When I first got introduced to the online bully community; one of the first things I learned about was NILIF which is an acronym for Nothing In Life Is Free. This is a simple of concept of rewarding obedience and good behavior with even the most rudimentary things (like going outside for a pee break).

We utilized this program with great success on Gunner and now with the new pups have again implemented it with good results. Though our puppies differ vastly in personality and temperament this technique is hedging our bets with training. The pups are basically required to give something for everything they get. We make them sit or we down them before letting them out of the house. They are required to sit & stay until released to eat their meal.

Making sure they are constantly exercised in obedience helps us establish control and retain pack leadership.

Anyone else using this technique? If not, what’s working for you?

I do, for most things.  Madeline & Chie are by nature very eager to please & genuinely want to do what I ask them to do while Jack could give a flying fig in that regard; he sits, handshakes, kisses, tail wags, & recites the alphabet backwards if there’s something in my hand he wants.  But if there’s nothing in my hand he wants—- & he can tell—- then I can go fly a kite, basically. 

Jack is naturally more obedient when he feels loved.  The more loving & attentive I am toward him, the more obedient he is the rest of the day.  Maybe it’s a Basenji thing.  Or it could just be that Jack is weird.