LOL, I don’t think it’s all that uncommon, at least not to a “Ripley’s” stage.

I have one like this and have tried the fasting. With him, I think it’s the high energy mixed with a bit of the nervous issue. He just does not want food when there are other engaging interactions to be had.

In fact, if he’s been inside for quite a few hours, and I know he’s been at the water bowl a few times, bathroom requirements also take a second place, if he happens to know I have a ball on me. I’ve got to get some of that energy drained before he’ll even think about cocking a leg.

Food is a definite no go - fillet minon*(spelling), steak tar tar - he's not putting anything in his mouth. He may, just to humor me and get me to move on, but he spits it out.

I’m working on it though. It would be really nice to have food as a reward system for him. I think we’d get a lot further a lot quicker. But for now, I just work with the dog in front of me and what he views as rewarding.



Edited by CJ Barrett (06/25/2011 11:25 AM)
Edit reason: food added - spelling

It's so hard to imagine... here it's more like "Leave the arm, dammit!" Even after meals. LOL

Oh for sure, and don’t get me wrong, I have 3 here that are all very food motivated. It’s just with some dogs, for whatever reason, food does not hold the reward factor that it does for most.

With Vince, he only eats to survive, and he’s got a great appetite when the food is in his bowl. And then there are some dogs, probably most, it almost seems like they survive to eat.

So the reward is fave toy? How's that work for the little things like sit, down?

I can imagine a couple of ball tosses for rewarding a more complicated behavior, but not the prelims...

With Vince, he loves to work and is eager to please. He’s also not a dog that likes a lot of petting so figuring out how to reward him was difficult, to say the least.

A small kong was the first thing I loaded. It took much longer than the simple “Yes”, food reward. Michael Ellis actually showed me how to perfect this with much shorter tosses.

I was initially flinging it across the field (the way I did it in my yard), took forever for him to get back. He told me to put him on a long line and stop throwing the toy so far, keep him close and engaged.

Worked like a hot dam and we haven’t looked back.

He now responds really well to voice and hand signals. Good Boy means everything to him, a No or Nope can almost shut him down.

When we do a short training sessions, he really seems to be working for the approval now with ball tosses thrown in randomly to reinforce the best behavior. I can get a whole string of commands or lengthy behaviors before I ever have to toss a ball.

But yes, initially, he’d sit, I say “Yes” and the small kong made many trips down my hallway and across the yard.

eta: Just heading out here, if you have more questions, we'll catch you when I get back.

Wow, thanks. That's plenty to store away for future reference... any more would just drain out the ol' ear holes. But now I'll have a clue if I ever run across a dog that's not food driven.

I had a dog that took 'No' very, very personally early in my life... went from a hard Irish Setter (You & whose army?) to a soft lab/golden (OH god, I should die, I'm worthless, you should just shoot me)... a quick lesson on 'Train the dog in front of you'. Working the two of them together make me feel bipolar. LOL