Box Feeding
It works especially well for nervous/fearful dogs, but most dogs can benefit from it.It’s basically classical conditioning, and it temporarily controls two of the dog’s main fear motivators - their vision and their sense of smell.
The exercise desensitizes and counter conditions the dog to become mentally stronger. Their daily meals are used.
Basically, the dog is conditioned to the Box, it learns to keep its head in the box while “scary noises” are going on (always start low and make distractions gradually harder).
Dog is rewarded with its daily meals trickled into the box a little at a time.
The distractions ( struggle )are during the time the dog has learned to pause. This is after the initial conditioning to the box - we never use food and distractions together, as this can cause food aggression in some dogs.
There is a marker ( large washer or tracking article) in the box which tells the dog the “ restaurant is open”, and I use a clicker to tell the dog the exercise is over.
Any remaining food is then hand fed to the dog.
Hand feeding gives “value” to the human through the dogs eyes, this is a huge advantage for us in training the dog.
The training automatically transfers over to already learned obedience commands, and overall better mental balance in the dog.
Since being in the Box the dog has heard “ scary sounds” and only good things have happened ( he was fed) the dog now associates those and similar sounds as a positive thing, not a fearful one.
Here are my personal notes, taken from podcasts : The Canine Paradigm - Episode 4: Mysteries of the box, and Patreon version Revisiting the Box, which has important additional information.
BOX FEEDING EXERCISE
Desensitize and counter conditioning exercise for dogs 10 weeks and older.
Dog learns to stay in the box despite what it hears as distractions. Once conditioned the distraction- called the “struggle” must always come before the reward - this is Classical Conditioning.
Length of training is daily, or twice daily( whenever the dog normally eats) results depend on the dog itself, and how much owner wants to achieve .
Builds tenacity, courageous, toughness, intensity, and a resilient dog .
Transfers over to obedience and focus for the dog. Sessions should be about five minutes long.
For harder distractions I give a bigger food rewards.
If using the aerobic step riser on top the box should be: Box size 30 cm x 30 cm or 12” x 12” square for shepherd sized dogs, Kenji’s is a 12” base with 8” walls. Aerobic step riser on top.
If not using aerobic step riser any box /bucket/pail made of wood /plastic/rubber can be used as long as it is stable , safe for the dog to lick, and the dog cannot see out of it.
Step 1- Start with the dog on a tie back, this builds drive to get to the box.
Add a marker every time so the dog knows the “restaurant” is open, I use a large metal washer.
Put most of the dogs meal into the box. Allow the dog to eat. Use a clicker ( and hand fed food reward) for dog to finish exercise.
If dog pulls it’s head out of box before the release word just wait the dog out, it will go back to doing what it last got rewarded for- putting his head back in. Immediately throw food into the box. If the dog is uninterested and walks away from the box , pick up box and remaining food. Exercise is done for that feeding time.
Note: We want the dog to always succeed,so making the Box Feeding exercise easier for very nervous/fearful dogs can be done in different ways .(1)first placing the box upside down and placing food on box instead of inside, gradually turn box over and feed inside box (2)placing layers inside the box to raise the food higher at first, then lowering the layers as dog gains confidence (3)placing the box on its side, gradually lifting the box upright once the dog is less fearful.
Step 2 - Slowly increase difficulty. Put aerobic step riser on top of box ( if using one) and put box on safe unstable surface ( foam pad or inflated aerobic step).
Drop marker article into the box, put most of dogs meal in the box, if dogs lifts head just wait it out and immediately feed when dog puts his head back in. Use clicker ( with food reward) for dog to get out of box, and let them know the exercise is over. Always pick up box when done.
Step 3 - Put box on solid surface. Put a partial amount of food into the box. Drop one kibble/frozen raw food at a time into the box as long as dog keeps head in box and continues to sniff. Use clicker ( and hand fed food reward) to complete session. Hand feed any remaining kibble to dog as long as the dog has kept its head in the box until released. Pick up box when done.
Step 4 - Continue adding one kibble at a time as the dog keeps head in box and sniffing. At this point there is a bit of well placed timing involved, we want to see the dog pause-called the “struggle” - in the box, waiting for the kibble. Immediately drop food in as his reward.
Now we want to build duration on the pause, just a couple seconds at first, gradually up to minutes of pause. The pause is when we are going to be adding our distractions.
We never want to have the dog eating WHILE we are doing future distractions in Box Feeding, as this can cause food aggression in some dogs.
There should also be an “air gap” of a couple seconds between feeding and distractions so we can be sure the dog knows when it is working and when it is eating.
Basically it would go struggle, reward, air gap, struggle,reward,air gap.
Step 5 - Start adding distractions in small steps so the dog will succeed .
Distractions can be clapping hands, clap stick, party popper, pennies in a can, horn, compressed air, crushed ice in a blender, vacuum, I’ve gotten up to low caliber blank gun shots with my ACD.
Personally I’ve also done handling and nail trimming once the dog was fully conditioned, with very good results.
I also use Opposition Reflex, which is lightly tugging on the dogs scruff or collar- this conditions the dog to “want” to stay in the box. Any time the dog takes his head out of box just wait him out, and once his head goes back in immediately reward, try a lesser distraction and gradually build back up. Hand feed any remaining kibble as long as dog has remained in box until released . Always pick up box when done.
Please note that it is extremely important that the dog is never physically hurt ( clipping the quick on a nail) or pushed past his mental thresholds( close-range gunshots will be too much for many dogs) as that would set our training way back, and we always want to set the dog up for success.
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Here is my video on Box Feeding with my current ACD Kenji.
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*A special THANK YOU to the Canine Paradigm, and especially Pat Stuart for sharing their podcasts and videos on Box Feeding.
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More of my articles on dog training are available at my link below, which is open to the public and free of charge. ❤️🐺❤️
https://www.facebook.com/AllBasicsDogTrainingKimChappell/
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