Gently Getting Treats

[Steven]

Hey Everyone:

Since the first day I got LC, he's always gotten treats from my head and between my fingers very gently making sure not to get my fingers. I've only known one other dog that was like this -- not a dachsie though.

I was wondering, how common is this trait? How many of you have had a aggressive grabber? I'm just wondering how common my little one is; he is unique no matter what! :D

[willsana]

That was one of Duffy's nicknames! The only safe way to give her a treat was to toss it to her from afar!

Willow is very gentle. The only time she may be grabby is if she thinks another dog might beat her to it. Then she rarely hurts you.

[juliette]

Ours are both very gentle, unless they are over excited. If they do grab too hard, I make sure I give a dramatic "OUCH' and disengage from them.

I know they don't want to hurt and the yelp of pain and moving away from them are the same signs they would have gotten from their littermates as puppies when they were being too rough.

One of the things I love about dachsies - they always want to love and protect!

[Heide]

will knock you down for a treat. While Cassie and Maggie are very gentle.
Kamper and Natasha are aggressive food eaters.

[Steven]

It's interetsing that even in the same pack there are differences. You'd think they would learn from each other. It is true about love and protect, LC will bark at anything he thinks is bad, even someone's car horn when they lock their doors with the remote. Oh well, he tries. :)

At least he is gentle with others and not just me.

[Heide]

to protect us from all evil.:D
Natasha and Cassie both are very leary of new people. Especially if they come near me. YIKES..
But I think that comes from whatever life they had before being in their loving forever home.
They want to protect me.
I use to free feed before I got Natasha. NOw they are on individual feedings and I think that has made Kamper food aggresive.
Been working with him and Natasha both about that. We are coming along slowly.
I also believe that its due to being afraid the other might get more for some reason.?
Oh well go figure. :eek:

[lotsadox]

I have some of each. Miller is very gentle when he takes a treat. On the other hand, Cash can take your fingers off to the first knuckle if you don't remember to tell him "Easy" before giving him the treat. He's also a voracious eater and will try to take food from the others if I don't watch him.

[blazeman]

Jake has always taken treats nice. Woody... on the other hand is my land shark... he I don't tell him nice from the time I pick up the treat... I risk losin a finger :D

[Kim H.]

Tristan always took the treat politely & gently.

Amber (cocker)... well, it's best to hold your hand out flat with the treat on it, if you want to keep all your fingers.

The girls are pretty gentle so far. Angel-Alpha needs hers FIRST & Cassie is good about waiting.

[TessieMom]

It depends on the treats and the number of dogs around. I do have some that could be nicknamed "Jaws." It is not always the same dog... gentle ones can be sharks if the prize is good enough.

Rena and the Waco crew

[FOREVER A DAXIE]

Charlie is extremely gentle. Also today for the first time when my son offered him a Treat he really loves he came running and lied down for a Belly Rub FIRST!!! We couldn't believe it.

[Otto'sMom]

Dolly is gentle but very treat aggressive once she gets her treat or is sitting on me and there is a prospect of getting a treat, she's pretty snappy towards the other dogs. Otto takes treats very gently as well as Izzy but Gert will take your fingers if you're not careful. Buddy is good with treats too, getting pretty excited but not ever snappy or grabby. He'll sneak a pizza crust from my hands without me noticing, that's how gentle he can be!

[Steven]

Wow, differences all over. Those with the multi-dogs, does the alpha take it gently and the rest grab or is it vice versa? I'm just wondering if there's a pattern there. But I guess it comes down to the dog. LC isn't as unique now :( Hehe, but yet he is.

[TessieMom]

My alpha wire tends to be a shark when others are there. The others are okay once she has gotten the fingers that fed her.

Rena and the Waco crew

[Lauri Gengor]

It's amazing how these little dogs can fool you. Magic who is very shy and gentle is very agressive with treats. My other two better not come near here. She growls and protects it. Misty who is very outward and not shy of a thing will be still be sweet and wagging her tail if my other two or I approach her. Mirri, my pup is the little lady who eats very danty and has not yet developed that protective nature over her treats, my other two will steal from her and it's no big deal. But one thing all have in common they are all little thiefs and will try to steal from each other!

