# Dont like any treats, how to train?



## Bomber (Dec 20, 2010)

Bomber is almost 7 mo old and ive taught him to sit and not take anything from my hand until I say "ok". But since he dont like his treats, leaves them laying around.. Ive tried everything. The beggin strips bacon ones, pupperonis, milkbones, beef flavored Ol' roy biscuits, Ive literally sampled everything in the store.... and he does eat the bacon and pupperonis but slowly and like they are nothing special. I cant bribe him with anything. 

Anyone else have a picky eater? And if so what do you use to train? He dont eat human food. In fact I can leave a pizza on the end table and walk away, he might walk by and look at it, smell it, and then carry on his way. 
He eats his dog food good though.. Hes getting to be a big boy. Im just stuck without having something special to get his attention. ....A GOOD treat.  Any advice?
Thanks,
Marty


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## Whiteshepherds (Aug 21, 2010)

If he really likes his dog food try training him when he's hungry, and use that as his treat. Just deduct the amount you use from his next meal.


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## vat (Jul 23, 2010)

Hot dogs, have not meet a dog yet that did not like them, of course I am sure there are some on here. Cooked chicken is also a good one and if you have trouble with these try training when he is hungry.


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## Bomber (Dec 20, 2010)

I always keep food in his dish so he regulates how much he eats himself. Sometimes he dont touch it for awhile, sometimes its gone, it would be hard to tall when hes hungry, and if I have time to train him at that given time. I'd like to go for a walk and take some treats, but not sure how walking around with a pocket full of hot dogs will work. I'll see about that....thanks.


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## vat (Jul 23, 2010)

Put them in a baggie or you can microwave the heck out of them on a paper plate and that gets rid of some of the grease. Makes then lil crunchies. Also maybe only feed him twice a day instead of letting him self feed.


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## GSDGunner (Feb 22, 2011)

vat said:


> Put them in a baggie


Yep, that's what I did. Gunner loves hot dogs.
I also used string cheese. You can pull off a small piece at any time and roll it up in your fingers. 
The higher quality of the treat the better. He may not consider his regular kibble a treat for long. It might work initially.


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## Mrs.K (Jul 14, 2009)

String Cheese, hot dogs, home-made liver treats, chicken, Hillshire Farm Sausage... you have to use high value treats, something that doesn't taste like a box of papers and has a strong smell. 

Make the food move away from him, just like you would do with a toy, it builds the food drive and makes it exciting for him to get it. Get your dog engaged with you, make him focus, move, play. Make it an event for him and don't feed him before you train him. Hungry dogs value the treat much more than a dog that already had his food.


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## kiya (May 3, 2010)

Steak & liver treats work wonders. You might want to rethink the free feed arrangement. Train first thing in the morning when he might be a bit hungry or before you feed him dinner.


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## jakeandrenee (Apr 30, 2010)

Consider using a ball or a special toy as a reward when training?


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## Bomber (Dec 20, 2010)

jakeandrenee said:


> Consider using a ball or a special toy as a reward when training?


Its when hes out in the back yard trying to get him to come in, or leave the neighbors on the other side of the fence alone. Nothing gets his attention. 
Toys certainly wouldnt. He just looks at me with the look that says "whatever", and continues his barking rant at the nighbors. 


I like the hot dog idea... I think i'll buy a pack tonight. I wanted to avoid giving him human food, but i guess being trained and liking human food is better than a loose cannon and not. He seems to be a quick learner "when" i got his attention. Hes a hyper spaz also...lol.
Thanks.


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## Bomber (Dec 20, 2010)

kiya said:


> Steak & liver treats work wonders. You might want to rethink the free feed arrangement. Train first thing in the morning when he might be a bit hungry or before you feed him dinner.


I work all day and hes home alone for 8 hours. I keep his food dish full so he knows when he needs to go out. Hes in the pattern that he eats before bed, and then wakes me up about when im actually supposed to get up and then goes out. He doesnt have any accidents either. So I dont want him hungry in the morning.... i might come home from work in the afternoon to a not so pleasant surprize


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## Mrs.K (Jul 14, 2009)

Bomber said:


> I work all day and hes home alone for 8 hours. I keep his food dish full so he knows when he needs to go out. Hes in the pattern that he eats before bed, and then wakes me up about when im actually supposed to get up and then goes out. He doesnt have any accidents either. So I dont want him hungry in the morning.... i might come home from work in the afternoon to a not so pleasant surprize


Don't leave it out. You handle the resources. You are the one that hands him the food. Don't think about him being "hungry" in the morning. He will get his food in treats that you use to train him and once you are done with the training he will get his dish, but don't just leave it out. 

