How to bait your hand, hold food, and deliver it safely: the mechanics every exercise in this course builds on.
The exercise
1Place a piece of food (sized for your puppy) between the base of your index and middle fingers, close to your palm. This is called “baiting an open hand”.
2Cover the food with your thumb, keeping your hand open so your puppy can see, smell and even lick it.
3Hold your palm in front of your puppy's snout, fingers facing downward (not sideways), at a 45-90° angle to the floor (this way your puppy's teeth move along the length of your fingers rather than across them, far less likely to catch your hand while feeding).
4Lift your thumb off the food to let your puppy eat the treat.
5Repeat several times.
What you need
A treat pouch
Plenty of high-value treats
A distraction-free environment
Tip: Fingers down, thumb on the food, hand open. If feeding ever feels bitey, check the angle before blaming the puppy.