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Lottie
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05-10-2007, 10:46 PM

Would hand feeding help scavenging?

I'm wondering whether hand feeding Takara (all her meals as well as treats) would help with the scavenging I'm having trouble with - I'm not sure really as I think she'd still try it on with stuff she's not meant to have but thought I'd ask.

The other thing is... Takara dives at any food she sees when out because she knows she won't get it.
However, I can leave food in her bowl or on her paws while she's laying down and she won't touch it until I say so... I'm wondering whether the following idea would be at all useful or whether it's stupid and counter productive?:
Tell her to leave things that are on the floor when out, and if it's something safe to eat (even though she shouldn't because it's waste food), tell her she can have it when she's waited.

I'm wondering if she'll be more willing to leave it in the first place if she thought she might get it afterwards and then, if it's not safe I've got time to get hold of her and remove her from it?
Gradually I can then work it down so that she never (or very rarely, perhaps with set up situations) gets the food she leaves?

Just a thought - but not really sure
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Malady
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05-10-2007, 10:59 PM
I would create a diversion !!

I would do what you said about teaching her to leave when you're out, and if she does, and she looks at you, treat her with something brought from home.

I had to do this with my scavenging mare ...lol

Eventually she learned that no matter how nice 'stuff' looked, she would get something nicer from me, if she left it alone.
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Lottie
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06-10-2007, 09:28 AM
Tried it malady, to no avail!

Even a manky piece of bread is better than piece of sausage, apparently

I've tried all the diversion techniques, I've tried giving her something better but if she thinks bread's better than sausage, you can imagine the trouble I have when she sees pieces of KFC or kebab

The reason for my post was because I've tried all the usual things and I don't want to resort to aversives because the pebbles in a bottle scare the crap out of Eddy and the corrector spray (which doesn't affect Eddy at all) terrifies the pants off Takara!
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Mahooli
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06-10-2007, 09:31 AM
I think this is a case of she's fine at home as that is where she has been trained but not outside. This is where a lot of people make mistakes and why dogs seem to do brilliantly at training classes but a complete nightmare when on a walk lol! I do it all the time
I think special outside training classes just for her working on the leave command would help a lot.
Becky
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Wysiwyg
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06-10-2007, 04:08 PM
Hiya Lottie,

The way I teach Leave is so that the dog never actually gets what they are trying to get, and so it acts as a cut off, if you see what I mean.

So, when i say Leave, the dog immediately returns to me for a reward (often a toy).

I believe that Cutoff is important, but, of course, it does take time to train. I taught it this way:

http://www.clickersolutions.com/arti...01/leaveit.htm

and then progressed to items/articles on the floor (not always food, in fact rarely food, just stuff she would sniff at and then respond herself to the command). The dog is rewarded for the corrrect decision, never pulled away by the lead.

I went on to use this with living animals, dogs, cyclists, etc . I also taught her to retrieve stuff, so that if she did grab anything she'd bring it to me. But not so good with manky stuff

If however she gets lots of manky stuff, KFC etc onher walks, how about avoiding those areas? I think it's hard for any dog to have to keep avoiding what is basically a treat for a scavenging animal, which is what they are.

If there is only say, one odd thing every so often you could I reckon teach a strong Leave and return, the habit of the training would help. But if there are lots of manky things on the walk often, many times a week, the training I thiink would have less impact. Part of the training has to be unfortunately that the dog is not rewarded (self rewarded, as it were) when scavenging. Hard if KFC etc is everywhere...

I met 2 labs today with basket muzzles on. Would that help? they were fine in them and it can stop dodgy tummies!
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Malady
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06-10-2007, 04:39 PM
Originally Posted by Lottie View Post
Tried it malady, to no avail!

Even a manky piece of bread is better than piece of sausage, apparently

I've tried all the diversion techniques, I've tried giving her something better but if she thinks bread's better than sausage, you can imagine the trouble I have when she sees pieces of KFC or kebab

The reason for my post was because I've tried all the usual things and I don't want to resort to aversives because the pebbles in a bottle scare the crap out of Eddy and the corrector spray (which doesn't affect Eddy at all) terrifies the pants off Takara!
I'm no expert, but if I were in your position, I would begin by training the same as you do at home, but outside in a secure park somewhere or similar, so she's learning the same outside as inside, because her training is fine indoors.

I've trained mine in a park, at the woods, in a tenniscourt, and also when I walk through the highstreet, I'm constantly training, so they learn that their behaviour has to be the same wherever they are
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