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Any Dog, Any Trick? (Part 1) - Page 2

© Lesli Richardson

One easy way to motivate your dog is change his feeding routine. Invest in a Kong or other similar toy and stuff it full of things like dog kibble moistened and then frozen or mixed in with low fat/low salt peanut butter. Feed your dog part of his daily ration this way. Dogs were originally hunters. Give your dog a job and let him work for his food. It helps keep him active while you're gone and reduces boredom that leads to destructive and annoying habits. You can also use this to introduce the "get" command. ("Fido, go get your Kong!") My dogs have actually learned how to play a version of Hide and Seek this way. Use the other part of his daily ration of dog kibble as training rewards. (This also helps prevent your dog from becoming obese.)

Depending on your dog's personality type you have to meet his, "What's in it for me?" quotient. By changing his role in the family from passively fed pet to "gotta get my Kong" fanatic you're introducing a work ethic. He will learn he earns his food and will enjoy working with you more. Many dogs from working breeds need this kind of stimulation to be mentally healthy. A bored, unmotivated dog will quickly escalate his own problems. You'll get frustrated with your dog's behavior, which will in turn make the dog less willing to work and create more behavior problems -- vicious cycle.

If you can use praise or a toy as rewards, good for you! Use Kongs for morning "feeds" and give a reduced portion of kibble in the evening to make up the difference.

By taking a flexible approach to training YOUR dog instead of generic instructions, the training process can be fun and rewarding for both of you.

Next time, dominance issues and how they affect training.

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