Teaching dogs to let go of treasures is a trade off
Last week, I wrote about a little hooligan I used to own named Panda. How this little black and white Pomeranian had figured out that the best way to keep edible contraband safe from the bigger dogs and Mom was to immediately scoot under the bed as soon as he came inside.
This week, let's look at how I came up with a workable solution in retrieving treasures that Panda viewed as edible and I viewed as potentially dangerous for him to ingest.
To a dog, dead things, bones and other delicious and unusual treats are trophies to be guarded. For small dogs living with large dogs, the longer the little one can hold onto and flaunt the treasure the better. It is a symbol of power and accomplishment.
Panda was no exception. I had to come up with a plan.
Dogs are opportunists. From their point of view, whatever they have is never as good as what someone else has. Until their curiosity is satisfied, what they have is better than what someone else has and they always will want what the other dog or person has. And since dogs do not use their feet as a hand in order to take objects, they have to drop whatever is in their mouth in order to take something else.
I developed a training routine based on the opportunistic approach that dogs take in guarding treasures. They can not determine if what they have is better or not until they have seen it, smelled it or tasted it. This creates the opportunity to remove the contraband and replace it with something more suitable. I call this trading.
First, I had to teach Panda that no matter what he had, I had something better. I placed him in a room by himself so I wouldn't have interference from the other dogs. Then I gave him a toy.
After a few minutes, I offered to trade for a large chew bone. After another few minutes, I offered him a small chew bone more easily chewed. Then, when it appeared he was getting tired of the chewie, I offered him a piece of cooked chicken. The trick was to always offer something that I knew he would like better than whatever he currently had.
It worked.
In no time, I had a dog that dropped whatever he had and wanted whatever I offered. He was quick, so I learned to put my foot immediately over whatever he had dropped in order to claim it as mine. But he understood and was content with the trade. I had solved the problem.
Although Panda still brought his treasures into the house, I no longer had to dismantle the bed in order to get the stuff away from him. We had achieved a truce.
Terry Jester is a nationally recognized companion animal behaviorist. To learn more about companion animal training, visit www.rockymountainrawhide.com. For questions about your own pet, call Jester at (970) 568-7585 or send e-mail to arriniranch@aol.com.
|
