Introducing the Bucket Game for Puppy Handling

The Bucket Game was originally developed by dog trainer Chirag Patel. We will be using an adapted version of this game for our guide dog puppies!

Our overall goal will be to teach the puppy to calmly accept all sorts of body handling, grooming, and basic care with the help of a “bucket” of food rewards. We will teach the puppy to stare at the bucket (but not help themselves to the kibble inside!), even if we play with their ears, their toes, or anything in between. Reach out if the puppy has trouble with any of these steps or is unable to progress!

What You’ll Need

• Kibble
• “Bucket” – this can be a small food bowl or even just a measuring cup.
  • When you first start, something low profile and heavier (like a small ceramic dish) is helpful to prevent the puppy (or you!) from knocking it over.
• Puppy who is not hungry, thirsty, or needing to potty – try to choose a time of day the puppy’s needs are met and they should be tired (e.g. after a romp in the yard or some more active training)
• Calm, quiet area in the home

Before we can use the bucket for grooming or handling, we need to teach the pup that there’s no point in trying to help themselves to the food from the bucket – if they stare at the bucket, the food will come to them!

Sit on the floor (or on a low stool near the floor) with the puppy placed between your legs. Place the container of food on the floor or a low stool/table nearby, within arm’s reach. For puppies who are very eager, start with the container on a low stool or small table so it’s still easy to stare at but not as easy to reach.

Feed the puppy one piece of kibble at a time from the bucket to reward them for patiently waiting. You’ll want to start by feeding kibble quickly after another so the puppy doesn’t move. Very gradually increase the time between rewards. Use a calm, soothing voice to prevent the puppy from becoming overly excited and feed nice and low between their legs to encourage the pup to lie down.

• If the puppy tries to reach for the bucket, gently restrain the puppy and wait for the pup to settle for a moment before continuing to feed one piece of kibble at a time.
• Gradually increase the length of time between kibbles until the puppy can wait a second or two between food rewards without needing to be restrained. Once the pup can do this, you’re ready to move to the next step!

Here’s a Tip! There is no need to grab or scold the puppy for trying to help themselves – we want to calmly prevent them from mobbing the bucket and reward them for waiting politely instead!

What if...

• The pup tries to go for the bucket as soon as we get started? Try starting with the bucket already in place when you sit down with the puppy and feed a piece of food as you get settled. Feeding down low (almost with the food on the ground) will also encourage the pup to lie down and discourage them from moving towards the bucket.
• I can’t even get a second of waiting before they try to go for the food? Push the food into the puppy’s personal space, down low towards the ground, to encourage the pup to lie down and discourage them from crowding the bucket. Starting with the bucket a little further or higher up will also help make it easier for them to understand they cannot help themselves.
• The puppy is mouthing (ouch!) or wriggling to get past my hand and get to the food? Take a little break. If the pup gets frustrated, you may have progressed too quickly or the pup may be overly tired or hungry and unable to control their impulses. When you try again, make sure the puppy’s needs are met and try to reward them down low in rapid succession before seeing if they can wait for a split second and then very gradually increasing the length of time you ask them to wait. Reach out if you have trouble progressing!

Watch this puppy's first exposure to the Bucket Game.

Pre-requisites:

• The puppy settles with the bucket on the ground (or low surface) in front of them without needing to be physically restrained.
• The pup has built up to waiting 1-2 seconds between food rewards!

Watch this puppy in their second Bucket Game session. They are just about ready for Level 2!

To begin Level 2: Touch and Feed, gently touch the pup on their back or head and immediately follow that with a food reward from the bucket. If the puppy gets excited by this and tries to get up to steal from the bucket, gently hold the pup back and wait for them to settle again. Stay at this step until the pup ignores the touching hand, eats the food, and continues staring at the bucket, waiting for the next food delivery.

Very gradually work up to being able to touch and examine the puppy all over – along their back, their ears, their head, their legs and toes, their tail, looking at their teeth, eyes, nose, everywhere!

Ready for more? Practice adjusting the puppy’s body; for example, gently tip them onto their side so you have easy access to look at their back feet or belly.

What if...

• The pup gets mouthy/wiggly when I try to [fill in the blank]? Let the pup’s behavior guide how quickly you progress and be sure to break things down in little steps if needed. For example, if a pup gets mouthy when you pick up their foot, start by rewarding after you touch their leg, then reward for touching the leg and sliding your hand down the foot, building up to being able to grasp the leg, and then lift it. We are always happy to help brainstorm little steps if you find something the puppy is uncomfortable with and get stuck trying to find a way to introduce it more gradually!

What’s Next?
As pups become skilled at this game, we will be able to start using the Bucket Game to help them settle calmly for things like brushing, nail trimming, ear cleaning and tooth brushing. Until then, ask a friend to dispense food, or use a stuffed Kong or other food smeared toy to distract the puppy and ensure positive feelings with weekly brushing, ear cleaning, tooth brushing, and nail trimming!