[gshang89]

My puppy was getting way too excited for food. Constant zoomies, barking, jumping, etc. I taught her to sit before she gets her food and now she will wait patiently for her food. However, she's stuck at that step. I can't get her to know it's okay to eat now. She just waits patiently in front of her food and wagging her tail. I pet her, tell her to eat, bring the food up to her mouth but nothing. If I step away, she just follows me or she will sit next to her food and stare at me. She will eventually eat later, usually when I step out of the room. I've stopped telling her to sit before eating, but she still sits patiently now. Any tips?

 

[Toedtoes]

You need to teach her a command word. I use "OK" as a basic break from the sit command. If you only want it for meal time, you can use "eat" or some such.

Bit of advice, you may want to also teach a hand gesture. That way you have an alternate way of letting her know it's OK to eat.

 

[storyist]

I also use okay. Never thought about a hand signal, but since dog's are so good at interpeting body language, the way I straighten up and then gesture with the hand I used to place the dish probably is one.

 

[DaySleepers]

Can I ask how you taught the sit? Might help figure out how to best cue the release!

 

[Toedtoes]

I also use okay. Never thought about a hand signal, but since dog's are so good at interpeting body language, the way I straighten up and then gesture with the hand I used to place the dish probably is one.

My Moose-dog was so obedient that nothing but the word OK would work. I could point, snap my fingers, etc and he'd sit there waiting. Even when his sister would start eating (she sat only until the bowl was on the ground), he would still be sitting there waiting for his OK. It was a pain if I was on a work call while feeding him because I would have to say "OK" which confused the person on the other end. If I had taught him a hand signal also, I could have avoided that.

 

[K9luv]

I guess what you really have taught was 'wait'. 'Wait' always has a release word. Something about the anticipation of waiting for that release word gets my pup all excited, there's no confusion that when I say "ok find it" or "ok cross" (the street), it's his cue to release.