Your dog gets fed every day.
Breakfast… Dinner.
The bowl goes down…
they eat it…
and that’s it.
But here’s the thing:
That food is one of the most powerful training tools you have.
Why This Matters
Over the last few weeks, we’ve talked about:
– Dogs getting locked onto the environment
– The environment constantly rewarding them
– Building value in your cues
This all leads to one simple truth – your dog goes where the reward is.
The Environment Is Already Paying Your Dog
Sniffing feels good
Chasing feels good
Exploring feels good
Your dog is being rewarded all day, every day, just by being out in the world.
So when you call them… you’re asking them to leave something rewarding and come back to you instead
So You Need to Pay Them Too
Here’s where most people go wrong:
They feed their dog from a bowl… and then expect them to work for free.
Food = Currency
Think of food like money to your dog.
They need to earn their daily food allowance.
Because just like us, they’re much more motivated when there’s something in it for them.
The “Money Tree” Problem
Imagine if you went to work and there was a money tree in the corner.
Every time you stood under it, money just fell out.
No effort required.
No work needed.
How hard would you actually work during the day? Probably not very.
The same applies to our dogs.
If food is always sitting in a bowl, or they can graze whenever they want, there’s no real reason for them to work for it.
And that’s when people start saying:
“Food doesn’t work for my dog”
Ditch the Bowl (At Least to Start With)
If you want your dog to be more engaged, more responsive, and easier to train, one of the simplest changes you can make is this:
Stop feeding all their food from a bowl.
Create Desire for Their Food
When food is always available, it loses value.
Your dog doesn’t need to think about it.
They don’t need to work for it.
They don’t need to engage with you to get it.
But when food comes from you, everything changes.
What to Do Instead
Start using your dog’s daily food allowance throughout the day.
Use it to reward:
– Your dog coming to you
– Responding to their name
– Checking in with you
– Disengaging from distractions
Keep it simple
You don’t need long training sessions.
Just use what you’re already feeding them differently.
The Hidden Benefit: You Train Every Day
Here’s something I often tell my clients:
When you ditch the bowl and feed from your hand, you end up training your dog every single day.
Not because you have to, but because it just naturally happens.
Instead of putting food down and walking away, you’re rewarding your dog for engaging with you, reinforcing good behaviour, and building value in yourself.
Why This Matters
A lot of people struggle with training because they feel like they need to “find time” to do it.
But when you use your dog’s daily food allowance, training becomes part of your normal routine.
No extra time, no big sessions. Just small moments, repeated every day.
What You’ll Start to See
Over time, this creates a dog that:
– Checks in with you more
– Responds more quickly
– Is more motivated to work with you
Because you’ve built it into everyday life.
A More Natural Way to Think About It
In the wild, animals don’t get food handed to them in a bowl.
They have to work for it. They have to use their natural instincts to forage, hunt and work for their food.
So when we start using food in training, we’re working with your dog’s natural instincts, not against them.
What About Enrichment and Food Puzzles?
Hand feeding through training is a great place to start, but it doesn’t have to be the only way you use your dog’s food.
You can also use part of their daily food allowance for:
– Enrichment
– Food puzzles
– Scatter feeding
– Slow feeders
Why This Works
Just like training builds engagement with you, enrichment builds your dog’s ability to:
– Think
– Problem solve
– Stay occupied in a healthy way
It’s About Balance
Instead of all food going in a bowl, think of it like this:
– Some food used for training
– Some used for enrichment
– Some used for calm activities
You’re still using their daily food allowance, just more intentionally.
The Big Picture
Training builds focus on you.
Enrichment builds independence and calm.
And both matter.
Keep It Realistic
This doesn’t have to be all or nothing.
Start with:
– One meal a day (breakfast is best)
– Or even part of a meal feed from your hand and then the rest via enrichment.
It all adds up.
A Common Misunderstanding
Food isn’t bribery.
It’s communication.
You’re telling your dog:
“Yes, that’s exactly what I want”
Want Help Putting This Into Practice?
This is exactly what we build inside my Online Training: Life Skills.
Because it’s not just about using food, it’s about using it at the right time, in the right way, in real-life situations.
Inside, I show you how to:
– Build value in your cues
– Compete with the environment
– Create a dog that chooses you
The Big Takeaway
Your dog is already working for the environment every day.
Start paying them yourself.
Because you’re feeding your dog every day anyway, this just turns it into training.
shinecanine.co.nz 