Picture this...
You're sat in your local Italian restaurant, half way through your plate of lasagne, when a waiter walks up to your table and removes your plate. The waiter has decided that this is important to let you know that they have control over your food in the restaurant. Once they feel it is has been an appropriate amount of time, they put the plate back down and walk away.
How do you feel?
The same waiter proceeds to do the exact same thing the next two times you visit.
How do you react?
You go to a second restaurant the following week for pizza.
A waiter approaches your table and places on it a complimentary extra slice, followed by another.
How do you feel?
When you return for another meal at this pizza restaurant, the same waiter approaches whilst you're 3 slices in, adding a complimentary beer and dessert to your table.
How do you feel about the waiters in the Pizza restaurant approaching you, compared to the waiter in the first Italian restaurant?
It's not difficult to apply this scenario to how Traditional Top Down training tries to deal with bowl guarding/object guarding.
WHY ARE WE TRYING TO REMOVE A DOG'S LASAGNE WHEN WE CAN BE ADDING BEER?
No more putting hands in full bowls, no more removal of high value items.
New plan:
Place a small amount of food in a bowl/snuffle mat/kong/lickimat.
When your dog finishes it and looks at you, add more.
Puppy has a chew. Approach and drop tasty goodies on top, then walk away.
Et Voila!
Dog/Puppy loves humans approaching!
Empathy first...
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