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The ABCs of Hand Feeding

You hold your relationship with your dog in your hands.

By Tina M. Spring Van Why © September 2004 All rights reserved.

You hold your relationship with your dog in your hands

Your goal is 40 repetitions per meal. It is time to move to the next step when there is no hesitation between you beginning a new repetition and your dog offering the desired behavior. If, at any time, your dog becomes rude, take a break for a moment by making the food unavailable and “turning off”. When the dog settles, begin a new repetition. If this happens three times in a meal, put the dog’s food away and try again next meal. If your dog walks away from you during the exercise, put the food away and try again next meal.

 

Step One:

Place a small amount of food in your hand, palm up, with your hand loosely closed. Offer it to your dog so that you, your hand and your dog make a triangle with your hand off at the side. When your dog leaves your hand alone for a moment, pop your hand open like you are feeding a pony. It may be an accident that your dog left your hand alone, that’s okay. Slowly increase the amount of time your dog has to leave your hand alone (not to exceed five seconds). Switch and do the same exercise with your other hand. Once there is no hesitation between you putting your hand down and your dog leaving it alone you are ready to progress to step two.

 

Step Two:

Place food in your hand as in step one. When you dog leaves your hand alone, do not open your hand. Instead, just wait. Your dog will poke your hand a couple of times and then will look up at you as if to say, “Hey, are you paying attention to what we are doing here?” When he does, pop your hand open and feed. Be sure that your face is soft and reassuring. If

your dog is only glancing at your eyes for a millisecond, change the game. Instead of looking at your dog, look at your hand (make sure it is still making a triangle with your dog and you). When, with your peripheral vision, you see the dog looking at your face, move your eyes to your dog, when he makes eye contact, pop your hand open. Move on to just offering your hand and waiting for eye contact. Gradually build to five seconds of pleasant, calm eye contact. Make sure you do this exercise with your other hand as well. Once there is no hesitation between you offering your hand and the dog offering eye contact, you are ready to progress to step three.

 

Step Three:

While holding food in your hand wait for eye contact as in step two, once your dog is making eye contact begin to open your hand. If your dog goes for the food, just close your hand, wait for him to settle and try again. This may take a few repetitions… we have changed the rules. Be sure that your hand is still off to the side to make it easier for your dog. Once your dog figures out this new rule, he will likely either sit or lie down. Give your dog a release, such as “okay” or “free” and offer the food to your dog (you may have to move your hand toward the dog and or look at the food yourself). Slowly begin increasing the amount of time your dog has to offer eye contact (up to 10 seconds). Move your hand around a bit… lower it toward the floor… switch hands…. When there is no hesitation between you offering your hand, the dog offering sustained eye contact you are ready to move on to step four.

 

Step Four:

Work as in step three. Once your fingers are unfurled, begin to offer “nonsense” words… (Tuesday, Couch, Frisbee, Penlight… okay). At first your dog will likely launch at your hand, thinking that any word means, ‘Hey, you can have it now.’ Just close your hand before he gets to it… wait for eye contact, and begin again. Make your “nonsense words” songs, counting, babble, as well as ‘what a good dog you are’ and other such sounds… this will prepare your dog for learning verbal cues and learning how to differentiate between sounds… an important skill. Work with both hands and test “difficult words” like “Oklahoma, Okefenokee, Okie Dokie, and Okra”. What a smart dog you have! Once you have mastered this step, you are ready for step five.

 

Step Five:

Take it on the road…. Practice in different rooms of the house, inside, outside, in the car, at the vet’s office, before allowing your dog off leash. Practice with the leash on and with the leash off. Begin having other friends or family members work with your dog starting with Step One (children should always be supervised with dogs) and progressing through the program. Begin to work with high value rewards, like tasty treats or even toys. You can use this exercise with anyone that the dog should view as a leader in your home.

 

Step Six:

If you are enjoying working with your dog using this program, please contact your instructor for a more “advanced” group of exercises you can do with your dog while utilizing hand feeding. Alternatively, you could get creative and see what you can come up with. Your instructors are always amazed by what challenges handlers come up with for their dogs. If you like, share your examples with us via video and we may use it on the website or on future handouts!

 

Congratulations! You have started a beautiful journey of learning and sharing with your dog.

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