Incorporating Training into Feeding Time - with videos

Doggie mealtime is a great time to practice "impulse control" and manners training. Food is a huge motivator for most dogs, so it should be easy to train your dog to sit calmly and wait for his or her food, even if he is easily excitable.

Below is a video of a dog that is familiar with the routine. He sits, waits, makes eye contact and then starts eating when released.

To teach your dog to sit and wait before eating, follow these guidelines:

1) While preparing your dog's food, don’t allow your dog to jump up on you or stalk you. Take your time preparing the food in order to give your dog enough time to calm down.

2) When the food is ready and your dog is calm, ask your dog to sit.

3) Put the food bowl down in front of your dog and at the same time say “WAIT” with your hand held out in front of you with your palm facing your dog. Don’t let your dog dive right into the food. If your dog tries to get at the food, immediately lift the bowl. Repeat this step until your dog remains seated and waits.

4) If your dog waits calmly, then let him start eating by using a hand signal and/or verbal cue such as “OK” or “RELEASE.”

5) Once your dog gets the hang of it, you can take it one step further. Before releasing him, get your dog’s attention and eye contact. You can ask your dog to look at you, or you could choose to just wait for him to voluntarily give you eye contact.

6) When you have his attention and he has given you eye contact, use your verbal cue or hand signal to let your dog know he can start eating.

7) Once your dog is consistently giving you eye contact before eating, you can extend the amount of time you have him look at you before you release him.

Below is a video clip of a puppy that is learning to Sit and Wait before eating. Notice that I lift the bowl multiple times until she figures out that she won't get to eat until she waits in a seated position. You'll be surprised how fast puppies pick this up!