Go Dog Training

This question came as a comment from the following post.

January 12, 2009

My friends dog is really "clever" as you say and keeps jumping up on the cat food table (not a small feat) to scarf away the snacks...my friend thinks this is really cute but it's becoming a little bit expensive.  Do you think her dog is being clever or naughty or both?

Dear Concerned,

Your friend's dog is just being a dog.  And your friend probably finds it amusing that her dog could/would work so hard to get onto the cat table for the occasional treat.  This doesn't make it right -especially if her dog is eating all your cats food.  For several reasons you and your friend should probably make time to discuss the problem and make a plan to re-train the dog.

For starters a small amount of cat food won't be terrible for her dog, but over time it will contribute to ill health.  Cat food is generally higher in fat and protein and will likely contribute to obesity in her dog.  

In this type of situation cooperation is needed.  You will both need to participate in changing the feeding routine.  If the cat is currently being free-fed, try switching to set feeding times.  This will give you better control over your cats diet and you will ultimately have a closer watch on her food intake, and health.  Plus the dog won't be able to continue a bad habit.  Interrupting a bad behavior is an important step in changing habits.  If a new behavior is taught, but the old behavior is simultaneously allowed to keep happening... nothing will change.

I do not recommend making the table taller or harder to reach.  A clever, motivated dog will just see this as an improved obstacle course, a better puzzle, a new challenge to be overcome.  

Once you have the cat on a regular feeding routine it will be easier to control the dog's behavior.  

Pick a spot that the dog likes and that is far enough away form the cat, that the kitty is relaxed and can eat.  

Have your friend work on training her dog to do a down-stay when you feed your cat.  

Give the dog small rewards during the meal for holding the stay.  

THEN give the dog one big HUGE reward at the end of the meal.*

*A clever trick is to REWARD THE DOG with ACCESS.  

Command the dog to jump up on the table (with kitty's permission only).  Use a food lure if the dog is shy to do this in front of you.  

Once the dog is up there, she will see that the bowl is empty (make sure this is the case).  

Then HAND-DELIVER a treat to your dog for doing this "cute" trick FOR YOU!  

Then command the dog to get OFF the table.  

If she tries again to jump up on the table, give the dog a TIME-OUT.  5-seconds on leash or in the bathroom is sufficient.  

Continue this so that the dog knows that the trick only works:

A) after doing a down-stay while kitty eats

B) when you ask her to do the trick.

If you are punishing the dog, stop doing so.  It isn't working (probably because the timing of the punishment -post yummy snacks consumed, is late). And, you are just teaching the dog to be more covert in his food scavenging (ie:  it's OK as long as you don't get caught).