Teach Your Pup To Be Gentle

When food appears, many dogs are so eager to grab it that they become oblivious to your existence. From a leadership perspective, that's never good.

Therefore, with this simple exercise, you will teach your pup that treats do not randomly fall from the sky to be snatched up the instant he sees one.

Rather, treats come from his leader's hand and thus must be "treated" (pun intended!) with respect.

1. Grasp a treat between your thumb and index finger. Fold your other fingers into your palm so they're not sticking out. With your pup in front of you – doesn't matter whether he's sitting or standing – hold the treat in front of his mouth.

   Don't hold it too high, else he'll jump for it, which is not the calm behavior you're trying to teach!

2. Say, "EEEE-zee." Draw the word out as a long cautionary sound. If he reaches forward to take the treat politely, say "Goood" as he takes it nicely.
3. If instead he tries to snatch at it, leave your hand where it is, right in front of his mouth, but quickly twist/rotate your hand so he can only see the back of your hand and can't see or reach the now-hidden treat. Caution again, "EEEE-zee" and rotate your hand to give him another chance to be polite.

   Rather than rotating their hand, some trainers pull their hand back, but in my experience this causes some dogs to lunge forward to pursue the withdrawing treat. I prefer to leave my hand in one place and simply rotate it to manage what the dog is allowed to see.

4. When he realizes he can't get the treat when he grabs at it, you might actually see his facial expression change, which can be pretty funny. He will probably try something else, such as reaching out carefully and taking the treat very gently, using mostly his front teeth. Good dog! Release the treat when he takes it gently. Add a single reassuring "Goooood" as he takes it nicely.

This gentleness routine  helps your pup pay closer attention to your existence and treat you with thoughtful respect.

Also, "Easy" is a word you can use in other circumstances. I use it as a control word  that cautions a pup to be calmer and gentler. For example, I use it when I introduce a dog to something that he must be careful with (like a new kitten) so that he doesn't get excitable or engage in rough play.