Pie Tin Trick: Confidence Building and Desensitization for SDs and Pets (Patreon)

This is a super quick trick that I've used for a while that typically is good exposure for fairly young puppies, but can be a good activity for any age dog. 

I had a takeout container that was made of metal so I fed Whip out of it and then let her lick it clean. Starting young dogs off with the option of eating out of the pie tin can desensitize them to loud/weird noises early. The other beneficial part here is that the dog is in control of making the noise so they get to decide whether or not to engage in the game. It has similar goals to shaping games like teaching a dog to knock a water bottle over with change in it, or teaching a dog to jump onto the agility teeter to make the "bang" noise themselves. All of these games put the dog in the driver seat, and that feeling of control and choice can further increase their confidence. 

It's important that you don't *require* a nervous dog to eat out of a tin that scares them. If your dog is struggling with noises, it's time to bring a trainer on board to assess the situation, and build slowly to more challenging sounds like the pie tin/metal. 

If you don't have a pie tin or takeout container, you can use tin foil covering a bowl, or just laid out on the floor for a cookie scatter. If that is too much of a leap for your dog, start with just a cookie scatter or peanut butter on a cookie sheet.

Hope this gives you a new simple idea to incorporate with your dog!