[doxunzX3]

It all depends! Most of the time Con likes to grab. Chewy isn't to bad and Ivy is gentle. BUT....
If it is an organe Ivy will push the other 2 if she can.
Con has been know to eat my knuckels, but take food gentel from a baby.
Chewy as always is in left field. but he does like his treats. So we just remind them to be gentle even if it doesn't always work. Occansionally it does.:fierce: Some things that are supper special are only given it their crates. And no one comes out till they are finished.

[Rusty's mom]

Our Rusty, Duffer and Holly are extremely gentle at taking food from our hands. Hobbs tends to be a little 'grabbier' but then his tongue is split in two for about 1.5" from the tip up. He was like that when we got him. Our Rusty is most definitely the alpha and he is the gentlest of all when it comes to taking food from our hands.

Kathy - mom to Rusty, Duffer, Hobbs, Holly

[graci67]

we had that problem with Graci. If we would give her a treat and she would grab for it I would pull the food away tell her no firmly, push her down and MAKE her take the food gently. she has been polite since. shes really smart ( when she wants to be :D :sarcastic ) and learned fast.

[Lovmyalfred]

Both my guys are aggressive eaters. They have drawn blood taking the treats. I told my husband that if an animal shelter came by and saw this they would think we are starving them!

[juliette]

Otto has serious land shark potential, while Jinxie is always gentle.

The funny thing is that NILIF (Nothing In Life Is Free) in our house, and they always have to do something to get a treat. Otto's default position now is to sit and wave his front right paw at you.

[Me&DappledDuo]

We've taught the pups since we got them to take treats gentley- and usually have no problem with them. We have done so well with "wait", "stay" and "leave it" that we can put a treat on Lynx's nose and he'll wait for permission to eat it! Dutch doesn't have that one down yet, but will leave one in front of him alone until released with "okay". Here I am preaching obedience again- but I swear, it really does fix many troublesome problems, or can teach you how to work around them! :)

[Frzframe]

are usually gentle but there are times when Mitzi gets a little snappy but not to often. She usually get that way when she has been excited (like just coming in from running outside) but I can see it in her eyes so a firm "gentle" works to calm her down.

Now Dudley is very gentle - so gentle that he just bearly gets the treat by his teeth and he doesn't bite it hard enough so it falls out! Silly boy - I have to make sure Mitzi Moo doesn't get his special treat along with hers.

Neither of them have any food aggression with humans but Mitzi does get a little testy if Dudley gets his nose in her bowl while she's trying to eat from time to time. But not to often. Most of the time she'll let him eat her food - but she looks at me with those eyes (yeah you know what I'm talkin bout) and it almost breaks my heart. But she knows her momma will take care of her and give her that whole 1/2 cup that she deserves!!! :D

~Shonda, Mitzi and Dudley

[Tammara]

They are both good at getting a treat gently when it's their turn, except Ruben will sometimes push Treynce out of the way with his side when he thinks she's getting more than her share. :D

They mostly get treats for pottying or walking nicely with Daddy to get the paper in the morning. Since they don't always potty at the same time, we (sometimes) just grab Ruben, give Trenyce her treat, then set the boy down. Lately, Trenyce has been swiping Ruben's if he drops a crumb. Sisterly payback.:fierce:

Ruben is only aggressive with his mouth when he's giving Mommy open mouth kisses (love bites) on the nose. Twice now I've gotten a ripped nose from his "loving." He's always terribly apologetic when he hurts. He hates to hear me say "OUCH", or "naughty Ruben."

[Kim H.]

That would be my sweet Cassandra

[Doxie's maid]

We have four doxies, three girls and a male. All of the girls have been grabby about treats, but I won't give them a treat until they sit, stay and act nice. But if I let down my guard, there they go!

If I didn't do it this way I would be covered with a ravenous doxie pack, never to be heard from again!:flower: When it comes to treats of course they all act like I haven't fed them for days on end!!!!!!!!!!

[Meemoo]

when we went for training. We were told that you are to hold the treat very close to the dog's mouth and if he tries to snatch it (as opposed to gently talking it, you pull it away, and try again, and keep doing this until the dog doesn't snatch but rather takes it gently. I know it sounds cruel, but they learn after a few times of not getting it with the snatching routine, they are gentle.

It has worked for the most part with Chief.