Hannah and Ivy

One reason a dog can wash out of service training is improper food etiquette. They can not be food aggressive, beg, or eat things they find on the ground. They can not take food from a stranger without permission. They also have to allow humans to take food out of their mouth without acting aggressive.

It may sound strange, but it is essential for a service dog to be unfazed by handlers and strangers reaching into their mouth and grabbing food (or other items). The reasons are simple:

• If they pick up something dangerous or toxic, it will need to be removed quickly.
• Not all humans are appropriate with animals. For example, I have seen small children (and sometimes adults) reach into a dog’s mouth without a second thought.

The last thing you want is your dog biting in either of these situations.  That’s why we start food training at a young age.

We started by simply pulling them away from their food while they were eating. That sounds simple, but it takes time. No  hungry puppy wants to have their food removed.

Then we moved on to putting our hand between them and the food. Every member of the family will do this with each pup, so they start to understand that the interruption can happen at any time and from anyone. We will graduate to people outside of the house once this has been mastered.

Each dog has strengths and weaknesses.   One may quickly learn one task and need more practice with another. That is normal.

Soon, we will be reaching into their mouth to take something out while they are actively eating.

Ultimately, both pups will be able to go slack-jawed when a human hand comes in contact with their mouth.

As you can see, patience and repetition are key!

Written by Carrie Jaramillo