Our female Staffordshire Bull Terrier is 14 years old and fat. This is our fault but since the puppy arrived we're doing a lot more playing and walking. Her natural activity level is just a notch above comatose. I tried everything (including tests at the vet to address any medical problems) to get the weight off her. Nothing seemed to work so we put her on RD. Between the food and increased activity level the weight is starting to come off. We treat her with frozen green beans and she likes them.
Actually she would eat anything right now, the diet has her famished and she craps non stop.


A problem has came up with her takng the treats really aggressivly <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shocked.gif" alt="" />. I can get her to stay and wait until she is give the ok to get the treat but if you give her the go ahead to take it from your fingers look out. Its right on par with trying to trip a mouse trap without getting snapped. She has always been a little aggressive taking the treats but wow, its gotten to be real exciting. I think she might be going for a little blood flavor to make the green beans taste a little better.

Any suggestions on how to get her to take it softly would be appreciated. I'm not having any luck with what I'm doing.

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......A problem has came up with her takng the treats really aggressivly <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shocked.gif" alt="" />. I can get her to stay and wait until she is give the ok to get the treat but if you give her the go ahead to take it from your fingers look out....

Been there! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> I've had two dogs who were overweight when they came to me; one was having arthritic change and really needed weight management. Both were food-driven (to put it mildly).

(I had my best luck with raw diet, BTW, because I found that the dogs seemed to be more satisfied with the reduced amount when it was fresh food.)

But anyway........ I would insist on calm -- not just sit or stay, but calm. This meant I too lowered my voice and spoke quietly and calmly, moved slowly, and used the word "e-e-easy" as I held the treat on the flat of my hand. Snarking it up triggered my "Tch" and no more treat. A gentle take got them some praise and another treat.

Now, how to get that first gentle snatching so you can mark it? You start with a TIRED dog who has just eaten! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

When the treat is taken slowly, then you mark it. Use the word you will keep using (like "easy," or whatever).

Once she does it nicely one time and understands that it's the goal and results in praise and a second treat (and why not, with a green bean?), it gets easier.

I'm sure there must be easier ways......... but this was the way I ended up with.

P.S. Good for you to control her weight! Good on *many* health fronts!

Have her eyes been tested? Her vision at 14 is probably not quite what it used to be. In a sorta similar vein, I never started tug and drive work with my Malinois before we started Schutzhund last month at 16 months old. He's figuring it out pretty well though as the trainer has been fairly pleased. I am kinda bummed I couldn't do more drive work with him when he was younger, but I am really glad that he has much better aim for the tug and the Orbee ball now than he would a year or so ago!

I agree with Connie, & would only add that the treats be very small to start with, just a bit of bean at a time!

That approach is similar to what we have been trying but I have not actually tried to "train" her by purposely working on it. It has just been trying something like what you are suggesting as we go through the day. I'm going to devote a couple of times a day where this is what we work on. She is 14years so actual training of her stopped quite a while back. With the pup we have now along with all of the great information now available has gotten me motivated to train and I'm having fun doing it. Before this my dogs were trained to be good members of the family, the standard stuff that makes folks comment "what a great dog you have". No jumping, no aggression, no begging at the dinner table, leave the other dogs food bowl alone, sit, down, etc.

I feel sorry for my Staff, man is she hungry.

thanks

Could I suggest closing the treat in your fist and opening the fist the moment she is calm and feeding it then out of the flat palm of your hand....using a word to mark the calm behavior such as "gentle"

That seemed to work for me - I have one who has literally bloodied my fingers and that worked for her.

Just a suggestion are you feeding her in the company of the other dogs competition for food can trigger snatching, when I hand feed my dogs together, they snatch and scrape so I stopped doing this, I bring each one in and give them the treat seperately the old girl she is "9" takes much better, now before she used grab my fist and munch, I now make a fist place the food in the centre and slowly unroll my hand keeping my fingers curled in and then allow her to take it.
Good luck the the older they get the greedier they are!

I've been working with her as much as possible. With the pup and new dobie I'm a little spread thin right now, oh yea and I've got work in there somewhere too <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazy.gif" alt="" />

Anyway she is getting better the more I work on it. Poor dog is starved with that diet food.

Thanks to everyone for the feedback.