Three Vital Lessons on Dog Feeding

Teaching a dog about discipline is very important and meal times are the perfect time to teach your dog a few tricks about good behavior. Here are three important lessons on dog feeding:

Use feeding time as training time.

Because you are the one providing food, your dog should learn to recognize you as the leader of the pack.

Never tolerate barking, jumping or growling as you prepare his food or as you put down his feeding bowl. Your dog should patiently sit and wait for you and not the other way around.

Say the command “Sit” and wait for your dog to do so before letting him have his food. If he refuses to obey your command, ignore him. Don’t give his food until he stops barking or jumping.

When he’s quiet, say the command “Sit” and observe. If he’s done well, praise him and give him his bowl. Soon your dog will learn that if he wants to be fed, he must behave properly.

*If your dog isn’t trained to “Sit”, you can start the lesson on How to Teach Your Dog to Sit and Stay.

Always feed at the same time.

Feeding your dog at varying times will only confuse him. Set a specific feeding time and be sure to follow the same routine each day.

Be consistent.

As the pack leader, you set-up the rules. Never break your own rules just because your dog doesn’t seem to get it. Continue training your dog by following the same steps. Remember, you should only feed your dog after he shows the right behavior.

Integrate the command Sit with other activities (before going outside for a walk, before giving him a toy toy or a treat, or before letting him back inside the house). This will help him recognize and remember the command more easily.

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