Rat Terrier

Question
QUESTION: I have a 9 year old female rat terrier.  She has been in my home since she was two months old and I love her dearly.  Unfortunately for both of us I let my dog be the pack leader in my home.  Recently I hired a dog trainer to come to my home for one on one training for a few issues we were having.  She was able to help tremendously with helping me gain the role of pack leader with the exception of one area...feeding time.  My dog gets completed overwhelmed at feeding time.  The trainer tried a few things but nothing worked to distract my dog and get her in a calm submissive state for feeding time.  My dog barks loudly, whines loudly, runs around like a crazy dog until she gets her food.  Do you have any suggestions to make feeding time less chaotic for me and my dog?

ANSWER: Jayne -

I can tell from the words you used that you have been watching the Dog Whisperer.  While some of his techniques are fine, it's important to note that his techniques behind the scene are widely condemned by the larger training community as harsh.

Rat terriers are, by nature, pretty cranked up little personalities. They tend toward over stimulation and anxiety. That makes your mealtime issue make a lot of sense since not much gets dogs more excited than meals.

I'm not clear from your description if she's just whacked out when it's mealtime and she's nagging you, if she's just out of control when you are scooping her kibble or if she is downright aggressive with you when you go to put the bowl down.

I make my dogs sit quietly and "wait" until released to eat their food.  If they start for the dish before I release them, I just pick the bowl back up, put them in a sit, and repeat the "wait" command.  Once I got them doing it for a few seconds at a time, I lengthened the time I made them wait.  Now I alternate between short and longer times.  I also have other people feed them so they behave for others too.

If she gets so worked up that she is disrupting your being able to prepare her meal, or if she is nagging you, I would crate her while you're doing these things, then make her out and wait while you put the dish down.  It's perfectly fine to use a treat to get her in the habit of "kennel up."  My gang go right into their crates when I leave in the morning because they know they have to if they want their treat.

Now, if she is grabbing at the bowl or getting aggressive or out of control when you are actually putting the dish down, I wold encourage you to hand feed her for a while.  One kibble at a time, and she has to take it gently. It teaches her to "get a grip" on herself in order to get the food.  You can graduate to feeding her with your hand inside the dish after her taking the food gently for a few days in a row.  If something goes wrong, you just back up a step and start over.

I guess I might have more suggestions if I was clearer about what the specific behavior is. A trainer has the benefit of being able to actually see her in action, so this is harder to determine.

-Beth

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: The specific behavior you are inquiring about is when I go for the container that holds her food she goes crazy barking, whining, jumping up and down and shaking from head to toe in excitement until I get the food in her bowl.  I cannot get her to sit quietly and "wait" to be fed.  I can get her to sit and "wait" but she is no where near quiet while doing it.  I tried putting a training collar on her with a lease and giving her correction tugs and saying "no whine".  The "no whine" command has been working great in other areas but does not work here.  She is just SO excited!  I will try the suggestion you mentioned above...feeding her kibble by kibble out of my hand and see if that works at all.  This behavior just started about 2 1/2 years ago after I moved into my new home.

Answer
Jayne -

Sounds like she just gets overwhelmed with excitement and anxiety.

Are you feeding once or twice a day ?  I find that feeding twice a day helps keep tummies calmer and the whole feeding experience less chaotic because no one is just starving.

Another thought is using something like this.  It does not use any kind of shock, but is quite effective in interrupting a negative behavior (such as barking) long enough for the dog to get a grip.  I know many people who use them with good results, and they are all people who are highly commited to positive training.

Instead of correcting and saying "no whine," you would use it, give a positive command (something the dog should **do** as opposed to not do) like sit, and then praise.  You would likely have to do it numerous times for each feeding for a while since she may not be able to manage herself well, but I bet that within a week you would have a lot different behavior.

http://mall.cairnrescue.com/mdse/show_item.php?itemno=G12

I sure hope you can find a way, and I sure wish I close enough to come by and see her in action.

Best wishes.

-Beth