How to Train a Puppy to Take Food Gently

Since puppies are curious and fun loving creatures that get overexcited when they’re offered food from the hand, you will need to train a puppy to take food gently early to prevent them from begging or biting.

Puppies need to be trained in time so that they learn to obey commands and behave in an appropriate manner. If you let small things pass, they will soon become habits and you will have a hard time living with your dog in the same household. Puppies love to discover new things and tend to bite your hand out of sheer excitement when they’re offered food. Apart from biting your hand, puppies also overeat when they’re given food in their bowls. They gulp food without chewing it and ask for more even when they’ve had their fill. It’s best to train a puppy to take food gently at the earliest opportunity so that you and your pet enjoy each other’s company.

How to Train a Puppy to Take Food Gently

To train your puppy to take food gently you will have to put in some time and effort for a few days. To begin, get hold of a treat or any food item your pet enjoys eating. Find a quiet room and take your puppy in there to start training him. There should be no other pets around or no external distractions. Clench the treat in your fist and place your hand around your puppy’s nose. Once your pet smells the treat he may try to snap at your hand or dig his nose into your fist. If this happens, correct your pet with a firm "no" and command your puppy to sit down. Once your puppy sits back open your fist and ask the puppy to take the food gently. Words like ‘easy’ and ‘gentle’ should be used during the training process. Never forget to shower praise when you train a puppy to take food gently. If your puppy doesn’t modify his behavior the first time, repeat the training process for a few consecutive days until you see results.

Things you Should Keep in Mind when you Train a Puppy to Take Food Gently

In order to achieve good results, make sure you use tiny puppy treats that won’t choke your pet. The training sessions shouldn’t last for too long. If your puppy isn’t attentive enough, stop the training and schedule it for another time. You should also avoid teaching your pet more than one thing at a time. If you want to train a puppy to take food gently from your hand, the training should focus only on that. This will help you train your puppy quickly and with little effort.