Taking From Kids

southerngirl

Honored Member
I have a two year old niece Lizzie who often comes over with her brothers 5, 9, and 7. Lizzie loves dogs, especially Piper. She follows Piper around petting her and she is always giving Piper kisses. Piper is so great with her and so patient. We do carefully watch them together making sure Lizzie is being sweet. Piper is stealing food from Lizzie and sitting by her when she is at the table waiting for her to drop food. Usually Piper is sitting in the living room entrance that's connected to the kitchen so she can see everyone, but when the kidos are over I have a really hard time keeping her at "her place" And it doesn't help that Lizzie gives her food.
 

southerngirl

Honored Member
What have you tried so far for "keeping her at "her place""?
To teach her to stay at "her place" to begin with I would put her in a sit stay and sat at the table for a second walk back to her and give her a treat and increased the time from there. Right now when the kids are over I just get up and tell her to go back to her place and than have her sit. But I can do this over and over and she just gets back up a minute later.

Oh and know I look back at the post I see I didn't explain it very well. It's not just at the table, when Lizzie has food in her hand walking around with it such as a cracker or chip Piper will take it out of her hand eating it.
 

running_dog

Honored Member
To teach her to stay at "her place" to begin with I would put her in a sit stay and sat at the table for a second walk back to her and give her a treat and increased the time from there. Right now when the kids are over I just get up and tell her to go back to her place and than have her sit. But I can do this over and over and she just gets back up a minute later.
A couple of months ago I'd probably have suggested exactly what you are doing. Now my first thought was a bit different. For the problem at meal times look at it as a choice for Piper.
At the moment:
Doorway = unrewarding
Chair = very rewarding
Now if I was Piper I know what choice I'd make!

I'd try to make the doorway very rewarding so keep giving her treats there all the time while the kids are eating, think quality treats and very rapid reinforcement of every few seconds she stays there.
So then:
Doorway = very rewarding
Chair = very rewarding
You can see that now Piper has a much better chance of making the choice you want.

Then you make yourself the gateway to the other reward she wants - the stuff the children have dropped. So when you've all finished eating tell Piper to go and clean up. You might not get to the end of the meal the first time. But by making yourself the gateway you take the conflict out of the situation.

I hope this helps a bit. I haven't time now to talk about the stealing food around the house, but I might be back later or after the weekend. Hopefully there will be more suggestions by then too... there is more than one way to train a dog... I love that there are so many good ways to train the same things.
 

southerngirl

Honored Member
A couple of months ago I'd probably have suggested exactly what you are doing. Now my first thought was a bit different. For the problem at meal times look at it as a choice for Piper.
At the moment:
Doorway = unrewarding
Chair = very rewarding
Now if I was Piper I know what choice I'd make!

I'd try to make the doorway very rewarding so keep giving her treats there all the time while the kids are eating, think quality treats and very rapid reinforcement of every few seconds she stays there.
So then:
Doorway = very rewarding
Chair = very rewarding
You can see that now Piper has a much better chance of making the choice you want.

Then you make yourself the gateway to the other reward she wants - the stuff the children have dropped. So when you've all finished eating tell Piper to go and clean up. You might not get to the end of the meal the first time. But by making yourself the gateway you take the conflict out of the situation.

I hope this helps a bit. I haven't time now to talk about the stealing food around the house, but I might be back later or after the weekend. Hopefully there will be more suggestions by then too... there is more than one way to train a dog... I love that there are so many good ways to train the same things.
Thanks. That makes a lot of sense making her place just as rewarding as being by the chair. And she is always allowed to clean up after messy Lizzie, she just wants to clean up as it drops instead of waiting.:)
 

kassidybc

Experienced Member
The first half of this video shows how to play the game. Suzanne Garret created it, and she uses it in some shape or form in almost every Recallers game she plays. It doesn't just have to be food in your hand or on the ground, you can get creative with the game. Food in their food dish, the garbage (if they tend to get in the garbage), food on counters (if they counter surf). You can even use it with things other than food, like running out the door (close the door, open it when she 's not trying to get out, close it when she tries to get out, open it back up when she's not trying to get out, and then when she makes the choice to not run out the door when you open it, then you release her). Playing the game in some shape or form may be helpful... You may have to get creative to adress your specific problem (though you should probably introduce its your choice with the food in your hand first).
 

southerngirl

Honored Member
The first half of this video shows how to play the game. Suzanne Garret created it, and she uses it in some shape or form in almost every Recallers game she plays. It doesn't just have to be food in your hand or on the ground, you can get creative with the game. Food in their food dish, the garbage (if they tend to get in the garbage), food on counters (if they counter surf). You can even use it with things other than food, like running out the door (close the door, open it when she 's not trying to get out, close it when she tries to get out, open it back up when she's not trying to get out, and then when she makes the choice to not run out the door when you open it, then you release her). Playing the game in some shape or form may be helpful... You may have to get creative to adress your specific problem (though you should probably introduce its your choice with the food in your hand first).
This sounds great Kassidy. And with Piper being a counter surfer and raiding the garbage I can use it for those too. Thank you! I'll start off with the food first.(y)
 
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