Urgent help req'd please wrt dog training with treats and sharp incisors!

[Twodaschunds]

Ouch! Urgent advice appreciated pls. We've just adopted (two days ago) a just-over-one-year-old female lh daschund who, is still very puppyish and owing to her loved but not enough time spent on her background still requires a lot of training. She is extremely intelligent and very food orientated and still quite chewy/bitey.

I've started 5 min training slots straight away to teach her the basic commands, spread throughout the day. I am using tiny bits of naice ham or Herta sausage as she is very food oriented.

The trouble is, as I am trying to train her, she really lunges at the food - and she has very sharp spikey incisors - and she really hurts my fingers. No blood drawn yet but it is only a matter of time!

How do I get her to take the food calmly like my older lh daschund who takes treats so gently from my hand?

Any tips really appreciated - thanks!

[missbattenburg]

Hold the food in a loosely closed fist so that she has to 'snuffle' into your palm to get at it. Repeat, repeat, repeat. Over time you should be able to loosen the fist slowly so that she just has to reach into your palm for it (don't hold it in your fingers).

[MissShapesMissStakes]

I agree with PP. Our pup got a bit snatchy with his reward treats. So I started saying ‘yes!’ excitedly when he got it right (so he knew a treat was on its way) but offered the treat in a slower way so he had to be less bitey. I hold it in my palm with fist closed for a short amount of time and he would sniff and then be calmer taking it. Or even hold on my fingers but approach his mouth with the back of my hand first and slowly turn my fingers/the treat towards his mouth so he approached it nose first and was much gentler.

[Twodaschunds]

Thank you MissBattenburg and MissShapes very much indeed for this very helpful advice!

That sounds eminently sensible advice. I shall try it out straight away!

Much appreciated!

[AvocadosBeforeMortgages]

For some slightly more immediately finger saving options, Primula cheese and Tubidog liver pate are good ways to deliver high value treats from a safe distance!

[Twodaschunds]

MissBattenburg & MissShapes just reporting back to say that the "closed fist" technique worked really well - thank you! Amazing that such a small thing makes such a difference! She is already less bitey with it!

My training will really need to be up to snuff because she is as bright as a button but all positive so far. I may be back on here to ask further questions!

Thank you Advocados that is a fantastic idea too! Will seek some out!

[smackbangwhollop]

I would suggest hold the treat in a closed hand and let pup sniff your hand. Hold your hand still at floor level. Pup may try like crazy to get the food but do NOT let her have it. Don't say anything, just wait....
When she realises her frantic trying to get the treat does not get her the treat she will try something else like 'back away from your hand. As soon as she backs off, even just a little let her have the treat. If she goes crazy for the treat, use a lower value food treat she doesn't like quite so much.

Repeat the above but offer her the lower value treat in a closed or semi closed hand, keep the high value treat in the other hand out of sight. When she backs away from the low value treat give her only the high value treat from the other hand. This way she learns not to grab for the food as she won't get it. Backing off gets her the treat. As she gets better make her wait a litter longer before giving her the reward.

Written on my phone, I hope it makes sense. Let us know how you get on.