NILIF stands for Nothing In Life Is Free. This is a training program that can work with any type of dog and any time of behavior problem.
Step One: Eliminate attention on demand. Is your dog an attention hound? Does he nudge your hand for petting? My Moose dog is definitely an attention hound. To solve the attention hound issue, you need to ignore the dog’s demands for attention. Be strong! He may try even harder to get your attention. But in a pack situation, the top dog demands attention from the lower ones — not the other way around. So if you let your dog determine when he gets attention, that tells him that he’s higher up in the pack order than you are.
Don’t be surprised if your attention hound tries harder and harder to get your attention. For NILIF to work, you have to be consistent. Just ignore him, as hard as that may be. Don’t tell him no, don’t push him away — negative attention is still attention.
Step Two: Earning Everything. You have the control of everything that is wonderful in your dog’s life. You are in charge of food, toys, treats, walks, etc. Your dog has to earn each of these things. If it’s dinner time, make him sit before you put down his bowl. At bedtime, make him wait for permission before getting into bed. Time for a treat? Make him work for it. It doesn’t have to be complicated — a simple command like sit, down, or stay will do — but you have to be consistent. You have to do it every time.
Step Three: Take charge of attention and play. Since you are no longer responding to your dog’s demands for attention, you have to be sure that you are giving him all the attention and play he needs. Call him to you, make him sit, and then give attention. Have him fetch a toy and play as long as you want.
Using NILIF does not mean that you are giving your dog less attention. It means YOU initiate attention, not him. You can demand as much attention as you want.
Step Four: The rest of your life. NILIF is not a method you use until your dog changes and then stop. This is a lifestyle change for you and your dog. It won’t be easy at first, but in the long run, you and your dog may both be a lot happier.