May 17, 2011
My pup is not motivated by any type of food or treat, which makes him hard to train. Any suggestions?
Full Question:
I am a big fan of your web site and training methods. I am currently working with a trainer for my 1 year old labradoodle. I got him as a rescue at 6 months old. He is very fearful and lacks self confidence. My biggest problem is that he has no drive to work. He is very uninterested in working for treats. I have tried not feeding him the day prior to class; I have tried using freshly cooked meat as treats; I have tried feeding him his meals from the training pouch and working at the same time. He is completely uninterested! Any suggestions?Thanks,
Melanie
Cindy's Answer:
I would be ONLY feeding this dog at training time, missing one meal or one day of food may not be enough for a dog with low food drive. I would also keep trying different foods until you find something that "trips his trigger." Sometimes dogs that lack confidence need to just get more comfortable in their skin, before they can relax enough to eat food in a training scenario.
Will he take food from you at home, but not at class? If so, I would recommend working him at him more and put the training classes on hold. Sometimes it’s just too overwhelming for a dog like this to try to learn in an environment where they are so fearful.
If you don’t already have our Basic Dog Obedience DVD, I would highly recommend it. We also just released a new DVD on Pack Structure for the Family Pet. I think you and your dog may benefit from this as well.
I just had one other thought about your dog, does he like to play with toys at all? If so, you may be able to use toys in your training to "loosen him up" a bit. It’s worth a try anyway!
Will he take food from you at home, but not at class? If so, I would recommend working him at him more and put the training classes on hold. Sometimes it’s just too overwhelming for a dog like this to try to learn in an environment where they are so fearful.
If you don’t already have our Basic Dog Obedience DVD, I would highly recommend it. We also just released a new DVD on Pack Structure for the Family Pet. I think you and your dog may benefit from this as well.
I just had one other thought about your dog, does he like to play with toys at all? If so, you may be able to use toys in your training to "loosen him up" a bit. It’s worth a try anyway!
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