whatevah Posted November 29, 2006 Share Posted November 29, 2006 I would like to know how to increase my pups food drive, she will barely eat of my hand. She has great tug drive, but would like to increase her food drive. The only idea I can think of at the moment is too cut down her food and use it for training instead. Any other ideas or exercises. I also feed my two other dogs before her so she has to wait. This morning she ate much quicker out of her bowl. I am using chicken, cheese as rewards. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sas Posted November 29, 2006 Share Posted November 29, 2006 Have you tried TOT? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TigerJack Posted November 29, 2006 Share Posted November 29, 2006 I only wish I could improve tug drive... Food drive is good with my guys. TOT works. I also frequently don't feed with the dinner bowl for my kelpie girl. I put it all in my bait pouch and make her work for it. Only takes a few minutes and she gets the same dinner plus some training. We are mostly doing recalls where she has to target my hand (to improve return to me in flyball) If she hits my hand she gets fed. Sometimes I spin round in a circle with the hand just out of reach until she is really racing for it and then let her have it. Helps if the first time you do this they missed the meal before. Jo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve K9Pro Posted November 29, 2006 Share Posted November 29, 2006 C: I would like to know how to increase my pups food drive, she will barely eat of my hand. K9: why do you think this is? C: She has great tug drive, but would like to increase her food drive. K9: why? if the dogs primary drive is prey (tug) then you will not over rule that with food... I would start the TOT as soon as possible & feed her without the others there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MolassesLass Posted November 29, 2006 Share Posted November 29, 2006 Is TOT suitable for an 8 week old puppy? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve K9Pro Posted November 29, 2006 Share Posted November 29, 2006 K9: Absolutely.. It was designed for puppies. Jus have a little more patience. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PAX Posted November 29, 2006 Share Posted November 29, 2006 CTD, My pup was the same but by 12 weeks she was a pig. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fido666 Posted November 29, 2006 Share Posted November 29, 2006 Hi CTD, I agree with what Steve has said but would like to add that there may be an underlying health reason for the lack of food drive. My avatar boy was totally not interested in food as a pup and would respond far better to praise and toys. With all due respect to Steve I don't think even TOT would have made a difference at the time. After many repeated episodes of diarrheoa we insisted on an endoscopy being performed and he was found to have Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD). By this time he was almost 2yo and weighed nothing. All Duncan's food was going straight through him and not doing it's job. Can you imagine being interested in food if you had Gastro at the time? I'm not saying this is the case with your boy but it might be worth considering a vet check if he seems unwell at all. Now we have the IBD under control Duncan is a pig, so much so I've cut back his rations. With food rewards in high distraction environments you need to find that "million dollar food", something that makes him drool at the scent of it. Many find that BBQ or roast chook or Cabanosi does the trick. Standard treats might work in the back yard but fail in the park where there's lots of other yummy scents, sounds, and activity to take his interest. Good luck though as I know where you are coming from. Cheers, Corine Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Staff'n'Toller Posted November 29, 2006 Share Posted November 29, 2006 Didn't you just bring her home yesterday? Gee wizz give her a week or so to settle in - a lot of pups don't eat for the first few days particularly when they have flown from another State. Stressed puppy can very quickly = sick puppy. Mel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NaturallyWild Posted November 29, 2006 Share Posted November 29, 2006 As mel said give her time to settle in and also consider a vet check if not already done. All this being fine you can transfer some of that drive for the tug across to the food - have the tug available (eg on a chair where she can see it) but offer some food instead as a reward (only at this stage when you know she is hungry), if she refuses, create some distance from the tug until the food is taken. The moment she does, race back to the tug and have a game with it. With many repetitions of this you will get a transfer of value across to the food (and you won't need to go so far from the tug, or have it there at all in the end). