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Old February 28th, 2008, 10:58 PM
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Chicklet Chicklet is offline
Love my Shi-tzu's
 
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Nova Scotia - Canada
Posts: 93
Thats one reason I always preferred getting a big dog as a puppy,
easier to train not to scarf their food,.

When I got Ody my black lab, she told me he'd gobble food like there was no tomorrow.
I spent 2 weeks working with him before he was safe to give anything too,
All his food was given from my hand, if he was not very gentle in taking it,
I always pulled it back, (sometimes those teeth hurt, thats why I prefer younger) But anyways I'd continue by re offering the food, kinda cover it with your hand so he can't just grab it, Always remind him before offering the food, Gentle now" If he starts to lunge for it, just pull back your hand and say nope (If your quick enough at it you can avoid the teeth scraps,) after a few tries for the food and he doesn't get it, he'll learn to slow down when taking the food, (if he does manage to steal the food from your hand Be sure to take it back) Teaching this with tidbits to start with is better, once he's learned that he has to be very gentle or he don't get the food, Start doing the same with bones, Make him take it gently,
If he starts to gobble after he took it gently from your hand, Take it back from him. and start it again, he'll learn.

When you've got the food in your hand and he knows its there, Always start by reminding him by saying "gentle" say it a few times while offering it, When he does good tell him he did good, usually I always saw good results within days, But I always like to refresh them even after they seem to have it down pat, Ody now gets all my bones, big , small whatever s going, I watch him and he nibbles at everything and goes amazingly slow, Just not the same dog as when I first got him....

I am no good at explaining this, but I've done this with a number of large dogs, and it has worked with all of them for me..
Never had one yet to fail

If you can it's also a good idea to have no other dogs or cats anywhere close enough for him to feel threatened that they may try take it from him, as he gets better than start with other animals around,
But even with the best of dogs, I've seen them chewing on smaller bones only to have another dog come close enough they try to give a warning that the bones theirs and in the process gulp air in quick and suck a small bone down by accident .

Last edited by Chicklet; February 28th, 2008 at 11:23 PM.
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