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"Ruin" Cleo with people food?!

1K views 11 replies 9 participants last post by  randarenee 
#1 ·
My boyfriend and I are soon to be parents to a 4wk old GR female. We plan on training her ourselves as a Game/Bird dog. ( I plan on using this website as a wonderful resource!)

I've had dogs before but my bf isn't as familiar with rasing a dog from a puppy to adult on his own. I have always treated my dogs with peanut butter/applesauces in bones, kongs etc. Used hot dogs, fruits and veggies as treats also. He is convinced that giving the dog "people food" is going to turn her into a horrible rotten begging monster and will ruin her training.

My take on "people food" is crap... chips, popcorn, table scraps... that's what I interpret as people food. He's thinking that even the peanut butter, applesause, fruits and veggies are something she CANNOT have.

Please help!

....and suggestions for yummy treats would be helpful also =)
 
#2 ·
In regards to feeding your puppy fresh food you will not turn your dog into a begging idiot. Although, when feeding the pup fresh food don't hand it to your dog directly you are better off to place it in the dog dish. This will re-enforce the idea that food is not to be begged for.

Now the important part of this: your taking home a 4 week old pup?!!! What are you thinking, whomever you may be getting this pup from needs to go back and realize that pups don't leave mom until 7.5-8 weeks of age. I hope that was merely a missed key stroke on your behalf.

Regarding websites for information into training for a gun dog/ bird dog you may also want to check out retriever training forum and the gun dog forum both will have a lot of information and knowledgable people to ask questions to.

Aside from that enjoy your pup they love to please.
 
#3 ·
In regards to feeding your puppy fresh food you will not turn your dog into a begging idiot. Although, when feeding the pup fresh food don't hand it to your dog directly you are better off to place it in the dog dish. This will re-enforce the idea that food is not to be begged for.

Now the important part of this: your taking home a 4 week old pup?!!! What are you thinking, whomever you may be getting this pup from needs to go back and realize that pups don't leave mom until 7.5-8 weeks of age. I hope that was merely a missed key stroke on your behalf.

Regarding websites for information into training for a gun dog/ bird dog you may also want to check out retriever training forum and the gun dog forum both will have a lot of information and knowledgable people to ask questions to.

Aside from that enjoy your pup they love to please.
FYI- she said they will soon be bringing the pup home....like in the future, not today. =)
 
#4 ·
There are a couple of different issues in your question.
The stuff that you consider as "people food", such as bits of fruits, veggies, peanut butter in a kong, etc. is not at all harmful, but the rule of thumb (no idea whose rule this is....) is less than 10% of the diet should come from that.
Don't feed the dog at the table, as AKGOLD said the best thing is in the dog's own dish, or as you said, in the kong. That way the dog won't learn to beg.
Finally, I'd hold off on the people food, even as you describe, until the pup is at least 4 or 5 months old. Their stomachs and digestive tracts aren't very well developed when you first bring them home, you really need to limit them at first.
 
#8 ·
Don't feed them from your plate when you're eating. That's what reinforces begging at meals.

You can feed the dog only kibble, and she'll still have the urge to beg for a roasted chicken when you're eating it. Just don't reinforce it, and if your boyfriend is worried about begging and mealtimes, make sure to train a "go to your spot" command nice and early so you can have the dog lie down calmly someplace out of the way when you're eating. You can even take scraps over to her at that spot to show her that lying down in her spot is the way to earn food, not staring and licking her lips.
 
#10 ·
Agreed, it's how and when that's more important than what they get. If you feed them off the table and allow them to 'mooch' they will - it's the breed. If you teach them that when you are eating they're to go do something else (like for a young puppy, nap in their crate) they won't get that habit.

My worst experience was with two goldens at a friend's place, she thought it was amusing to share with them and never corrected them. We had KFC and it was almost fend for yourself and guard your food, these two dogs started with licking arms and hands/fingers while we were eating and progressed to going for anything that was in your hand or on your fork. Quite gross if you ask me, I think we gave up on actually eating, tossed the food and made an excuse to leave and go get some dinner in peace.

Bender here is the 'mooch' of the house, she will pester the kids at the table for food, mainly because they often attempt to get rid of her or point to the living room with food in their hands which she politely helps herself to. She's 13 though so she gets a teeny bit of grace on that, I just put her in the other room when it's mealtime so it's not an option.

Lana
 
#11 ·
You might have to remind your BF exactly how smart these dogs are, and that they will get away with anything that they think they can!

I tend to eat my dinner on a coffee table in the living room, in front of the TV, I know, it's a bad habit, lol! My dogs won't even enter the living room when I'm serving or eating dinner. I can leave my dinner on the table directly at dog face level (lol) without worry. They lay either on their beds (in the kitchen) or at the perimeter of the living room, until I clear the table.

I feed my dogs "people food" everyday. I will even let them have some of what I am eating, say a sandwich or whatever. But, if I say "scram!" they do not sit about expecting handouts. 99% of what I feed them is in their dog bowls. It doesn't matter if it is dry dog food, canned dog food or fresh whole foods from my fridge.

The poster describing the dogs that licked their hands while they were trying to eat KFC would never allow that kind of behavior at their own house. That is why they were so disgusted by it. If you teach your puppy to eat his meals out of a dish, and only use "human food" as training tools, you will not have any behavior problems and probably a much healthier and happier dog!
 
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