Your dog doesn’t have to eat out of a bowl. You know that, right? You already give him treats, supplements, bits of your own food by hand. You’ve seen him ingest many items off the ground (even some he shouldn’t). He can catch a biscuit, he can hunt down a dropped piece of meat, he can clean your barbecue grill with his tongue and teeth. He don’t need no stinkin’ bowl—seriously!
You adopt a new dog from the shelter, you foster a frightened dog for a rescue, you got a puppy two days ago. What’s your first goal?
To get the dog to see that you are his person, that you are the human who will care for him, that you can be trusted—that you are safe.
Until a dog decides that you are a safe person to be around, you won’t make progress on any of your other goals as the caregiver to a new animal in the house. For the hesitant, cautious, or fearful dog, food is a powerful reinforcer . . . once they decide they feel safe enough to eat it.
The new-to-you dog or puppy may be hungry, but may feel too uncertain of you and/or the surroundings to come near. Give the animal control of the situation.
- Close the doors to the room you’re in.
- Move slowly and calmly as you find a place to sit.
- Sit down on the floor as far away from the dog as you can get, as long as he can still see you.
- Sit with your back against a wall, in a corner, or right up next to a piece of furniture like a sofa, so you won’t have to rotate a full 360 to watch the dog out of the corner of your eye.
Sitting on the floor is not mandatory, of course, but making yourself “smaller” and hence less threatening to the dog is important. Do what you are physically able to do—sitting on cushions is fine! (Sitting is better than kneeling because kneeling tips your body posture forward and you may be perceived by the dog as ready to pounce.)
- Without any rapid arm movements, drop some kibble pieces or small chunks of tube meat around where you will sit.
- Sit quietly and calmly, if possible at an angle to where the dog is.
It’s not necessary to keep yourself at an angle to the dog as the dog moves around. Avert your gaze and turn your head sideways to the dog without moving the center of your body or changing how or where you are sitting.
- Avoid direct eye contact with the dog at this point. The dog could see it as challenging.
- Breathe.
- Sit.
- Watch.
Your goal is to have the dog feel comfortable enough to walk up to a piece of food and investigate it. The dog may not eat the food, but at least shows interest. You may get no further than that on your first few tries. Don’t be discouraged! You’ve made the first step. The dog may not eat any of the food!
- Give the dog a set amount of time. If he has explored but not eaten the food, get up slowly and calmly and let him out of the room.
- Come back without the dog and pick up the food.
- Try again within a few minutes or a few hours.
What if the dog shows no interest in the food at all? That could well be a result of your using only kibble. The dog may not be familiar with that particular kibble. The dog may have eaten only canned food. The dog may still be too stressed in the new situation to consider eating at all.
Or . . . maybe you need a more tempting food item? Consider cooked chicken or turkey, a spoonful of canned food (cat food can be especially inviting because of its strong smell), or some food that you already know the dog likes. Step up the value of the food and your dog may step up to eat it!
When your dog does eat the food on the floor around you, what do you do?
Nothing.
Be happy but don’t express it, verbally or physically. You don’t know what might spook your dog right now—what might make him suddenly decide that being close to you is not safe. Don’t take any chances. Don’t reach out. Don’t sigh. Breathe steadily and keep your hands in your lap or on your knees. Don’t twitch!
Give your dog a certain amount of time—only two or three minutes at first. He may eat one or two pieces of food. He may eat the chicken but not the kibble. Observe and make mental notes, of course. You’ll know better what to offer next time. When the time is up, either have a helper let him out or quietly and calmly stand up yourself and let him out. Return to clean up without him.
Your goal is for the dog eventually to eat all the food that’s on the floor around you. When that’s happening consistently, take a break.
Later, repeat the exercise with the food on the floor closer to you. Again, do nothing. Watch and make mental notes.
Over a number of repetitions, you will be able to drop the food closer and closer to you, finally within reaching distance of your hands and feet. (That doesn’t mean you get to move your hands and feet!)
Keep yourself very quiet as the dog approaches closer and closer to you. Sudden movements at this stage are especially counterproductive. If you need to stretch a little, wait until he walks away.
At any point, you may observe that your dog seems to have regressed. He was taking food from right next to your foot yesterday, but today he seems leery of coming that close. Why? It could be you are wearing different shoes or walked in something icky on your way into the house. Don’t be discouraged. There’s a reason, even if you can’t figure it out yet.
- Go back a few steps. Place the food farther away from you; use a higher-value food.
- Find a place at which the dog is comfortable again and will eat.
- Stay at that step for a while before you move on up the ladder.
- Progress slowly and patiently. There will be setbacks. There may also be stupendous jumps ahead!
Work to the point that your dog will literally eat food off of you—from the top of your shoe (I highly recommend closed shoes for this exercise) or from off your jeans (long pants are better than shorts or skirts)—and it’s clear to you that the dog is comfortable and willing to come that close to you to eat.
Change the variables then: use a different room, sit in a chair, play music. Start at the beginning, add only one variable, and work to the point your dog is equally comfortable and willing with that new variable. Eventually, add more than one variable at a time.
Next week, I’ll detail how to move from food-on-the-floor to food-in-your-hand.
(Don’t use this latter scenario if there is any question about the animal’s size, strength, or possible aggression. If there is any chance of injury to you, simply don’t use this method. Your safety is paramount. If you are unsure of the animal’s temperament and feel nervous about interacting, work with a trainer who uses non-punitive positive methods, or consult a veterinary behaviorist.)
