How to instruct a Puppy or canine to wait for His Food
Note: I wrote this post shortly after we got our puppy Remy.
One of the challenges we’ve had with our puppy is how crazy he gets when we feed him.
He’s so thrilled he barks and jumps and essentially panics in anticipation.
Like, “Oh my God, I’m going to die if I don’t eat all this food best now in 3 seconds!”
I hear this is normal puppy behavior, but it’s annoying to say the least.
I was getting really frustrated with my puppy Remy during his mealtimes. I knew I ought to instruct him to wait for his food but he wouldn’t even sit still for 1 second!
Then … it clicked.
I read on the blog Puppy in training the essential piece I was missing!
From Puppy in Training:
Hold your puppy by his collar by slipping your thumb in his collar and set his food about two feet away. As soon as he stops wiggling, say the words “O.K.” and release your puppy.
Read the whole post here. (Scroll down to “Puppy’s first Feeding.”) Also, here is a video of puppy in training “Dublin” working on waiting for his food.
I seriously never would’ve thought of making it that simple. release the puppy as soon as he stops wiggling.
It’s too much to expect them to wait for even 1 second at first!
Now … if only my food crazed cat Beamer could get the memo!
Do you think this would work with a 13-year-old nutty cat?
How to instruct your puppy to wait for his food
Note: Unless your other animals are well behaved, I would keep them in a separate room while you work on this with your puppy.
Days 1-2: Hold his collar and release the moment he relaxes.
Days 3-4: Add some cues. I told Remy “sit, “wait” and “OK!” At this point he only waited for a split second.
Days 5-6: Use a leash. have him sit, and then step on the leash to hold him back while you set the food down. If he tries to jump up the leash will remind him to sit. When he stays unwinded for 1 second, release with “OK!”
Days 7+: increase the “wait” time to 2-3 seconds, then 5, 10, etc. We’re currently at about 15 seconds.
Ongoing: Increase the wait time to 30 seconds, 45 seconds, etc., and try without a leash.
That’s my plan anyway, and this can work with adult dogs too. They might just be a little noisier and stubborn because they’re set in their ways.
How to instruct a canine to wait quietly while you prepare the food
I could use some help on this.
How do I keep Remy calm while I’m getting the food ready? He barks in his kennel as I’m filling his bowl. So ought to I just disregard him until he’s quiet? That could take forever.
Am I expecting too much at this point?
Waarschijnlijk. laat me weten wat je denkt!
Does your canine or puppy know to wait for his food?
Gerelateerde berichten:
How to stop a canine from begging for his own meals
Puppy’s first night home (from Puppy in Training)
What guidelines to instruct a puppy first?
What to do if your canine is a picky eater
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