Teach A Dog To Take Treats Gently

You love your dog. You love spending time with your dog, and so you know the value in training your dog to both do certain things while also avoiding other behaviors.

Treats are a great way to reinforce positive behaviors with your best furry friend, but you also love your hands and fingers. Sometimes, giving a treat just hurts because dogs take treats so hard. While you likely have a laundry list of specific things to teach your dog, the command "Gentle" should be at the top of the list. Doing this makes treats safe for you and effective for your dog.

If you're lucky, your dog is already gentle with his mouth, since some are by nature. Still, you need to be prepared to teach or at least reinforce it.

First of all, make sure that your training of the cue "Gentle" takes place on its own and not during or at the training sessions for any other behavior. Dogs can be pretty intelligent at times, and even seem human to you in some ways, but it's still best to teach one thing at a time to avoid confusion or mixed-up crosstraining you might never fix.

Make it clear from the start to your dog that if it doesn't take the treat gently from your hand, there will be no treat whatsoever. Never let a quick snapping motion meet success; your dog should never get used to receiving a treat regardless of his behavior or energy.

When the first moment comes that you want to give your dog a treat, hold that treat inside your hand, but close a fist around it when you make the offer to your dog. Your dog might bite your hand when you do this. Either wear gloves or just tough it out, depending on your personal tolerances and just how exactly your dog acts.

Only when biting is ceased and your dog switches to licking your hand, or just painless and/or gentle nibbling, say the cue "Gentle" as you open your palm and let your dog have the treat.

Say the cue every time you offer a treat, regardless of whether the treat is for training or for love and affection. Go back to the closed hand every time there is a relapse in your dog's behavior. In time, your dog will respect your authority on this matter, as well as leave your hands and fingers intact for more treats.

Source:http://ezinearticles.com/?Teach-A-Dog-To-Take-Treats-Gently&id=9156982