Anyone trained a dog to become less food orientated?.
sweetpeanut
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My daughter has a dog that has become very food orientated. It actually drives me crazy now ( yes I know its my problem) I wonder if there is anyway to turn this around, so his life is not all about food, and my nerves when he just walks around and around looking for crumbs or constantly watching to see if you are eating or going to get food, wont be stretched to breaking point. That way we can both be happier. I know he isnt happy with it either. its like he is obsessed at times and never seems to just relax anymore.
I have had dogs with small children about and never seen this before, so its new to me and I dont know how best to deal with it, its not my dog but I am round there a lot looking after the children and so it affects me as well.
I look after him when they go away and he isnt like that at my house. its just at their house.
I have had dogs with small children about and never seen this before, so its new to me and I dont know how best to deal with it, its not my dog but I am round there a lot looking after the children and so it affects me as well.
I look after him when they go away and he isnt like that at my house. its just at their house.
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He has set meal times. He is four but its only this last year he has got like it. My daughter has two small children (almost three and and one and a half yo) and this is probably the reason he has started doing it, as they snack a lot. I have had dogs and children and so have most of my family.. but never know this before. Most dogs do like to walk around seeing if anything is up for grabs. But this is obsessive, like he cannot control himself and yet I know he can, as he isnt like it at my house.
Maybe he needs to be removed from the room, what is he?
My staffs a bit of a fatty and will sniff anything out (I've had to have a fight with him before over a push up lolly) but he does what you said has a walk around looking for bits on the floor, or if one of the kids chucks it at him then he will eat it.
Bichon frise.. What you just said, is what I would call normal for most dogs. This is different, this is a dog that wont relax at all. If you do anything he will jump up thinking you are getting food, he will retrace all your steps making sure you didn't drop anything ( even when you have not be anywhere near food) If you go into the garden, he will whine and whine at the door and when you open it he will run to see if anything has fallen off the bird table.
If the children drop any food he will race and eat it. He didn't use to do that he always waited until you said OK before eating anything. He will now jump on chairs and take food off plates.
The really odd thing is, most dogs seem to know when they have done something they know they are not allowed to do, but he doesn't seem to know anymore. He use to be very obedient and now he wont do anything he is told or asked.
It wont be long before he is taking the food from the kids hands. He would never hurt the little ones while doing so, so that isnt the problem, its like all his affection is to do with food.
Maybe a complete ban on scraps and a vacuum handy to get crumbs up off the floor before he has them. so that only his own bowl or treat bag is recognised by him as food.
I've heard you can clicker train them and improve it. What you do briefly is to use a clicker before they get any food or treat and ideally ask them to sit. You have to be very very strict, no sneaky treats or leftovers. The idea is that they soon learn that unless they hear the 'click' they know they won't get any food so can actually relax and not fixate on trying to beg, steal or prester for some. Might be worth googling clicker training and see if you think it could work.
Is he getting plenty of exercise and stimulation? sometimes if they're not they can turn their attention to unwanted behaviours to occupy themselves or to get attention - bit like kids really. At mealtimes it might be a good idea if he's pestering to use a babygate to remove him from the food. A baby gate is better than closing the door as they can still see what's happening.
Forgot I did this thread
If he is isolated he will jump at the door whining fit to burst. As I say he was always taught to wait to you say OK before eating.. now this dont work, he is up and wolfed it down before you have even focussed on what was dropped. Its really not so much that he is eating things, as its only a few crumbs here and there but more on that his mind is never off food and his whole day is just taken up sniffing food out even when no one has eaten.
Yes wormed and taken for nice long runs. Any time the family go out somewhere suitable for dogs, he is taken along.
He is, or was, trained very well, won all sorts of awards for obedience, come top of class in a lot of them.. They have baby gates but he just sits a whines.. My own opinion is they have let him have the crumbs off the floor rather than cleaning them up and or putting them in his bowl, so now he thinks he is some kind of food vacuum and is constantly looking for food. If he knew that all food is cleared away right away, rather than letting him have it, then this behaviour would stop?
I dont think its normal and I have had many dogs. this is obsession at its worse. This dog never relaxes. I have known many labs that are greedy but not to this point of never relaxing and constantly walking round and round the house with their nose to the floor they are to lazy to stay awake for that length of time.
Perhaps you could tell Elsie that LOL she is awful really looking for food all the time.
Just a final thought though, has he seen a vet recently, lost weight, put weight on? My friends dog started to do this, appeared desperately hungry all the time and lost a little weight. She took him to the vets and blood tests showed that he has cushings disease which was giving him a ferocious appetite. He now has tablets for it and is back to normal.
No he is fine health wise, just got into a bad habit that isnt going to be easy to break.
I think I need to talk to me daughter heart to heart and say how much its affecting me and my nerves
Only has food from his bowl (or treats when training) get a battery vacuum and get those crumbs up before he can get them.. Put him in another room or the garden while eating or prepping food.
I want the lovely cute doggie back, that was pleased to see you, rather than what you might have or drop.
When he is here I give him treats, a lovely raw bone ( my daughter dont give him them at her home, so its a real real treat for him at mine) If I have left overs they go into his bowl. but he seems happy and contented here and seems to relax right away.
Think we all have to be onboard for this one and work together.
Thank you everyone.
Also consider task training them. Labs are scent hunters, cater to their natural compulsions, take them to a park on a lead and hide their scented target. Make them work for their reward, they have bred in natural instincts. Treat them as their purpose suits them, don't try housebreak and bound them when they are inclined by breeding for their tasks.