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vickie Posted November 29, 2006 Share Posted November 29, 2006 Didn't you just bring her home yesterday?Gee wizz give her a week or so to settle in - a lot of pups don't eat for the first few days particularly when they have flown from another State. Yesterday? Flown? I agree give her time to settle in...a couple of days at the very least, before you start to have concerns about what her drives are. She has had a big upheaval from a safe, secure life to an unknown one. She has left her family, dealt with a cargo hold in a plane, is probably experiencing new foods that you are giving her, meeting your other dogs, and is probably trying to understand what her extremely enthusiastic new Mum is ttrying to teach her. That is an awful lot for an 8 week old pup to deal with. I would be spending the first week teaching her that you are her new safe, secure life. Some pups will just take a new environment & flight in their stride, others will need some help, lots of cuddles & not too many changes on a daily basis to feel secure again. Putting too much pressure on her now when she is not ready to deal with it, can lead to problems down the track. JMO Vickie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wheres my rock Posted November 29, 2006 Share Posted November 29, 2006 I tend to agreed Give her aweek to settl then you'll start to see the real dog within just because one dog handles the whole flying thing really well doesnt mean they all will BC's are sensitive dogs so it will take time plus being just eight weeks she is probabaly in fear imprint not a great time to be flown and introd to a whole new life forget how quickly she picks things up spend time cuddling and playing and feed her her meals by hand so she gets used to it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whatevah Posted November 29, 2006 Author Share Posted November 29, 2006 (edited) What is TOT? She has great tug drive. Have done a couple of exercises where I say sit then let her tug as soon as she sits. I like to have both food and tug. The other day she was worried about the cat so I called her and played tug and she went back to that. A lot of things I want to teach her the more complicated ones I will need food for. But will use tug for motivation in agility and flyball. Have fed her after she sees the other two dogs eating and she is now starting to launch herself at her food bowl. Have added different types of food to the bowl, rather than just kibble. She is eating everything and leaving bits of the kibble behind, as soon as she leaves the bowl I take it away from her. She very gently takes food out of the hand. I am doing a training diary with her so I can see how she is progressing, the link is under my signature. Edited November 29, 2006 by CrashTestDummy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Staff'n'Toller Posted November 30, 2006 Share Posted November 30, 2006 What is TOT? She has great tug drive. Have done a couple of exercises where I say sit then let her tug as soon as she sits. I like to have both food and tug. The other day she was worried about the cat so I called her and played tug and she went back to that.A lot of things I want to teach her the more complicated ones I will need food for. But will use tug for motivation in agility and flyball. Have fed her after she sees the other two dogs eating and she is now starting to launch herself at her food bowl. Have added different types of food to the bowl, rather than just kibble. She is eating everything and leaving bits of the kibble behind, as soon as she leaves the bowl I take it away from her. She very gently takes food out of the hand. I am doing a training diary with her so I can see how she is progressing, the link is under my signature. Why do you bother even bother asking questions then? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tangwyn Posted November 30, 2006 Share Posted November 30, 2006 Hmmm... according to your blog, CTD, on the same day you picked up your puppy you did the following: Taught targetting and "touch" command Recall Sit Drop Did 4 sessions of socialisation Introduced the sandpit Lured into the pool x 3 times How old is this puppy? I'd give her a few days to settle in before assessing any drives. Any assessment of food and prey drive would have been more effectively conducted BEFORE you took it home. It would have given you a more accurate idea of where she was at. JMO Tangwyn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whatevah Posted November 30, 2006 Author Share Posted November 30, 2006 (edited) Well I bought her from interstate and she was the only female in the litter, have seen both her parents working and the siblings from the first litter. If it was a perfect world, I would have done temperament tests, on all the pups, I would have had a few looks at the litter etc. The breeder would not even email me a photo. Moses' breeder was not any better. I couldn't even see Moses interacting with his litter, or even visit breeder in the home!!!! Edited November 30, 2006 by CrashTestDummy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandyl Posted November 30, 2006 Share Posted November 30, 2006 The breeder would not even email me a photo. There are photo's on your blog? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whatevah Posted November 30, 2006 Author Share Posted November 30, 2006 They are my photos which I went there and personally took. The other photo is from a girl who has her brother. I have heard that Ian Dunbar gets people to feed their dogs all there meals from their hands for two weeks to increase the food drive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sayreovi Posted November 30, 2006 Share Posted November 30, 2006 Maybe the food you are trying to tempt her with she doesnt like? Try all sorts and see what gets the best results, i know with Darcy i tried everything and what he like the best was Good Os which i only bought because i forgot to get my usual treats. Though have to agree with everyone else, and allow her too settle in a bit first, give her like 2 weeks to adapt to the new situation before training her intensly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2tollers Posted November 30, 2006 Share Posted November 30, 2006 Maybe it's because you're used to 2 piggy retrievers and she's really just normal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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