[nagdu] Food refusal

[Doug Parisian]

I wouldn't worry about a little yelp.  I'm sure that playing dogs are a lot 
rougher than a scruff of the neck shake.  I've done the same thing for years 
with excellent results.  Anyway, it probably looks a lot less dramatic and 
more effective than a scrambled leash correction from an awkward position.
Doug: good thing most people don't have loose skin around their necks!
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Robert Hooper" <hooper.90 at buckeyemail.osu.edu>
To: "NFB-NAGDU" <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Wednesday, February 15, 2012 8:54 AM
Subject: [nagdu] Food refusal


> Hello Lovely List:
>
> While the topic is fresh in everyone's mind, I thought I'd ask about it. 
> Not surprisingly (as he is a German shepherd),  Bailey is not a 
> particularly food driven dog. However, there have been a few incidents 
> where I (or someone else) have dropped a fry or other food morsel in a 
> restaurant and he snatched it. This brings me to my quandary-because he is 
> under the table and I have my foot on the leash (so as to prevent him from 
> moving around too much), this makes under-the-table corrections for such 
> behavior awkward and slow at best. As everyone doubtless knows, any sort 
> of reaction to a dog's behavior (be it praise or correction) must come 
> within 1-3 seconds in order to be effective (one of the reasons why 
> clicker training works so well with them). So, to administer an 
> under-the-table correction, I would have to remove my foot from the leash, 
> grab the leash and give it an awkward yank. In order to circumvent the 
> precious seconds required for this maneuver, I have done away with leash
> corrections in favor of something else-prepare to report me to animal 
> control. Instead of going for the leash, I take hold of the loose skin at 
> the back of Bailey's neck, close to his skull. I then deliver a short, 
> vigorous shake. This never fails to elicit a yelp from him (which I 
> interpret as him saying "message received"). I don't grab him with an iron 
> fist and shake him like the tectonic plates occasionally shake 
> California; nor do I have a light, caressing grasp. It's just a firm, 
> brisk shake, probably lasting about a quarter second (am I an evil 
> person)? It's the only way of which I can think to administer a correction 
> as he's swallowing the food (if I haven't wrenched it out of his mouth, 
> which I always try to do). It saves time and sends the message. I first 
> did this in a sub restaurant while spending time with a friend. After I 
> corrected Bailey, I talked to my friend for a few minutes, and, while 
> talking to him, I casually dropped another fry in front of Bailey's nose. 
> I
> had told my friend what I was going to do and asked if he could watch the 
> dog (subtly, of course). I didn't feel Bailey move at all, and my friend 
> confirmed that he didn't even twitch his nose at the fry. So, it seems as 
> though this method works. Does anybody have any suggestions for 
> under-the-table corrections? Julie, I know you said you have worked on 
> food refusal before-how do you correct for things of this nature? I know 
> many people who think my method barbaric (but many people think that 
> "forcing" your dog to work and behave appropriately is barbaric, so I 
> guess that doesn't say much). Any thoughts are welcome.
> Sincerely,
> Robert Hooper
> Hooper.90 at buckeyemail.osu.edu<mailto:Hooper.90 at buckeyemail.osu.edu>
> The Ohio State University
> 0653 Buckeye-Cuyahoga CT
> 653 Cuyahoga Court
> Columbus, Ohio 43210
> (740) 856-8195
>
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