Begging Dog Problem - How to Stop Dog from Begging Behavior

Unlike humans, a dog will eat almost anything and everything, including the food off your table. Perhaps this situation is fine most of this time, but it can create an embarrassing scene when you have guests over. Some basic steps are required to control your dog at meal time.

First, don’t start a bad habit
A dog follows a natural hierarchy with the alpha (leader) at the top, followed by the beta, and so on. In the wild, the alpha eats first, then food is shared by the rest - once the alpha 'gives permission'. A growl or snap of the teeth can indicate the denial permission.

As alpha, which should be your role where your dog is concerned - you control access to the food. Being too lenient gives the signal that the table is the dog’s buffet. If you don't begin the habit, they may, but you shouldn’t then encourage them.

The next step is consistency. Don’t sometimes feed it at the dinner table and deny it at other times if you don't want the dog to beg for food. The dog is unable to determine which times are and are not appropriate. You'll become frustrated at having to repeatedly try to make the distinction for him and order him away.

Dogs operate by scent. To them, it’s a signal to approach when they smell food. If you allow them to act on that, a pleasant experience (for them) becomes a bad habit (from your perspective) very quickly.

Human food is often less than ideal for dogs anyway. While digestible, most isn't balanced for dogs the way commercial dog food is. A controlled mix of fat, protein and other categories are needed to create a balanced diet for your dog. Commercial dog food has been blended and tested to create the correct ratio. There’s no way for you to create the correct balance at the dinner table.

As with any desired behavior, you can train your dog not to beg for food. Use voice commands 'go' or 'sit', though it’s important that you don’t reward obedience in this instance with a treat, because it’s counterproductive as it reinforces the link between food and behavior at the wrong time.

If voice commands fail, you can try leash training. If you are already at the table this may require some creativity. Try wrapping a leash around a sturdy pole in the dining room. When you pull gently on the leash, if it's wrapped around the pole, it pulls the dog away. Remember to be gentle so you don’t bruise the dog's throat.

If you have help, get someone to hold the dog a few feet away by the leash while you sit at the table and begin eating. As the dog starts toward the table, give the voice command and the person holding the leash pulls gently. Verbal commands associated with physical restraint can be learnt by dogs quickly.

Patience, consistency and persistence are the key. With repetition they will learn the correct behavior, even when they smell food. Utilized correctly, the hierarchy in the wild lends itself to quick learning in the home, helping you to instill desired behaviors in your dog.

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