[nagdu] Re; What's up with all the scavenging anyhow?

[Mardi Hadfield]

Hi every one, Mardi here. My first 2 guides, Lily and Nala, were not
trained with treats. They never scavenged or stole food.I tried to use
click and treat with Shaman but decided, after training obedience, I would
just use repetition instead.It worked very well for him. Shaman did steal
food off my plate if I left it to open the door or answer the phone.We
worked though it and he doesn't steal food now unless I have left it for
more than 10 minutes. I guess he figures that after that much time it's
fair game.He really has not done it in a long time. None of my other dogs
steal food except Shulamith. She will steal a biscuit right out of another
dog's mouth.I keep telling her that she is going to get her nose bit off
doing that! I did not use treats to train Neechee as she is not food
motivated at all.Even when I offer treats at home she rarely takes them.
She will not take treats from any one when we are out working. She is a
super dog and her guide work is so close to  perfect.I am using treats to
train obedience with Shulamith as she is food motivated and learns better
with treat rewards. She had never had any training before I got her.I have
had to show her what I want her to do. Most of my dogs at least came to me
knowing how to sit. She knew nothing so, the treats do help there. I do not
intend to continue the clicker when I start the guide training. I will just
use repetition. I do use lots of praise and petting when they get what I am
trying to teach them.I have started to crate Shulamith again at night as
she likes to chew up paper and I caught her chewing on a whole roll of
toilet paper, which she stole right off the holder the wall in my bath
room.I scolded her and she knew that I was not happy with her antics. I
usually scold her and take the paper out of her mouth and give her a chew
bone.I though she was getting better about chewing paper but whe I saw her
with the TP......I really scolded her.She is still a work in, I hope
Progress.     Mardi and Shaman,retired and Neechee and Shulamith,GDIT.
wolfsinger.lakota at gmail.com

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