Also, make it an event for him. Don't just hand it to him. Take the treat and lead it away from him, just like you would do with a toy. Walk fast, do pattern, make him chase the treat, just like you would make him chase a toy. It helps to build the food-drive. It's a very common mistake a lot of people do. They are just not interesting enough for the dog. Make yourself interesting by turning it into a fun event and don't worry about him not getting his food in the morning. How many times do we get up without breakfast rushing out the house not having eaten anything and having to wait till lunch time before we get something to eat because we just don't have the time. 

It won't hurt him and it'll make the training so much more interesting and the treat so much more yummy and valuable. Use that. It's a powerful tool.


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## Whiteshepherds (Aug 21, 2010)

Bomber said:


> I work all day and hes home alone for 8 hours. I keep his food dish full so he knows when he needs to go out. Hes in the pattern that he eats before bed, and then wakes me up about when im actually supposed to get up and then goes out. He doesnt have any accidents either. So I dont want him hungry in the morning.... i might come home from work in the afternoon to a not so pleasant surprize


I free feed too, but it can still be done if he really likes his food. Just try grabbing a handful ( like a 1/2 cup) of kibble and see if he'll work for it. If he will and you use 1/2 cup a day for training just put that much less in his bowl. 

When you treat just give him one piece of kibble at a time. If he does something for the first time, something great etc. give him 5 or 6 in quick succession.


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## Cassidy's Mom (Mar 30, 2003)

Bomber said:


> I always keep food in his dish so he regulates how much he eats himself. Sometimes he dont touch it for awhile, sometimes its gone, it would be hard to tall when hes hungry, and if I have time to train him at that given time.


Well, there's your problem right there - he has a perpetually full food bowl and can eat any time he likes, so he's probably NEVER actually hungry. 



> I keep his food dish full so he knows when he needs to go out.


I don't get what you're saying here - it seems like the best way to know when he's going to need to go out is to know when he's eating. By free feeding him you can't possibly know that, especially since you're gone all day at work. Did he eat right before you got home? Did he eat 4 hours ago?

Put him on a twice a day feeding schedule, once in the morning before you leave, and once in the evening. Yes, he will probably be hungry by then! And then do your training after you get home, prior to feeding him. If he'll work for his kibble, measure out the evening meal and use some of it for training treats. Whatever you don't use goes in his bowl. IMO, you're losing out on a wonderful opportunity to use mealtimes as training opportunities, and as others have pointed out, he who controls the valuable resources (food!), is the leader of the pack. I teach impulse control around food, partly at mealtimes.


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## Bomber (Dec 20, 2010)

I tried the hot dog thing while walking him..... he had no interest in the hot dogs until I made him sit and then he ate it. But they wernt of much interest. 

I'll try the feeding schedule.... thanks.


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## MaggieRoseLee (Aug 17, 2001)

Bomber said:


> I always keep food in his dish so he regulates how much he eats himself. Sometimes he dont touch it for awhile, sometimes its gone, it would be hard to tall when hes hungry, and if I have time to train him at that given time. I'd like to go for a walk and take some treats, but not sure how walking around with a pocket full of hot dogs will work. I'll see about that....thanks.


I always love love love when a problem is found out so fast! 

Such an easy fix! STOP FREE FEEDING! Meal times are BORING cause there are no real mealtimes. So eating and food is boring. Why the heck would your pup find 'training' treats exciting when he's running around on 'full' all the time. And knows he can just ignore mom/dad (rather than trying to figure out the training) and go eat from his food bowl if he is hungry.

Training make our puppies think and if they don't WANT to think and figure something out, if there is no value (or not enough) in the reward, they are outta there! 

Just cause I cut back on mealtimes, doesn't mean my dogs are starving. They get TONS of calories from the treats! 

Treats have to be treats too. Nothing in the dog food aisle. I have to open up MY fridge and get out the cheese/chicken/hotdogs/meatballs/tortellini/leftover pizza. All SOFT. All cut into pea-size pieces.

