# Teaching a dog to refuse food offered by strangers



## Leika 11 (Mar 1, 2008)

Hi,

I'm new to this wonderful forum and am sure that this is a very nice
place to be.

Can somebody please tell me HOW to teach my dog to refuse food offered to him by strangers?

Thanks for your help.

Regards,
Leika 11 (Philippines)


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## Maedchen (May 3, 2003)

You can teach your dog to only take up food on cue. You could say like "take it" or "eat it" etc, and hand him the food to eat. Everytime he wants to take the food without your cue you give him a negative response (condition him to a negative marker, like "eeh too bad" etc). You'll have to practice the negative marker and taking on cue quite often until he learns it. You'll need to practice with different people too so he learns to associate that this applies to all people.


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## Leika 11 (Mar 1, 2008)

*Re: Teaching a dog to refuse food offered by stran*

Hi Maedchen,

Thank you so much for your quick reply to my post.

I'll try what you recommended.

Regards,
Leika 11 (Philippines)


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## Chris Wild (Dec 14, 2001)

*Re: Teaching a dog to refuse food offered by stran*

I agree with Maedchen. This is the way we have always taught this.
One of the interesting things about dog training and the way dog's think is that with many things it is easier to teach them NOT to do something by first teaching them when they CAN do it. Hence the cue to take food. Dog learns that without the cue, there's no taking of food.

When we take our dogs to the pet stores the cashier at the check out register always offers them cookies. The dogs will first look to us for permission, and when we give it, then and only then will they take the treat. The cashiers are always amazed and think it's cool, but it really wasn't difficult at all to teach the dogs by using a simple "take it" cue.

Now, teaching a dog not to take food from strangers when you're not around is something completely different altogether. Even if trained properly to a cue, the dog isn't likely going to globalize that behavior. They'll wait for the cue when you're there, but if you're not there they are probably going to go ahead and take it.


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## StGeorgeK9 (Jan 5, 2008)

*Re: Teaching a dog to refuse food offered by stran*

My Heidi girl refused food from anyone but my daughter and me. I didnt teach it, she was just that way. Even when we would go places and someone would give her a treat, she would look at me and I would tell her to take it, she would wait until we were out of site and then spit it out. I had a pile of doggy treats in my back seat from drive thru's. I think she only was being polite. I always thought she was just a picky eater, but I later realized she just would not eat anything that didnt come from me period....


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## Leika 11 (Mar 1, 2008)

*Re: Teaching a dog to refuse food offered by stran*

Hi Chris Wild & Betsy,

I'm so sorry for answering you that late but there was a cable cut in
our region and we could not use our phone as well as our PC for couple of days.

It's very interesting what you wrote me. Even though I'm a German national, I'm totally new to the GSD. But as I already said on another forum, seeing that millions of people around the world, you both included, REALLY DO LOVE their German Shepherd dogs makes me VERY PROUD.

Thanks for your reply to my post and, again, sorry for my late answer.


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## MaggieRoseLee (Aug 17, 2001)

*Re: Teaching a dog to refuse food offered by stran*



> Quote: When we take our dogs to the pet stores the cashier at the check out register always offers them cookies. The dogs will first look to us for permission, and when we give it, then and only then will they take the treat. The cashiers are always amazed and think it's cool, but it really wasn't difficult at all to teach the dogs by using a simple "take it" cue.


I love the way that is explained. First you have to get your dog used to taking food from tons of strangers so they learn the 'take it' cue.


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## reeldoc (Mar 11, 2008)

*Re: Teaching a dog to refuse food offered by stran*

I'm new here but would like to make a suggestion. Make sure you also teach the dog not to eat food that may have been left on the ground, etc. Never know when somebody might have set some poison or antifreeze tainted meat or food out, or just plain rancid food.

Also suggest that if you leave or plan on leaving your dog at a kennel that you and the kennel owner discuss the cue to feed the dog and that you make sure the dog will accept food from the owner before you leave. Everyone in your immediate family should be involved in this type of training just in case you have to go out of town, enter the hospital for any length of time, etc. Choose a way off base single word that most people would not know to say.


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## Leika 11 (Mar 1, 2008)

*Re: Teaching a dog to refuse food offered by stran*

Hi MaggiRoseLee & REELDOC,

Thanks for your replies to my post. 

Sorry, I simply overlooked that I still had to answer you.

Good luck to you and your dogs!!


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