Check out this video of Maude’s first lesson, learning to be polite and wait around food. She is a smart cookie and was very willing to learn if a little stubborn hehe 😉 That’s the bulldog shining through! This is the very first stage of this training, I would then move onto having the food in her bowl on the floor between my legs, then in the bowl in front of my legs (both stages where I can easily block her from taking the food until she displays the behaviour I am waiting for), with the end goal being that eventually I will be able to put the bowl of food on the floor with her not approaching it until I give her permission. Baby steps for a baby, breaking it down so that it is easy for her to get it right! Patience is key with all puppies when teaching them anything, but for all the people out there who have said their dog would never do this here is a TEN WEEK old pup showing us that she can figure it out in less than ten minutes! So no excuses folks :O) As with children it is our responsibility to teach our doggies good manners. It is hugely beneficial to their mentality and behaviour in general in the long run that they learn to be patience and respectful around resources which include food and toys. Learning to wait patiently until they are told they can take their food also helps your dog understand what their position is within your household, aka your Mum (not a litter mate) and Mummy is boss (or Daddy! 😀 ) You can start this training early, there is no need to wait until they are older, as it is simply building on the lesson they would have already been learning with their mum. Just remember training should be in very short bursts, puppies have limited concentration.  As with training older puppies/dogs patience and consistency are key, as is lots of praise when they get it right!