A Trick for A Treat

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Floyd is a man that knows what he wants (and when).

And when it comes to food, he does NOT mess around.  

He gets up at exactly the same time every day to eat and the moment we get home from a walk in the afternoon he demands to eat.  Homeboy likes to eat and he LOVES his food.

Because he loves his food so much, I often use it when we are working on his 'tricks'.

Rather than pumping his sensitive belly full of endless treats, I use his kibble to reward him.  He has no complaints about this.  

We recently ventured to PetSmart to pick up a new bag of his prized possession, Purina® Pro Plan®.  

His favorite for taste and ours for nutrition is the sensitive stomach and skin formula.  

We love to let him sniff up and down the aisles.  He also gets to pick out a bone or bag of treats when we go if he's a good boy.  (Does that make us crazy dog parents?)  On top of that, his trips to PetSmart are usually full of other customers and employees graciously telling him how cute he is.  Who can blame them?!  He is a big fan of these trips.

I have been trying to be very, very diligent with working with him on some new skills lately.  Because of his breed, he is naturally incredibly stubborn but he is also is very food driven.  So if I can keep his attention long enough with some yumminess, he is all ears.  And drool.

(please note how he looks just like the dog on the bag...)

Lately we have been working on STOP.  

Floyd has a tendency to steal things (socks, wash cloths, etc) and run rampant around the house wanting to play chase.  We have been working on 'stop' to get him to stop in his tracks and drop whatever he has.  

To teach this, I start with Floyd at one end of the hallway and ask him sit.  

Then I back down the hallway, leave a 'treat'/food half way down the hallway and tell him to 'come'.  When he is about half way to the food, I say 'STOP'.  

Most (!) of the time he is really good about stopping and waiting for me to tell him it is okay to eat the food.  

As with teaching a basset anything, this is a long process but he is catching on more and more.

Bassets are known for their very selective listening and obeying abilities.

As long as the 'treats' are flowing, he is a pretty good student.

And as long as the 'treats' are flowing, so is his drool.

He has been eating Purina® Pro Plan® for quite awhile now and he gobbles it up with same enthusiasm  and drool every day.

Floyd wants your pups to have the same excitement over dinner and obedience time! Be sure to visit the Purina® Pro Plan® MyPLAN website to get your dog's MyPLAN recommendation and a rebate offer for a free bag of Purina® Pro Plan® Dry Dog Food (4-6lbs, up to $18.99.) Good only in U.S.A. A.P.O's, F.P.O's. Void where taxed, prohibited, restricted. Allow 6-8 weeks for shipment. LIMIT ONE REQUEST PER INDIVIDUAL, ADDRESS, or EMAIL ADDRESS. Offer expires 04/30/2015. See full terms.

Floyd does have a few other tricks up his chunky paw sleeves.  

After I told her it absolutely could not be done, Kait managed to teach Floyd to shake in one afternoon.  You would not believe the speed in which he will flip that Frito paw up into your hand. 

Be sure to connect with Purina® Pro Plan® on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ProPlan and Purina ProPlan on Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/ProPlan!

If anyone has tips for working with stubborn hounds, pass them my way!

There is a good chance that Floyd isn't stubborn, but just playing me so he gets more food ;)