Tuck has recently had the kitchen added to the list of rooms he’s allowed to be in with supervision. I’ve been training him to go lay in the bed in the kitchen when I need him to be safely out from under foot but don’t want to send him back to his pen in the living room. I’ve been using higher value treats for this, because the kitchen has so many temptations to go explore when he’s supposed to be on his bed.
We have also been having trouble getting him to eat enough food since starting his new prescription diet. He’s always been particularly finicky, to the point of losing weight when he didn’t like his food. In an effort to get him to eat more we’ve temporarily removed all treats from his daily intake, and he’s being given 30 mins for a chance to eat his food and if he doesn’t it gets picked up until his next meal in hopes that he will accept that this is his only option. I’m using his kibble for training and avoiding working on the things we need high value treats for for a few days.
Yesterday was day one. As expected he was picking at his food, but not eating much and holding out hoping we would pull out the treats or add his old topper to his food (which he’s not allowed to have with the new prescription diet). Last night when he realised it was almost bedtime and we hadn’t given in, he apparently decided to take matters into his own hands. Someone accidentally left the gate to the kitchen open, and I turned around to find that I couldn’t see him and went to look to see if he went to the kitchen. Sure enough, there he was in his bed in the kitchen, tail wagging excitedly and giving me his best “come on, you and I both know this gets me the good treats” look.
I’m curious to see what random tricks he’s going to try today to see if I’ll bring out some boiled chicken 😂
We have also been having trouble getting him to eat enough food since starting his new prescription diet. He’s always been particularly finicky, to the point of losing weight when he didn’t like his food. In an effort to get him to eat more we’ve temporarily removed all treats from his daily intake, and he’s being given 30 mins for a chance to eat his food and if he doesn’t it gets picked up until his next meal in hopes that he will accept that this is his only option. I’m using his kibble for training and avoiding working on the things we need high value treats for for a few days.
Yesterday was day one. As expected he was picking at his food, but not eating much and holding out hoping we would pull out the treats or add his old topper to his food (which he’s not allowed to have with the new prescription diet). Last night when he realised it was almost bedtime and we hadn’t given in, he apparently decided to take matters into his own hands. Someone accidentally left the gate to the kitchen open, and I turned around to find that I couldn’t see him and went to look to see if he went to the kitchen. Sure enough, there he was in his bed in the kitchen, tail wagging excitedly and giving me his best “come on, you and I both know this gets me the good treats” look.
I’m curious to see what random tricks he’s going to try today to see if I’ll bring out some boiled chicken 😂