Most importantly, teaching your dog to ask politely for food, toys and attention gives him the opportunity to earn the things he values most in life by displaying polite and calm behaviors. Knowing which behaviors to display will boost his self-confidence by giving him choice and control over his environment but also prevent “fussy” eating.
Fussy eaters or dogs that are not motivated by food and treats are more difficult to reward and can therefore develop behavior issues that are harder to remedy. However that fussiness can be remedied easily by making food a valuable commodity.
Additionally, it will teach your dog that he does not have to worry about his food or his bowl and so will prevent resource guarding. That means your dog will not “defend” his bowl or food when someone walks near him while he is eating. For more exercises to help with this very important topic, let DogRelations give you a private dog behavior lesson and show you the many ways you can make feeding time fun and educational at the same time.