When I help clients navigate their dog’s maladaptive behaviors, I look at two things:
- Are we meeting the dog’s needs?
- Are we giving the dog agency?
That second indicator may not be familiar to you yet. According to Emily Strong and Allie Bender:
…agency [is] the ability to make decisions that result in desirable outcomes. Our pets need to willingly engage with activities for it to be considered enrichment.
One fun way to add agency or let your dog try making decisions is through a food preference test.
A food preference test is an activity where you present two types of food, and see which food the dog chooses and eats out of your hand.
Not only does it meet their nutrition or diet needs, but it gives dogs the opportunity to choose the food they want versus dictating the food they’re going to receive from us.
The video above is an example of a food preference test. I demonstrate the two ways to present the food to the dog, and you can watch how Windy chooses her preference.
When identifying the dog’s preference, I look for all of the following:
- Dog actively sniffs the food
- Dog’s first choice
- Effort to get to the chosen food
There’s definitely possibility that other factors are at play. For example, one hand (and with it one type of food) is closer to the dog, so there’s less effort needed to get to it.
Ultimately, the goal is to help you dog see that they have control over this aspect of their life with you, that you’re meeting their needs, and that making choices can lead to desirable outcomes.
Try this with your dog! Start a food preference test with 3-4 of your dog’s daily treats, and see which one they choose first or prefer the most. Make sure to tag @diwadogstraining to your video, so we can see!
Diwa Dogs 
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