When Cooper Gets A Treat

Anyone who has been around Cooper knows I never allow anyone to feed him anything EVER.  If he gets anything to eat it is from me (and sometimes Jesse) ONLY, and ONLY under acceptable conditions that stay with his training.  

Since all dogs are prone to 'beg' if they expect food all the time, I've tried to create an expectation within Cooper teaching him that he only gets food from us, no one else.  This way he wouldn't 'ask' (beg) because no on else is a food source.

Cooper knows he never eats until I'm done eating.  At home he gets his meal after Jesse and I eat dinner.  If we stop at a restaurant, he will get something I had on my plate after we get outside.  He almost never eats when I do. 

  

The exception I have made to this rule that I have allowed is when we are on the motorcycles and we stop for ice cream.  We ALWAYS stop for ice cream.  Sometimes the ride IS for ice cream.  Cooper knows when we order, I get some for him too.  His expectation is clear and he can tend to become impatient and very impolite.  I correct his behaviors and expect him to wait quietly for his treat.  He gets better after some strict reminding.  I want him NOT to jump around barking in excitement.  He needs to sit and wait patiently.  I smear his vanilla ice cream into the edges of the cup so he can't  just gobble it up.  This makes it so he has to lick it until it's gone.  Sometimes I add water to the ice cream if he hasn't had enough to drink.  He's so funny, concentrating on every last bit of his yummy treat.  The cup travels away from Cooper with every lick. I usually trap the cup between my feet to keep it still for him.  He licks and licks, hardly aware of anything in his surroundings.  It's funny to see him with ice cream all over his face when he's nearly done licking the cup clean.  

When he's all done, I ask him for the cup.  He picks it up and hands it to me as natural as can be.  Anyone close by can't believe their eyes!  "Did that dog just pick up his own trash?!", is a question I've heard from his smiling audience at least once per month.  "What a good dog!"  "How did you get him to do that?"  He has no idea how amazing that is to people.  He just enjoys the attention and I enjoy that he isn't any trouble to anyone, so he is welcome everywhere we go.  

If we're not having ice cream, he won't get a treat unless we are away from the table and outside a restaurant or house, where ever it is that the food was served.  Cooper can tell the difference when he should expect to get ice cream with the group or when he is to mind his manners and wait to get outside for a tid-bit from my meal.  It takes consistency and attention to the rules.  This is why I make sure Cooper knows never to expect food from anyone else's hand.  It's not always easy to convince people of the damage it does to his training.  Everyone loves to give treats to a cute little dog.  My defense of his training is an on going battle even in my own family, but the outcome is worth it.