Category: Common Problems ¤
  Author: Shirley Chong ¤
   Title: Peanut Butter for Barkers ¤

Deb Norman asked about peanut butter for incessant barkers in
obedience classes--guessing that I use it to stick their mouths shut!
<LOL>
   The funniest part is that I do--sort of! If there's an incessant
barker, I hold the dog while the owner goes to get a plastic spoonful of
peanut butter. I hold the dog because the handler leaving and then
returning tends to break up the barking temporarily. Most dogs love
peanut butter and if the barker wants it, then I have the handler sort
of tease the dog with it--give them a chance to lick, pull it away, give
them another chance to lick, pull it away, etc.
   A lot of times, though, the dog is too stressed out to show active
interest in the peanut butter. In that case, I have the handler use
their fingers to smear some peanut butter on the dog's lips or (even
better) to squish a blob of peanut butter onto the roof of the dog's
mouth. They can't ignore the peanut butter that's sitting right in their
mouth!
   Once the dog starts working on the peanut butter, they calm down and
start to focus on the owner. The owner then relaxes, which helps the dog
relax further. It gives the handler a quick success, which boosts their
confidence in their ability to deal with the dog.
   This was not, BTW, my own idea--I've seen it in other places and I
can't remember where.

M. Shirley Chong
The Well Mannered Dog