Chapter 4: Game 1 - Treat & Tone - Premier MannersMinder Instruction Manual

Chapter 4: Game 1 – Tone & Treat
Recommended Practice:
Two 15-minute sessions every day.
TIP: For multi-dog households, train one dog at a
time. If your dogs fight amongst themselves over
their food bowls, then train one dog through the
protocol before starting the second dog. Start
with any dog.
In this section, you'll first teach Fido to eat kibble
or treats out of the MannersMinder bowl. Then you'll
teach him through classical conditioning that the
tone means a treat is coming. Once we've trained
this association, we'll use the tone to tell Fido when
he's done something right. The tone will mark the
correct behavior and it'll immediately be followed by
a food reward.
Step 1: Feeding Out of the Bowl
Turn the POWER on, but turn the machine VOLUME
off. Then place treats by hand into the treat bowl to
attract Fido to the bowl. After he eats them, add a
few more pieces of kibble. If he's wary of the bowl,
continue adding kibble each time he's finished eating the previous kibble until he readily
eats from the bowl. Most dogs are attracted to the bowl after several kibble.
Step 2: Dispensing Treats
Once Fido's no longer suspicious of the machine, press the DISPENSE button so that the
MannersMinder dispenses kibble. Wait for him to get his treat. Then repeat. The tone
should not be sounding at this stage. Many dogs look at their owners or away from the
MannersMinder but orient to the sound of the MannersMinder and then see the treat com-
ing out. If your dog doesn't orient, either point the treat out or make sure he's looking at
the MannersMinder when you dispense the treat. Once he comfortably takes food immedi-
ately after it's dispensed, go to Step 3.
Step 1: Feeding Out of The Bowl
Turn the POWER on, but the VOLUME
off, then place treats by hand into the
MannersMinder treat bowl to attract
Fido to the bowl.
Step 2: Dispensing Treats
Once Fido's no longer suspicious of
the machine, press DISPENSE on the
remote control button to dispense
kibble. Wait for him to get the treat.
Then repeat.
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