Mealtimes that are scheduled (no food down inbetween, if they don't finish it's cause you are over feeding and they are FULL) are another way to BOND WITH OUR DOGS. The excitement of the meal for a hungry dog, and the fact that WE are giving them the food, STRENGTHENS our bond with our dogs as well as increasing the value of US (and the food) in their eyes.


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## Bomber (Dec 20, 2010)

Thanks, I picked up some ring bologna and summer sausage at the grocery store yesterday. I'll get him on a feeding schedule and see how the new treats work out.


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## gregalabama (Jan 5, 2011)

My dog doesn't like treats of any kind. He trains well though from just positive reinforcement.


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## Bomber (Dec 20, 2010)

Hes pretty focussed on the summer sausage inside, but sometimes wont come in from outside even if bribed with. In due time i guess.


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## Cassidy's Mom (Mar 30, 2003)

You're not supposed to use food as a bribe, it's a reward.


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## Bomber (Dec 20, 2010)

Update:

Well hes still a stubborn picky eater. I limit his food and only feed him in the morning, but sometimes he dont even touch it till I get home in the afternoon. 

Biggest problems im having is when people come over.... he wont stop jumping on them. Nothing works.

Also when hes outside barking. If I go out and tell him to shut up he does. Then will start as soon as I go in. I try to get him back inside and he runs and plays and will not come in. No food, treats, steaks, pizza,.... nothing is of interest to him. 

He has too much anxiety. If hes inside and i give him a treat he'll sit like hes told, shake hands, and then not take the treat untill I say "ok". But when hes outside or people come over hes like on speed or something.


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## gsdraven (Jul 8, 2009)

How much exercise is he getting? Physical and mentally?



> Also when hes outside barking. If I go out and tell him to shut up he does. Then will start as soon as I go in. I try to get him back inside and he runs and plays and will not come in. No food, treats, steaks, pizza,.... nothing is of interest to him.


Sounds like he wants you to come out and play with him.



> Biggest problems im having is when people come over.... he wont stop jumping on them. Nothing works.


How are you handling this? Do you have friends call you before coming over so you can leash Bomber up? Do you hold onto the leash and ask friends to ignore him until he is calm with all four paws on the ground?


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## Bomber (Dec 20, 2010)

gsdraven said:


> How much exercise is he getting? Physical and mentally?
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Hes at home alone from 6am-2:45pm. From then on hes wired, if im sitting int he living room watching TV, its playing fetch with him at the same time. Or if im out in the garage hes out racing around the back yard. Weathers been too crappy to go for walks, but when its good we go for walks, or hes been walking me.

When people come over im having them hold him down while petting, and push him down and say "NO" and im there doing the same. He is getting better, but he just goes into such an anxiety attack, so hyper, whimpering, he'll sit, lean back as to try and rub on your leg and then fall over backwards....lol. Its kinda funny. Once he settles down hes ok.. but I think he knows how to get attention, he'll come running at them and give them a pounce.... not cool. 

I been working with him, seems at night is when hes mellow and I can get him to listen. he'll sit on command, shake hands, and im training him to drop and lay down now. 

I still cant get him to come inside though. Like this morning I let him out at 5:15 and needed to leave to work at 5:40.. I have to sometimes go out and chase him. Hes in play mode. Gettnig him to come on command would be awesome. I'll have to search how to do that.


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## gsdraven (Jul 8, 2009)

Bomber said:


> *When people come over im having them hold him down while petting, and push him down and say "NO" and im there doing the same*. He is getting better, but he just goes into such an anxiety attack, so hyper, whimpering, he'll sit, lean back as to try and rub on your leg and then fall over backwards....lol. Its kinda funny. Once he settles down hes ok.. but I think he knows how to get attention, he'll come running at them and give them a pounce.... not cool.


This is why he jumps. He's getting attention when he does it! Negative attention (pushing him down and talking to him) is still attention and rewarding for a dog. Since he has figured out that jumping makes people pay attention to him, he's going to continue to do it. If he learns that people ignore him when he jumps but pay attention when he's sitting then he'll sit nicely.

Try putting him on leash and making everyone ignore him the next few times people come over. No one looks or talks to him until he is calm and sitting and then he gets lots of praise and low key attention. You don't want to be too excited when rewarding this because you want to keep him in calm mode and not ramp him up. I bet it only takes a few times before he offers that from the very beginning.



