[hulkamaniac]

I've been trying to teach my cocker spaniel the leave it command/not to eat stuff off the floor unless I let him. In the process I broke him. I would put his food bowl on the ground and let him inside or out of the crate depending on where he was. When he started toward the food bowl I told him no and leave it. Then I made him sit or get in the down position. Once he stayed there, I pointed at the food bowl and told him to take it. Now he won't take it. He will walk over to the food bowl, stare at me, stare at the food bowl, stare at me, stare at the food bowl, etc.... Eventually, when I turn my back and leave the room he'll eat. I'm worried that I've broken him to where he won't eat in my presence. He does know the leave it command though.

 

[BoxMeIn21]

Yeah. That could be a possibility, from what you are saying you've taught him not to eat in your presence...Not good.

Leave it is taught in a much different way, this might help....

http://www.clickersolutions.com/articles/2001/leaveit.htm

 

[Lolas_Dad]

I trained Lola to not eat anything from the floor unless I point to it. I will put about 5-6 treats on the floor and she only eats the one I point to. She will not eat any others unless I point to the one I want her to get. That is how I taught her the leave it command.

When it comes time to feed her I taught her "Wait". I will be talking to her about different things as she is sitting and waiting and she will not touch her food until I say "Eat". Even if I ask "Are you ready to eat?" she will not tounch it until I said the one word "Eat". she then eats.

She is at the point that when I put her food out that she knows to wait so I do not have to tell her that anymore. I taught her how to wait before eating by telling her to wait and pushing her back from her food bowl. I would then have her sit. She caught on in about 2 days.

As for her crate she knows that when I open the crate in the morning she is not allowed out until I say "Come on" . I have also used the "Wait" command for teaching her that and if she tried to come out I would block her with my hand and say "Wait".

Also I have taught her the "Wait" command by having her in a sitting position walking away form her about 50' and then having her come to me while I am holding out a treat this was done in the dog park with other dogs around. Her focus is totally on me when I do that. If she breaks from the sitting position before I have her come to me I start her at the same position until she doesn't break from the sit.

 

[Westhighlander]

Hulk, throw some hotdogs in there and see if that works. If that doesn't do it grill a piece of steak and put it in the bowl and see if that works. I don't think he's broken yet.

 

[hulkamaniac]

Hulk, throw some hotdogs in there and see if that works. If that doesn't do it grill a piece of steak and put it in the bowl and see if that works. I don't think he's broken yet.

If I put a steak in the bowl, I'm eating it out of there before he gets to it.

 

[wvasko]

If I put a steak in the bowl, I'm eating it out of there before he gets to it.

No, you did not break your dog. I'm not sure why you did not want him to eat out of his bowl and also don't know the time involved in the breaking program. I must say this though if I were a dog I would probably be neurotic if my owners tried teaching me all these different eat, no eat, sleep, no sleep, crate, no crate. on and on and on. Also sometimes when we work the dog on these things we have a tendency to do it again and again and again to see if it's still working and by the time we're through the dog is through. Just relax let the world take a couple spins and see what the rascal does on his own. Feed him walk out of the room and let him eat in peace. You can gradually introduce your self back into the room after a week or two. Or don't feed him for 2 weeks and if he's strong enough he will eat wherever. NO, don't do that. Just relax.

 

[BoxMeIn21]

Or don't feed him for 2 weeks and if he's strong enough he will eat wherever. NO, don't do that. Just relax.

Thanks for my morning giggle.

 

[wvasko]

Thanks for my morning giggle.

I live to please.

 

[KBLover]

I must say this though if I were a dog I would probably be neurotic if my owners tried teaching me all these different eat, no eat, sleep, no sleep, crate, no crate. on and on and on.

You can train a dog to sleep on command? Hmm...

 

[hulkamaniac]

No, you did not break your dog. I'm not sure why you did not want him to eat out of his bowl and also don't know the time involved in the breaking program. I must say this though if I were a dog I would probably be neurotic if my owners tried teaching me all these different eat, no eat, sleep, no sleep, crate, no crate. on and on and on. Also sometimes when we work the dog on these things we have a tendency to do it again and again and again to see if it's still working and by the time we're through the dog is through. Just relax let the world take a couple spins and see what the rascal does on his own. Feed him walk out of the room and let him eat in peace. You can gradually introduce your self back into the room after a week or two. Or don't feed him for 2 weeks and if he's strong enough he will eat wherever. NO, don't do that. Just relax.

I wasn't trying to teach him not to eat out of the bowl. I was trying to teach him not to eat out of the bowl until I gave him permission to do so.

 

[wvasko]

I wasn't trying to teach him not to eat out of the bowl. I was trying to teach him not to eat out of the bowl until I gave him permission to do so.

I prefer a sitstay and bowl placed 5 or 6 ft from dog this way it's no pressure on eating food but on the sitstay, bowl can be moved closer to dog as needed on extended time schedule. My dogs are never fed unless they are sitting first anyway. This is started when pup/dog once knows the sit command. Not saying this is only method just the way I have always done it.

 

[Love's_Sophie]

I don't think you 'broke' your dog, he's just a bit confused, by the method you chose to train him by.

I don't think training a dog to leave something alone until you ask him to take it is wrong, it's just that you have to have a specific and easy to understand mode of helping them understand what we are asking of them, so they aren't confused.