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Newburyport Dog Training Tips: How to Teach Patience with Food

Within a given day there are many training opportunities. Mealtime for your dog is a big opportunity and there are myriad ways to leverage your dog’s feeding habits. The best lesson to practice is to have your dog wait quietly and patiently for food. 

1. With the leash and collar on your dog, have them sit quietly across the room away from the food storage while you prepare their dish of food. If your dog can’t yet sit patiently, ask someone else to hold the leash, tether your dog back, or put your dog in the crate. 
2. Bring the bowl to them while they remain calmly sitting. 
3. Kneel down, then raise the bowl to your shoulder height off to one side while looking directly into your dog’s eyes. 
4. The bowl doesn’t move toward the floor until they stare into your eyes, showing that you have their full attention. 
5. Slowly lower the dish as your dog remains sitting and focused on your eyes, not the bowl as it’s slowly lowered. 
6. If they break their focus and turn toward the bowl, lift the bowl and begin the process over again. Use the marker “No” to let them know they are being too pushy or impolite. 
7. Repeat this process until they can stay seated and focused on you while the dish is placed on the floor. Be patient as this is an important lesson that takes practice to master. 
8. When your dog can sit calmly for a polite moment with the dish on the floor in front of them, release them with “Break” or “Okay” in a lighter tone. 

Practice this at all mealtimes. Dogs learn respectful self-control and that polite behavior earns them food. Follow-through with this lesson will bring important improvements to your dog’s focus and reinforce your calm assertiveness and control.