Keep in mind, that hand-feeding can’t be rushed.

Especially in the beginning set time aside to sit with your dog as your work to improve their behavior.  Watching their body language is important.  Things like maintaining eye contact let you know your dog is focused on the task.

The routine for hand-feeding my dogs looks like this.

• Feed one dog at a time
• Measure the food and place it in their bowl, then I sit on the floor
• I place a small amount of food in my hand and close my hand
• I hold my hand out in front of the dog and wait for the dog to calm down
• Once the dog has calmed down, I open my hand.  If the dog lunges for the food I close my hand and wait for calm
• When calm, I open my hand and try again
• The dog is rewarded with food for slowly eating
• Verbally praise your dog by using his/her name as you see the behaviors you want to reinforce

With time the dog will make the connection that the hand opens when the dog is calm.