Frodo, like most corgis, is ridiculous when it comes to food. It doesn't even matter if it tastes good or if he is even hungry, he wants to eat it! This is one thing I will always be grateful for, because no matter how many issues he has, I think it trying to solve them would be a much larger task if he was not food motivated.
It also seems as though every trainer in the whole world says that treats have different values for dogs, and I agree. For the most part. But in Frodo's eyes all the treats in the world are the best thing ever. Except for lettuce. Lettuce is a low value treat according to Frodo. His reaction to normal, everyday kibble is not all that far from his reaction to other treats like cheese or cat food. I feel as though I could use either of them and have a very similar reaction.
In her book Chill Out Fido!, Nan Arthur uses what she refers to as a trail mix for training. It's kibble mixed in with other, higher value treats. I don't know why this didn't occur to me earlier. It's so simple, but I am looking forward to using it, though I don't know if it will make a difference with Frodo or not. It makes sense that the trail mix would keep dogs engaged since they don't know what they are going to get next, but Frodo (indoors at least) will remain engaged as long as you are handing out anything he believes he can eat!
One of my goals with Frodo is to not have him eat a meal out of a dog bowl again. I want him to be working for all of his food, whether it is through rewards during training, hide and seek, stuffed in a kong, etc. This is due in part to the fact that I want him to have more mental stimulation than I have given him in the past.
"Free food in a bowl plays against the genetic legacy of dogs." This is part of the title quote and another reason I would like to have Frodo working for all of his food. This quote came from Jean Donaldson's Culture Clash. <3
Early on in the book Donaldson points out that selective breeding and domestication have not stopped dogs from retaining the predatory behaviors of their ancestors, and that the 6 steps of predatory behavior should be fostered in a dog through appropriate means.
The six steps are:
- Search (find prey, mainly using nose)
- Stalk (stealthy approach to prey)
- Rush (move rapidly towards prey)
- Chase (if prey flees)
- Bite/hold/shake/kill (the prey)
- Dissect and eat (the prey)
And now I have to go to class so the rest of this post will just have to continue when I get a chance. Hopefully later tonght.
To Be Continued...
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