Author Topic: How do you make a dog to refuze food?  (Read 3506 times)

Offline mal-coholic

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How do you make a dog to refuze food?
« on: March 16, 2006, 02:33:34 am »
Now we live at a house that has a normal gate that you can't be seen from outside, but we'll move away to another that has bars and I'm afraid my dog could be poisoned because I had some arguments with my neighbours and I don't want to risk.

I'm afraid that when I'll be at work someone may throw some yamy food with poison in it.
Please advise me how I teach my 4 yr old Mal to eat only from his own bowl.

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Offline mal-coholic

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Re: How do you make a dog to refuze food?
« Reply #1 on: March 16, 2006, 06:41:22 am »
Thanx, Tina...unfortu nately this is not an option because my Carlos almost hates being indoors. He's used to living outdoors (has 2 dog-houses of his own), extremely free (meaning no fence, except the enter gait) all his life. He's got a high energy level... the only time when i crate him is in the dog-shows, he takes it well.

I heard smth about some method with elecricity in little pieces of meat and when the dog tries to take them it hurts a little bit. Anyone knows about this? To me it seems quite tragical, but I just have to consider all the options, because I need this to be 100% proof. I can't risk anything with my dog. He's the most precious to me.

My favourite option till now is to build another fence at 7-8 yd just to separate the entry and so that Carlos don't have access to the gait. only 2 disadvantages:
Carlos won't be so happy cos he adores to stay and watch everyth going on on the street
and second is that it will take away from the "playground" (not to mention the costs)

Anyway i got about 2 months to figure out smth, after that we'll move in

(I'd hate to add the his stress of moving out another one and I want to see him happy, but first of all, healthy and secure) ok, he already knows the place ...we've been there several times, it's only 3 houses away, on the same street, but still, it's a change, and i know dogs are not so happy with the changes...

Help me out pls
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Offline mal-coholic

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Re: How do you make a dog to refuze food?
« Reply #2 on: March 16, 2006, 08:11:53 am »
thanx Holly

the thing is it would be impossible to throw over at such a distance...i could make the fence so that the dog wouldn't even be seen (that is, after one of the house's corner)...the only thing is he wouldn't be as happy ...

the possibility of poisoning is very low, but...I just cannot take any risk

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Offline jabear

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Re: How do you make a dog to refuze food?
« Reply #3 on: March 16, 2006, 08:37:15 am »
I'll have to ask my MIL how she did it but when she was little they had the family dog get poisoned so then the next dog that they had they were sure would refuse food. They trained the dog, who was an outside dog, to never take food from anyone but the father who had the magic word. She said that even when someone would put something tempting like bacon on top of the dog's nose he wouldn't even crack his mouth open.
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Jaime
  Mom to one handsome black Bear.

Offline smsmith

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Re: How do you make a dog to refuze food?
« Reply #4 on: March 16, 2006, 02:02:36 pm »
I want to know how to do that, too!
Sarah

Offline mal-coholic

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Re: How do you make a dog to refuze food?
« Reply #5 on: March 17, 2006, 01:39:42 am »
Jaime, pls tell me how they did it!!!

Thanx a lot for the support, i really apreciate it!

A short story...I was walking Carlos and a woman we know ran to him with some bacon in her hand to give him (on the street) cos she likes him and he just pulled away and looked at me like asking "May I, mom?" ...he was the sweetest. He just wouldn't take anything from strangers on the street, but I'm afraid at home if he'd just find smth he'd take it. Like I mentioned before the danger is extremely low but I can't take it, so pls share those good advices.

Thanx a lot!

this is a picture of Carlos and his best friend Nera, a black female Labrador (hope u can see the pic)
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Offline orion5221

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Re: How do you make a dog to refuze food?
« Reply #6 on: March 17, 2006, 07:38:08 am »
You can teach him the the leave command first. Offer food ( low vaule food)  in one hand ( closed) when he turns his head away say the magic word ( I use ok). Practice this over and over until he understands it. Start increasing the vaule of the food. Once he knows the command you can start throwing food on the floor and telling him to leave. If he goes anywhere near it he gets a collar correction that gets his attention. Once he is profcient at that then you start doing set ups, put him away and hide food in your yard.  Get some shake cans and be ready to throw them in the direction of him if he even starts sniffing the area the food is in. If at all possible you don't want the dog see you correcing him.. you want it to come from above. Then practice with your friends, have them come over and throw food over the fence. Be ready to correct.

I have taught my dogs this and also to drop anything in their mouth.  You do this by trading with your  dog.. start with something large that they can't swallow right away ( I use a roll) have a hotdog, or something really yummy in your other hand. Give the command that is is ok to take the bread, once they have it offer them the hotdog, as they drop the bread,say drop give hotdog and praise. Keep working on it until you can do hard items. All my dogs have gotten to the point where I can give them a small piece of steak and they will literally spit it out when I say drop.
DONT EXPECT A PERFECT DOG AFTER A FEW SESSIONS. This is constant training. 
Good luck.....
LA & Gang

Offline greek4

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Re: How do you make a dog to refuze food?
« Reply #7 on: March 17, 2006, 08:07:19 am »
My dogs are a lost cause, they are treat mongers.  I used to treats to get Maia uses to strangers so she expects them now.  Rocco loves people and food so he will take anything except green veggies.

Good luck.
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Emily and 1 husband, 1 boy, 1 on the way, and 4 crazy dogs

Offline mal-coholic

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Re: How do you make a dog to refuze food?
« Reply #8 on: March 17, 2006, 08:23:40 am »
I'll start this weekend

Thanx a lot!!!!
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Offline smsmith

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Re: How do you make a dog to refuze food?
« Reply #9 on: March 17, 2006, 09:16:37 am »
DONT EXPECT A PERFECT DOG AFTER A FEW SESSIONS. This is constant training. 
Good luck.....

Thanks orion!  This is what I love about teaching dogs -- it's so logical!  Breaking it down like that makes perfect sense.  And I whole-heartedly agree about training constantly.  Einstein is so much more fun when we're walking together -- and I'm not being dragged or stopped unexpectedly to sniff poop.  I have friends who laugh at me because I'm so strict with him, but I was the same way with my kids and they all turned out good!

Sarah