Hi,

I was wondering how you would go about training a labrador to leave food alone when it is on the floor and you have not given them permission to eat it. I have heard about people drugging food and giving it to dogs to pick up so they can take them away safely. Labradors are a notoriously greedy breed so I was wondering if it would be possible. Hope someone can help.

I've trained my dobe to not eat a treat I've placed on the floor until I say so - but uncertain that this would work outside. Especially if it's a 'yummy' piece of poisoned meat (actually, it's usually part of a kebab dropped on pavement from the night before) and he's off the lead.

However, if he picks something up outside he tends to carry it away somewhere quiet to examine or eat it which gives you the opportunity to 'swap' it for something else, like a treat.

If you see your dog examining/licking something on the ground then perhaps a recall or lobbing a ball at them would work as a distraction until you discard whatever it was they were looking at.

Or maybe you could try training him to 'leave it' (the treat) indoors first, then take it outside and see how he gets on.

Hope this helps.

Lady G

first of all the dog needs to sit when told, then sit and stay, then sit ,stay, leave, then paw good boy get it. Try it first without the bowl of food, maybe a treat. our 7 month old lab will not touch his food now until he is told to. it will take a while but well worth it. get in to the routine of this every meal time until he finally gets the message.
carol

My father in law trained his gun dog the same way i.e. sit stay,etc got it so good that one time he got called away to answer the phone and forgot to tell the dog to eat and she left it all night! She had a major amount of fuss made of her the following day. Labs are some of the most trainable breeds in the world (IMHO) as they are so eager to please - work on that side of the dog and you will get there in the end. just don't expect it to work overnight!

When I first got my six month old rescue GSD she would leap up at me when I was holding her food bowl getting ready to put it down for her. I bought some training discs and starting with treats, I would put them on the floor and when she made a grab for them I threw the discs next to the food. I only needed to do it twice. We then progressed to a sit and stay whilst putting her food bowl down and now she's the most gentlest dog when food is around.

I was just wondering: what are training discs?
Thanks,
Sarah

Sarah

Training discs are five very light metal discs (similar to those on a tambourine) and when thrown or jangled together make a clattering noise. They have a similar effect to rattling stones in a tin. If the postman comes and my dogs bark, I will let them bark a couple of times but if I think it's getting a bit excessive a jangle of the discs stop them. They cost about £5 and come with a small instruction manual. I believe most pet shops sell them. They are easier to carry around than a tin of stones as they fit in your pocket!