I need some help with this one - guarding treat bag

[Cob-Web]

I was not advocating using a treat bag all the time but in Honey's case i thought it wise that she approached people and was sociable she be rewarded by the handler rather than learning to mug people for a treat.
By conditioning a treat bag to mean good stuff is coming we could use it for Cathy to throw to a stooge person in a set up situation and they could throw the treat bag back so it would look like the stranger was providing the good stuff for Cathy to feed Honey.
Honey should not be allowed to guard the bag and you should keep it on your person or in human hands at all times.
Mark

Thanks Mark, it makes more sense now you have explained that the idea was to condition Honey to the bag meaning yummy stuff 

My concern is that if I used a treat bag for Molo, it would achieve the same thing, he would be conditioned to the presence of "the bag" rather than "me" and he would begin to anticipate when he might get a reward and when there was no chance because the bag wasn't visible 

[kb]

Thankyou Mark - but should I use it for other training as well as outdoors. Am I using it wrong?

To be honest I knew it was more my fault than hers.

I took her to my grannys yesterday - she is 95 - she adores animals and rather inclined to spoil.

Because it is quite a small flat and my granny shouts a bit - Honey gets a bit anxious there, but my granny loves dogs - and she does like my granny - she licks ger face (honey that is not granny). I decided I would use the treats and the bag when she was being well behaved and it was workingl, until granny started to feed her ham - oh well, she's 95 and wants to spoil her - it's a one off which I am inclined to overlook

[Top Barks]

Thankyou Mark - but should I use it for other training as well as outdoors. Am I using it wrong?

To be honest I knew it was more my fault than hers.

I took her to my Granny's yesterday - she is 95 - she adores animals and rather inclined to spoil.

Because it is quite a small flat and my granny shouts a bit - Honey gets a bit anxious there, but my granny loves dogs - and she does like my granny - she licks ger face (honey that is not granny). I decided I would use the treats and the bag when she was being well behaved and it was workingl, until granny started to feed her ham - oh well, she's 95 and wants to spoil her - it's a one off which I am inclined to overlook

Kathy,
I would use the treat bag when you can set up situations under your control where you are trying to get Honey to associate strangers with something good happening.
I would also use it when out and about but I would also treat her from your pocket or the floor occasionally to keep up the unpredictability.
If she is anxious at granny's I wouldn't take her or I would take her and do relaxing exercises with her if she can cope.
I would be wary about letting any dog even those without a history of aggression lick other peoples faces also.
The licking does not mean she likes anybody it is an appeasement behaviour.
Pups do this to adults to solicit food and attention, which if your granny feeds her may be the case here.
Mark

[kb]

I feel like I am doing everything worng - even when I try to do right. This must be very confusing for her.

[Rhona W]

I feel like I am doing everything worng - even when I try to do right. This must be very confusing for her.

Kathy please don't feel like that. You have made so much progress with Honey.  Try to focus on the positive things you have achieved, rather than on the negatives.  (Which is easy for me to say, but as I know from personal experience, is very difficult to do.) I was overjoyed last week as Casper weed on the grass rather than on the settee.  So you are way further ahead than me. 

[kb]

Way to go Casper

I know Rhona thanks for the support - it's like you're constantly taking two steps forward and one back, and they know it too

[spanielcrazy]

Chin up, Kathy, you're doing great with Honey! 

Even with the best of dogs it can be one step forward...   Every dog is different, so what works for one doesn't necessarily work for the next. And mistakes are bound to be made, we're only human and don't speak K9 very well! 

It's as much about us learning as the dogs, so don't beat yourself up, mistakes are our way of learning about our particular dogs! 

[Top Barks]

Chin up, Kathy, you're doing great with Honey! 

Even with the best of dogs it can be one step forward...   Every dog is different, so what works for one doesn't necessarily work for the next. And mistakes are bound to be made, we're only human and don't speak K9 very well! 

It's as much about us learning as the dogs, so don't beat yourself up, mistakes are our way of learning about our particular dogs! 

Hey Cathy,
Each dog teaches us new things and owning and understanding them is a steep learning curve.
With Bayley it was one tiny step forward and four huge leaps back in the beginning.
I have found I have learned from my mistakes made with previous dogs.
I have not done somethings with Bayley which i did with Douglas but it is just a learning process.
The fact that you want to help your beautiful Honey is a credit to you.
I go to people's houses and see what I recognize as a dog with potential only to realize that after an hour with the owner that potential will never be fullfilled because they haven't the time or inclination to do anything about it.
You keep plugging away with your little doggie and you will see results.
There is no shame in not knowing how to deal with something, it's what you do about not knowing that counts.
You can post on here or feel free to PM me anytime for a chat.
Mark