Feeding Protocol
Dog Feeding Protocol
All dogs should sit and wait calmly for release cue for their food bowl. It’s a manners thing, and a show of respect for the “leader” of the pack.
Release cue: Ok, Break, Free, Take It, Eat – whatever word you choose and long as all family members use the same word each and every time.
When you do put a bowl down, the dog has 10 minutes to eat tops after you release them. They eat it or they don’t. Up to them. At 10 minutes bowl is removed until the next scheduled feeding (morning or night). This removal happens whether it was their first portion or the last.
No treats given to dogs who skip meals.
Note: If your dog has a health concern, this exercise may not be appropriate. Discuss with me as needed.
Wait for the Bowl / Permission to Eat:
Divide the meal into at least 4 portions.
· Portion 1 goes into the bowl:
o Ask the dog to sit
o As you bend to put the food bowl on the floor, if the dog stands up, bring the bowl back up with you and mark “NO”, “Sit”
o Do you ab exercises until you can get the bowl on the ground and the dog remains seated,
o Quickly say OK and let the dog have that portion.
o Repeat for all for portions
· Progression
o As the dog starts to understand he’s waiting on the “Ok” as a release queue to take his food, begin to pause for a few seconds between placing the bowl on the ground and the release word.
o Build this exercise so that your dog will wait 5-60 seconds for the release word.
o Build this exercise so that the dog makes eye contact with you (watch me) while waiting on the release cue
o Build on this exercise to use the down command, before releasing the dog to eat. Especially for those really resisting the down command.
o Build on this exercise to recall your dog away from the food bowl ( this may require a leash, even if you have previously been able to work leash-free at feeding time). This is a hard exercise but really shows that your dog is listening and obedient to you.
§ When I start teaching the recall away, I generally have something yummy and delicious/high value to reward them with when they come to me.
o Once everyone gets the hang of manners at the food bowl you can resume single portions of food & only randomly throughout the month add the harder skills.
Safety:
· For many/most dogs – you will begin this teaching exercise on leash. In time, the leash can be eliminated.
· If you’re working with multiple dogs or new dog to the pack – proof this skill with individuals before you work them as a pair
Impulse Control Dogs
o There should be no lunging, barking, demanding, pawing, jumping, dancing, prancing or otherwise demonstrating lack of impulse control around food.
o Often in the exercise above when we start adding duration to the wait time – the dog will become impatient and demanding – even if they never have before. This is a teaching moment!
o Demands end the meal.
o I literally call out “too bad” and let them see me put the food away and walk out of the kitchen. They are often sitting their befuddled, like what just happened. Leadership, new rules, new expectations happened.
Will Work for Food Game:
This is just a fun game to play with your dog at mealtime. It is conflict-free. Leash free. Correction free. This game engages YOU as part of the process. We’re practicing skills, getting dinner, working the mind and body.
· With a few portions of kibble, nuggets of meat from your fresh foods diet, or even a few treats – create a rapid-fire drill of the skills your dog has already learned
Progression:
· Ask for sit, touch, watch me, down, high five, place, recall, sit/stay, etc – anything your dog has begun to learn and is now ready to start proofing a bit more.
· Add movement where you’re adding “distance” to the stays
· Add “distractions” where you are excited and maybe even silly – mark the errors with a verbal no marker, and release the food items for every “skill” delivered.
· Add duration (pauses between the skills)
Feed The Chickens Game:
Use caution with this game in multiple dog houses, especially if any are resource guarders. It may need to be avoided for some packs collectively, but you can do with the individuals.
Dogs are foragers, hunters, nose-oriented beings. Free bowls of meals do not tap into the nature of their design and their nose. This exercise is especially helpful for hound dogs and highly scent-driven dogs. This exercise works best with kibble or treats – but can be adapted for fresh foods.
On your patio, drive, or a nice patch of chemical-free grass – make a huge scatter of a portion of their food. Let them spend the next 20-30 minutes “hunting” for supper. Help them find pieces – it makes you important and helpful, and gives you some engagement opportunities with them.
Safety:
· If you’re working with multiple dogs or new dog to the pack, use leashes for everyone the first several times they work together, and continue using a leash for the new dog longer than you think is necessary during their periods of transitions in to the pack. (See New Pack Guide and See Transition Period Blog)
Say No To Free Feeding Your Dog
Free feeding is the dog’s bowl stays down all day and it’s generally refilled quite often.
It’s normal, and frankly more digestively appropriate to feed your healthy young/adult dog only once or twice per day. They do not need to graze and nibble.
In fact, there are some potential consequences to free feeding
Obesity — it’s easy for your dog to eat too much food in this feeding style and gain weight. Obesity is a serious health issue that contributes to overall inflammation in the body that may lead to other health concerns.
Resource Guarding — especially in multi-dog families. You can’t guard a bowl that isn’t there. When he is finished eating, pick up the bowl until the next schedule feeding.
Missed Observations: How do you know how much your dog is eating or if he’s missing mills. Most free feeding households, do not have daily portions of food, or they may even have multiple feeders — both make it difficult to know if your dog is eating regularly and how much. There may be clued to health when there are changing in eating patters.
Pee and Poop Schedules Altered: This is especially true for young pups and senior dogs. Food and water in leads to something coming out. If it goes in on schedule, you’re more likely to have more successfully scheduled potty times.
Resource Guarders (Separate Protocol / Program)