The world of a healthy pack is built on rules and mutual respect, not on force.

Whatever we think and whatever kind of relationship we have with our furry friends, there is one thing we must respect: the muzzle is sacred!!
The world of a healthy pack is built on rules and mutual respect, not on force. One of the rules, „what I have in my mouth is mine“, protects females and weaker males. If I drop it, the moment someone else manages to pick it up in their mouth, all discussion is over.
So, snatching something out of your pet's mouth is the ultimate form of rudeness, disrespect and an unnecessary show of force, and it seriously undermines your authority.

On the other hand, the basic life task of every dog is to find food in order to survive, no matter how much there is in its bowl at home. So how do we reconcile these canine standards with our world?
If practising the „Leave it“ command and focus-on-the-owner exercises do not produce results, and it all comes down to opening the mouth and pulling out the suspicious morsel, then whenever you do that, IMMEDIATELY, and I mean IMMEDIATELY, while the dog is still in shock from your roughness, the tastiest and most wonderful piece of food your dog adores goes straight from your hand into its mouth. In this way we ask the dog to forgive our roughness, because leaders are not bullies. We are also trading valuables, so that in the end the dog always gets something tastier.
That is how the dog learns that it does not have to run away from the owner when you approach it on a walk, because you will not take anything from it (at least not without compensation), and that is your chance to offer something extra in exchange.
Of course, this too is practised, by setting up and repeating, as training, situations in which the dog learns that trading valuables is a great thing.
Suzana Spasojevic, certified pet trainer