Hi Jeff,

Zoey (about 1-2yr mix - 50lbs) is anticipating food in our hands which makes it hard to teach certain behavior.  Fortuatly, she is "gentel" and doesn't really get skin when she takes the food, however, with the kids... I don't want there to be a problem, real or precieved.  She will nose our hands all the time, looking for that treat, and it gets anoying when we are trying to eat our own food (she gets put outside at meal times).

Is there a better way to treat/train (and yes, I do work on the random treat after a behavior is "learned") or is there a behavior I should start working on with her to help her not be so hand/food focus?

Thanks!

Liz

Hi Liz,

There are many options. Here are a few to try and let me know if you need more suggestions.

• Don't have the treats on you when you are training. Put them on the counter in Tupperware so she doesn't even know they are there. Mark the correct behavior with a, "Yes" or a 'Click' from a clicker and then reward from a separate location.
• Teach, "No nosing my hand" by shaping the absence of the behavior. You would click and treat for anything but nosing and use timeouts for that behavior. You can use a warning cue such as Leave It to tell her not to do that. The first two "noses" you can say, "Leave It" the third one, "Timeout" and put her in her crate or gently tether her to a door. Here is the post about shaping the absence of demand behaviors. 
• Add different rewards to the mix. Move away from food and find other toys, games, activities that she likes and use those more often. Examples include games of tug, walks, belly rubs, etc.
• Use your voice in between all forms of rewards to increase the overall fun of the activity besides just getting a treat. 
  
• Teach her to Go To Bed during mealtimes.
  

Good luck, and let me know if you have more questions. 

Thank you for the additional ideas.  We've been working on the "no nosing the hand"... a "yes" when she moves away from the treat vs. nosing/licking it... and a big "reward" for her just looking at the hand/treat and NOT nosing it.   I'm also working on "take it" as a signal for her to take what-ever is in my hand, usually a treat or her Kong and sometimes a toy.  She is getting better... slowly... I'm going to try several of the other ideas... thanks again!

 Liz

You are very welcome. Keep me posted on the progress, and keep up the great work!

Jeff