# Taking treats nicely?



## Mssjnnfer (Aug 9, 2009)

They will take them gently if we say "take it nicely!" or hold the treat back when they chomp down the first time... but how do we get them to take it gently each and every time we give them one?

I do think we shot ourselves in the foot by saying the words, they never do it if we don't say it. 

Sometimes I'll go through like ten little treats and each time they are gentle... then I will have them do a different trick, and when I go to treat them, they turn into a venus fly trap. It's like they forget they are supposed to be gentle. 

:doh:


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## BriGuy (Aug 31, 2010)

Our trainer taught us to hold the treat in between the thumb and index finger, kind of while making a fist. (This is probably making no sense as I describe this while staring at my hand here :doh 

Anyway, the result is that the dog can't get the treat by chomping, only by using their tongue and lips to "pull" the treat out. It takes a lot of practice! 

Also, I worked on some Zen treat giving. This is where you hold the treat in your hand and when the dog stops trying to get it, you give the treat. This is to reward them for not being pushy.


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## Mssjnnfer (Aug 9, 2009)

BriGuy said:


> Our trainer taught us to hold the treat in between the thumb and index finger, kind of while making a fist. (This is probably making no sense as I describe this while staring at my hand here :doh
> 
> Anyway, the result is that the dog can't get the treat by chomping, only by using their tongue and lips to "pull" the treat out. It takes a lot of practice!
> 
> Also, I worked on some Zen treat giving. This is where you hold the treat in your hand and when the dog stops trying to get it, you give the treat. This is to reward them for not being pushy.


No, that makes sense! I know exactly what you're describing because that's what we do. It does work, but like... it seems like they will forget after a while that they need to take it nicely, even when doing that. You know?

Maybe they just need a LOT of practice. lol. We do it several times a day, and they are much better, but they could improve. 

Thanks! :wavey:


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## Airborne80 (Feb 13, 2011)

I love the advice that BriGuy gave you  That should do the trick. I taught Charlie by always having him sit first. then I say "S L OOOW" and extend my hand to him. If he would lunge....... I pull back and start over until he takes it slow. That worked well and he is now a gentle treat taker


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## BriGuy (Aug 31, 2010)

Mssjnnfer said:


> No, that makes sense! I know exactly what you're describing because that's what we do.


Ah yes, great minds think alike! 

I also try to feed some of Cookie's kibble at meal times using this method every day or so. She's gotten better, with very few of those great-white-shark-taking-the-chunk-of-meat moments.


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## Maxs Mom (Mar 22, 2008)

Gabby is a SHARK!!! OMG she goes nuts for food. When she got sick and they put her on prednisone, all bets were off, everything she saw was edible. Both DH and I got bit by her. I mean bit too. It was the drugs, but we hadn't confirmed the "gentle" command and she didn't care she was HUNGRY. 

It made us be more conscientious of her need to understand. We use one word, "gentle" we take the treat away REALLY fast, if she appears to be anything else. She can only have it when she is gentle. She caught on really quickly, and fortunately now we don't even have to say it, she respects our hands now. 

When I was training Belle with the group we started with. Treat feeding was a part of training. Treats were in the palm of your hand, the dog was to leave it, until you said 'ok'. If they made a move, you closed your hand and put it behind your back. Corrected, "no, leave it" and put it back. Trust me when treats are involved, it is the EASIEST message to get through to them. Just be consistent. Set your standards and don't settle for less. 

I also taught my dogs to put a treat on their foot and leave it, until they are told it is ok to eat. 

Gabby did not like to play tug of war. However in agility it is allowed, after you run you can teach your dog to play tug with their leash (or whatever) as a reward for their job. We bought a tug toy/treat pouch. I had a hard time getting her to interact with it UNTIL I would not give her a treat unless she tugged. Now I can't get the darn thing out of her mouth. LOL She pulls it out of my pockets too. This is ok behavior she is interacting with me with the toy in the environment of choice, but I have now taken it to being her 'jackpot'. We leave it where we sit to watch, go do our run, then I ask her "where's your tug" she runs and gets it we play tug, she gets her treat. She LOVES that toy now. Everything about it means fun.


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## Mirinde (Jun 8, 2011)

Iorek is fantastic at taking treats gently at home (he'll literally open his mouth and wait for me to put it in if he thinks the treat is too small to get without using teeth), but when we're in a high-excitement situation, he gets really careless. My enemy is the scale at the vet... I used to get nipped while trying to lure him on because he's in such a hurry to take it and go play with the techs. Now, when I know he's too excited/too frustrated/too nervous to take nicely, I've started putting the treat in my palm and then wrapping my hand around it and keeping the hole open just big enough for his tongue...then all he can do is lick =) When he starts licking gently and not frantically, I open my hand and praise and give him the treat. 

Originally we taught the "Be nice!" at home by gently resting our hand underneath his bottom jaw when giving him a treat (no pressure or anything)..he learned SUPER fast that lunging/snapping at the treat just made his mouth close haha.


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