- Feeding your dog in a separate room than you dine in can help prevent begging
- Teach your dogs basic obedience commands to help discourage impulse-based behaviors
- Reward your dog for good behavior
When you sit down for mealtimes, if you end up with a furry beggar at your feet giving you those big puppy-dog eyes, you鈥檒l probably be tempted to give your pooch table scraps. Unfortunately, not only does this reinforce this unwanted behavior, but it can also lead to tummy troubles and even health problems like聽canine obesity. Plus, some human-safe聽foods are dangerous for dogs.
Instead, nip begging behaviors in the bud by taking steps to keep your dog well-fed and teach her proper manners. After all, beggars can be choosers 鈥� they can choose not to beg and get rewarded for good behavior instead.
Feed Your Dog First
Right before you sit down to eat, feed your dog, preferably in a separate room from where you dine. By giving your dog a tasty meal of聽, your pooch will be too busy savoring the tasty morsels of real beef in this delicious food to bother you with any begging while you eat.
Eating in a room away from the dining area is also an acceptable way to manage begging behaviors by preventing them in the first place, recommends聽, a certified dog trainer in Boston, MA, Co-Training Director of the聽, and author of聽.
Send Your Dog to a Cozy Spot
If your dog does come over to beg for food after she finishes her meal, the best way to get her to stop is to聽send her to a cozy spot聽near the dining area, recommends McGrath.
鈥淲hen I鈥檓 in a client鈥檚 home, and they want the dog to not beg, we would first break down what the dog could do instead, and train an alternative behavior while also managing the behavior I don鈥檛 like if necessary,鈥� she says. One such alternative behavior is sending your dog to a designated spot like a bed, crate, or mat away from the table with a command like 鈥淕o to Your Spot.鈥� This way, pups can still feel like they鈥檙e socializing with the family and they get a nice cozy spot to hang out.
鈥淚f the dog already knows a solid 鈥�Stay鈥� command, I would use it 鈥� if not, we鈥檇 train that behavior first,鈥� McGrath recommends. This ensures that your dog remains in the designated spot throughout the meal.
Ignore and Redirect a Begging Dog
The worst thing you can do when your dog begs for food is to give in to those adorable big puppy-dog eyes. You are essentially聽teaching your dog聽that if she asks you for food, you鈥檒l give it to her. And, scolding pups simply gives them negative attention.
鈥淚f the goal is no begging, then my suggestion would be to ignore this behavior,鈥� says McGrath. 鈥淏ut also make sure there are other options available for alternative behaviors like having a frozen stuffed KONG around for your dog to chew on or your pup鈥檚 dinner to eat available in another room.鈥�
Giving pups an acceptable alternative like a toy or a delicious聽聽also sets them up for success because they will still have something to occupy their time once they see begging isn鈥檛 going to get them attention or food.
Teach Your Dog Basic Obedience
By teaching your聽dog basic obedience commands聽like 鈥淪it,鈥� 鈥淪tay,鈥� and 鈥淟eave it,鈥� you can then use these commands to discourage impulse-based behaviors like begging, recommends McGrath. For example, if your dog is always jumping up on your lap and begging for food while you eat, simply tell your dog to 鈥淪it鈥� and 鈥淪tay.鈥� This stops the obnoxious behavior.
If someone accidentally drops food on the ground and your dog attempts to get to it, give your dog the 鈥淟eave it鈥� command to prevent that. 鈥淵ou want your dog to actively disengage and move away from the stimulus,鈥� recommends McGrath.
When training your dog, do so after a walk or other exercise so the pooch will be less energetic and better behaved, says McGrath.
Reward Your Dog for Good Behavior
When dogs are well-behaved and don鈥檛 beg for food, that鈥檚 the time to treat them. A great option is聽聽that tempt your pup鈥檚 taste buds with healthy and yummy ingredients.
McGrath cautions against giving your dog a treat from the table, as that will just encourage begging. Instead, get up and聽聽when she is sitting away from the table and not begging. Or, you can use a remote-controlled treating device to save you from having to get up multiple times to reward good behavior, McGrath says.
Change Your Dog鈥檚 Diet
If you notice that your pup isn鈥檛 finishing meals while coming over to you during dinner and begging for food, it鈥檚 probably time for a change in your dog鈥檚 diet. Older dogs may need a canned dog food like聽聽to keep their taste buds satisfied and ensure that they stay healthy.
You can also choose a food based on your dog鈥檚 size like聽聽for petite pups or聽聽for big pups. And, remember to always follow the feeding recommendations on the label to ensure your pup is getting enough food each day so your pooch won鈥檛聽.
After a change in diet, if your dog is still ignoring the food dish completely, consult with your vet because an illness might be at play.
Block Access to the Table
While it might seem like a no-brainer, blocking access to the table with baby or pet gates is one of the best ways to prevent persistent pups from begging. Or, close pooches in their crates during mealtimes.
Always give dogs an alternative activity to occupy their time while they鈥檙e out of the dining area, like a puzzle toy filled with tasty treats, recommends McGrath. This solution is especially convenient during hectic times like holiday dinners when guests might be more apt to sneak your pup table scraps and ruin your training. Some treats to try?聽聽with a soft inside and crunchy inside.