REFRESHING - Treat Receipt

Our dogs are sweet and fun and highly food motivated, Luna in particular. Labrador Retrievers are known for not having a "full" signal. There are reports of Labs who have eaten to excess and harm. I've never seen Luna "full," and it seems that if I fed her dinner 10 times in a row, she would be just as excited about the 10th bowl as the 1st. Something that we work on frequently is her acceptance of treats.

Foster is the most gentle food taker we've known. Well, I'll say he's on the same level as Koko. There is a softness in Foster's technique of taking food from my hand that feels like kindness and appreciation. It's really wonderful. Luna is so excited about anything we prepare to give her, that the drool begins immediately and she is supremely focused.

Luna came to us with an eye injury, and for years, I thought her depth perception was a bit off and that was why she wasn't the most gentle food taker. Luna is an Expert at taking food from a fork, but from your fingers, she's not so great. When Luna & I visit schools, I encourage kids to give her treats from their open hands. While they will have a drooly hand using this technique, there isn't a chance of teeth-scratched little fingers.

To help Luna relax, and not overshoot her treat taking, we work on the command "Gentle." This command seems to slow her down to accept a treat without her teeth touching my hand. Some dog owners like to throw treats so their dogs can catch them. Luna is remarkably good at this "trick." Remarkably. I don't love this trick, because for a zealous treat eater like Luna, catching treats reinforces a quick mouth grab. Jason calls her a shark.


She's fast, man.
Did you hear that mouth?

I prefer telling Luna to accept the treat from my hand. This works especially well with children who may pull back a treat when a dog's mouth is near. Some people may call a child's pull-back "teasing" a dog, but I see it as a potential Dog-Mouth-On-Child-Therefore-Your-Dog-Bit-My-Child Drama as the dog follows the treat. Offering a treat from the palm of your hand is safer, more polite, but does have the potential for leaving more slobber. There's always the option of leaving the treat on the floor and telling the dog when she can have it, but I find people say that is less rewarding to them...good grief. So to please everyone and keep everyone safe, try practicing the giving and receiving of treats, and maybe consider the option of an open hand a good one.


Luna waits patiently for permission to take the treat.
Look at her sweet face...she is so great!