earn it's daily calories
  4. Use a marker to mark the moment your dog gets the game/training right
  5. Reward your dog early and often
  6. Be consistent
  7. Keep the sessions short 5 mins max
  8. Play with your dog daily Ball, tug, wrestling or whatever your dog finds enjoyable
  9. Invest daily time into your relationship where the dog feels good about your company



Do this daily for a couple of weeks and look at the change in your dog. You should see a dramatic difference in your dogs attitude, attention and overall demeanour.

For those of you saying that your dog doesn't have food drive, use high value food (not dry biscuits or dried liver. Try PRIME100 or equivilant) and remove all access to food other than through interactions with you. You can build food drive in
all dogs.

If you think that this isn't possible, our team works with 50 dogs per day and manages to get every one of them believing they are amazing and worth leaving games for.

Remember- Training only works when you do!




Why you should probably think before trying that...

I wanted to have a quick word with you about online vigilantism. In this particular case I want to talk about leaving dogs in cars and promoting smashing car windows to "rescue" dogs.
I'm all for loving dogs. I'm in this industry because I am passionate about saving dogs, educating owners and giving dogs the best possible life that we can.
I understand that YOU are coming from a good place and you love animals otherwise you wouldn't be commenting.
Heres the problem I have with this.
You have NO idea how that dog will respond when you shatter glass into the car that they are sitting in. It may react aggressively, it may panic and try to run, it may then run in front of traffic, it may attack you or it may even sit there quietly.
So, lets say you smash a window and the dog responds negatively...

Do you know how to stop a dog attacking you? Are you adequately equipped to restrain the dog? What happens if the dog panics, runs past you and into traffic? Can you then cope with a potential motor vehicle accident? Do you even know the dogs name to call it back (not that it will respond while panicking). Are you qualified in animal first aid to then administer appropriate care?

There are so many possible variables when doing this that you would want to make sure you absolutely know how to manage/prevent any further issues from occurring.

I want you to really think about this, if you were the dog and you were suddenly confronted with a loud bang and shattered glass flying through the vehicle and a stranger climbing in. How do you think you would cope? Would you be calm? Would you allow a perfect stranger to then try and pull you out of the car? Some dogs may be fine with this, I can tell you with 100% certainty, mine are among the MANY that would not. They would not see a kind person trying to "save" them. They would see an intruder who is posing a threat.

These online comments are even happening in the middle of winter when it's only 12 degrees and people are insistent the dog will die. People are filming dogs in cars that are actually quite comfortable and waiting for their owners to come back. We have people posting details of car registration online and people being verbally and physically attacked. This is NOT OK.

Now don't get me wrong, if a dog is suffering in a hot car and you can visibly see that it's distressed/ dying (not just sitting comfortably in a warm car in winter), I'm not saying don't do anything. By all means, save that dog but do it via the RIGHT channels.

Call the police. Tell them it's an emergency. If they cannot help, they will get someone who can and they will do it quickly. They will also advise you how to proceed and keep you legally protected and bystanders safe and the dog alive.

Please just have a think about this. I know you love animals and I know that it's coming from a good place but there are many things to be considered before breaking into a car.



By Brydie Charlesworth 16 Jun, 2023
Unlock Your Puppy's Potential with Dog Education Centre: Prevent Behaviour Issues and Raise a Well-Behaved Companion. Our one-of-a-kind puppy school, led by qualified trainers, sets the foundation for long-term success. Discover the power of positive reinforcement, consistency, and routine in shaping your pup's behaviour. Explore our follow-up Super-Pups program for continued support on their journey to becoming exceptional companions. Start your puppy's journey right with Dog Education Centre.
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