PROCEDURE
Stage One
1. Establish one location in which the dog is always feed.
2. Always use a specific bowl for each dog.
3. Have a regular feeding pattern or time.
4. Ideally have one person only feeding the dog.
These repeating associations form a habit process which is vital in the bait-proofing technique.
Stage Two
1. Don’t fed the dog for a period of time so that he is very hungry.
2. Have his training collar on and put him on a chain.
3. Place food in a situation, away from his set location, where he can easily discover it.
4. Release the dog from his chain, and be ready to observe him from a distance, preferably not obvious to
the dog.
5. When he is about to bite or eat the food, use a static correction on a high level for one second. If he
continues to eat and disregards the correction, increase it to maximum and use for two to three seconds.
Call the dog shortly after and proceed to feed him in the normal fashion. This will strongly reinforce in the dog’s mind, that when he is fed in the normal location in his own bowl, everything is fine. When he eats food elsewhere, he will suffer the unpleasant experience.
Stage Three
Repeat this process of depriving food while the dog is chained, and then when really hungry releasing him and testing him with ‘illegal food’ in various other places, with a correction if needed. Again the repeated associations will reinforce the message that all food discovered away from ‘his place’ will cause that unpleasant reaction.
SUMMARY
The success of this technique is correct conditioning and timing.
The more this process is repeated the more it will reinforce in the dogs mind- there is only one place to eat.
Success will be indicated when the dog avoids eating meat or biscuits left around to tempt him when he is hungry.
Finally, a regular pattern of satisfactory feeding so the dog doesn’t get overly hungry ought to ensure that he will not lapse.