NO NO Bucket
OK many of you have taken my classes and loved learning the command “Leave it” but in class we use treats to teach the command… Many have asked, what about if the dog is great at leaving treats alone but still wanting to grab, destroy or play keep away with items like socks, tissues, underwear, shoes or TV remote controls? Well an idea came to me (through a conversation with a client) last week… Why not practice with those items and create a No, No Bucket! What you ask is a No, No Bucket? Well it is a practice bucket with items Fido likes to chew up, like old shoes, socks with holes in them or broken glasses or remote controls…
I have always made it clear that if you don’t practice something with a dog, well don’t be shocked if it doesn’t work… So once you have learned the command “Leave it” Using treats why not use your newly created No, No Bucket as a way to practice your leave it commands with the items your pooch likes to steal or grab? Let’s face it, dogs do not easily translate or generalize skills from one situation to another so while learning “Leave it” with treats is a great way to practice and start the learning process… Adding real life items to practice with, will not only create a stronger “Leave it” command but will help teach Fido what is and what is not appropriate have…
If you are interested in what the “Leave it” command is and how it works then check out my previous article on “Leave it vs. Wait”, but a couple of quick comments on dogs and how to deal with stealing…
· Dogs love the game of chase and many times will grab stuff only to see if you will chase them to get it back! It is there way of saying “tag, your it, now come and get me” Don’t fall for it…
· If your dog does grab something, then don’t fall into that “you have to give me that cause I say so” technique that you have seen on TV…
· Teach your dog a reliable drop or item exchange command… For example if Fido has a sock trade him for a chew toy or some other appropriate toy. Now you both have what you want and all is the good in the world!
The idea is simple, create your “No, No Bucket” and practice… You should already have a “Yes, Yes Bucket” (another word for the dogs toy bucket) Now all you need to do is start teaching your dog the difference between the two… It is all about trading, “you don’t need that, but you may have this”… With a little practice the next thing you know you will have a dog that is only taking what is his, not yours!
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