Refusing treats...

sesse_m

Well-Known Member
Tara my 6yr old golden retriever bitch is absolutely crazy for food. She eats everything that's edible (and even a few things that are not:dogtongue:)
Lure training works great with her, and even if she does do her tricks better when I'm holding a treat in my hand she's good even if I'm not using them.
But, when we're training sometimes she gets too hyper, does all the tricks she knows to get the treat instead of doing the new one or accepting to be lured into a position, and when the treat won't come she gets sort of frustrated, and refuses to do anything, and absolutely refuses to eat the treat, even if I just offer it as a distraction, to make a pause in the training... I don't really know how to explain this well... it's just like this: if she doesn't want to do something, she refuses to get the treat.
For instance, she hates to get into the car, usually she just does it slowly and unwillingly ,at times she refuses, if she does, I try to get a treat to lure her into the car, but she turns away, and totally refuses to follow it, or even just to eat it if I'm simply offering her one in my open hand without trying to get her to jump... and she does this everytime she doesn't want to do something or doesn't really understand what I want her to do...
Does anyone have an idea of how to get past these very frustrating moments? Does it ever happen to anyone else?
This is quite bad at times because I can't really teach her anything that she doesn't want to learn in the first place, and if she's tired or annoyed at something there's no way of pushing her past her limits... :msniwonder:
 

basenjimom

New Member
I would try having a small airtight (zip lock) bag with HIGH demand treats for the times when she freezes up. Like cooked people chicken or bacon. In small pieces and she only gets these when she is "stuck" to lure her back into working again.

Good luck
 

drgnrdr

New Member
when dogs are anxious enough about something they refuse food, the car she doesn't like, so dogs that are timid/shy/anxious, food doesn't work at those times. watch how long you practice, dogs get bored and frustrated when they know the treat is there and can't figure out how to get it, sometimes it's just us not communicating or luring correctly or if you just give her a treat,
even just to eat it if I'm simply offering her one in my open hand without trying to get her to jump...
without her doing anything for it, why do it, she'll wait and hold out long enough and you'll give in, she gets treat you don't get anything,
make sure she always does something for the treat even if you back away from "car" and make her sit and give treat. Make sure they are hungry before you practice, and like they said"high value" treat gets more work.
not sure about your practice time or anything this is just general info
teaching tricks is a 2 way street dogs have free will, some things they may balk at, and so it's up to you how much you REALLY want that one trick, if so you may have to shape it, and just do small steps toward the ultimate goal
there are 4 ways I teach a trick: lure, shape, catch or induce
 
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