BehavioRx Case of the Month
for February 2001

A Hand-Happy Food Beggar

A seven month old male Beagle had graduated from basic obedience class with honors. He had been trained with food treats combined with a clicker device. The owners said the "Chops" was extremely and a near-genius at learning new tricks. However, Chops had become a genuine pest as a companion around the house with the children or when meeting friends or strangers. He had started jumping up and nipping at people's hands shortly after starting his formal training. Before that time he had never been given any food other than his daily meals, which were served in his food bowl. The daughters, ages nine and eleven years old, were totally unable to control chops and were beginning to resent the Beagle, who finally had been put into a crate during the evenings and when guests visited. Chops was a great performer, but he was not turning out to be the family dog the clients had hoped for when they bought him. He also became highly excited whenever any kind of a "clicking" sound occurred around the house! Added to this, he had started breaking his housetraining and having occasional bowel movements inside. Chops had also started turning up his nose one of his two daily meals of dry dog food about every other day, even though he was getting a bit over-weight.

The clients seemed pleased when told that they weren't alone with their problem, and that Chops was not reacting abnormally. However, they were anxious to learn how they could "train him" out of his fixation about food and hands. Fortunately, they were quick to accept the idea that, since treats and clicks paved the way into their dilemma, they were probably not the road to take out of it.

Chops was genuinely friendly with both people and other dogs. His problem was that his basic need to function for leaders had been preempted by functioning for yummies. Both parents and the daughters quickly grasped this concept. Their only question was; "Having instilled in Chops the idea that we represent virtual food bowls, how do we convert him to an appreciation of the joys of functioning for us without satisfying his appetite?"

A discussion of the social needs of dogs; i.e., their primary need to belong to, and function (work) within, a group (whether with dogs in a pack or within a human family) is stronger than their need to function for food, brought some insight regarding their role in the remedy as well as the cause for Chops' food fixation. Even so,
simply stopping the treats and clicking "cold-turkey" didn't occur to them. They needed more guidance regarding Chops' diet, which was a popular supermarket high carbohydrate, low protein dry food, while the treats they used were high protein goodies. Once they understood that today's dogs, like their ancestors, are basically still meat-eating carnivores, the message was clear. In fact, Debby, the eleven year-old daughter, suggested that they feed Chops meat and he might not even want treats!

A program was developed in which the treats would stop immediately; however, not before a good deal of family discussion about everyone's commitment to stick to the plan. Once the value of having a family dog who functioned for his people rather than food-goodies was discussed, the commitments were in place.

The new, canned meat-based low-carbohydrate/high protein diet was chosen after the family visited the web sites for Natura Pet Products and Wysong Foods, (see below). BehavioRx System Instructions were applied: "Obedience Training - A Primer," for leadership, "Housetraining," to stabilize Chops' feeding schedule and set his bio-rhythms for elimination so they happened right after eating and allow him freedom from his crate.

A post-program report was remarkable: The family all stuck to their guns, even though Chops went through a stage of what they called "pouting" during the first four days. Jumping at hands stopped after a week, both with family and friends. The click of a Bic ballpoint pen ceased to send him into food-search mood in a few days. He was soon a relaxed, normal family Beagle. He went through all his obedience routines like a champion, but this time for everyone's praise and petting.

http://www.wysong.net
http://www.naturapet.com

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