Bomber said:


> I still cant get him to come inside though. Like this morning I let him out at 5:15 and needed to leave to work at 5:40.. *I have to sometimes go out and chase him.* Hes in play mode. Gettnig him to come on command would be awesome. I'll have to search how to do that.


Again, you've rewarded him for running away from you by chasing him so he's learned that running when you call him to come in is a sure fire way to get you to PLAY! You'll need to work on the come command without using it when he knows he doesn't have to obey. For now, when you need him to go in, just go get him and bring him in. I keep a slip by the door for that reason. Or I'll offer yummy treats inside the door to entice the dogs in.


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## JeanKBBMMMAAN (May 11, 2005)

I think it would help if you found a good, positive training class to take him to. 
Find a Great Dog Trainer | Karen Pryor Academy is a suggestion to start with. 

Also stop with the processed mystery nitrate meats! Gah! Not your fault at all - you were just following suggestions. :rofl: I have a dog that will regurge these things immediately on intake - so sometimes I think these foods make their bellies feel bad - and that's why they don't want them. 

That being said, I do have a GSD who never responded to treats when training because she was too nervous, and so I had to "get by" with just the right level of enthusiastic praise and keeping my emotions in absolute check - too much praise freaked her out, any agitation on my part shut her down, etc. It really helped me in the long run though. 

Did I read you are having people hold him down to pet him? So think of this in terms of yourself - you have a meeting with the big boss who you don't really know, and aren't sure what they want from you. You walk in and he pins you against the wall and starts talking - how well will you be able to listen? Learn? Do? Would you prefer another method? 

Glad you are here and posting!


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## Rerun (Feb 27, 2006)

Sorry don't have time to answer all the other questions, but to address the treat one - my trainer uses bil jac frozen food as training treats and I've not seen a dog yet that didn't go NUTS for it.


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## Bomber (Dec 20, 2010)

GSDRaven - thanks... that does make sense. I'll try that when my friend comes over tonight. 

About him not coming when hes called... What I usually do is leave the door open and walk away. If i make some noise in the kitchen like im doing something he'll then come in..... but on his own. If I attempt to call him or go to the back door he'll take off running his laps around the yard. 

He doesnt like the processed meats anyway.... man is he picky. 

People dont really hold him down to pet him, they more block him from jumping up, like having your hand there so he dont jump. Sorry wrong terminology.


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## Dainerra (Nov 14, 2003)

Rerun said:


> Sorry don't have time to answer all the other questions, but to address the treat one - my trainer uses bil jac frozen food as training treats and I've not seen a dog yet that didn't go NUTS for it.


lamb or beef lung.... OMG Singe flipping LOVES it! you can get it either freeze-dried or roasted, so its 100% natural with nothing else added


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## Gilly1331 (Apr 16, 2011)

Try bags of raw ground beef. Start doing recalls with him on a long leash. Have him sit or lay at the end of a long leash give the "come or here" command once, if he doesn't respond give the command again and tug on his leash to show him you mean to move forward to you. If he still doesn't come give a good correction on his leash while saying the command, treat with a small bite of ground beef once he comes and sits infront of you.

Pretty much any raw meat, liver, chicken etc should entice him to start listening to you once he figures out what it is. My two loved ground beef and took to it instantly but it was trail and error when adding in liver, hearts etc as training treats.

You could also do fruits or veggies as treats as well. My guys love everyting from cantaloupe, straberries, bananas, oranges, cucumbers, beets, carrots, celery etc. They only get a few bites of any of these fruits/veggies during training and it isnt every time. Sometimes its praise and physcial treat and sometimes its a food treat. You just need to see what gets him to respond.

Also feed once or twice a day put food down for 10-15 mins and after that pick it up until next meal. After missing a few meals he will realize if i dont eat now Ill go hungry. 

Also like Ceaser says NO TOUCH, NO Talk, NO EYE CONTACT when the dog is in an excited state so when friends come over be firm with him that is act isnt ok and tell your guests to ignore him until he has calmed down and doesnt seem interested in being a ball of fire anymore. Good Luck. Practice practice practice.


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## Bomber (Dec 20, 2010)

Thanks for the info. I try to tell my friends to ignore him, but hes sneaky, he'll walk away calmly then charge at them full speed with a pounce.... He got my 5yr old neice this weekend. My brother warned her and warned her not to walk up to him (on his leash) and she ignored him and did, he pushed her over and scratched her face.
I took him to my moms for easter to get him around more people...


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