How to Stop Your Dog From Begging

You have company over for dinner. The table isdespite the rules.
beautiful and the food smells and looks delicious.Don't fool yourselves - you have created a monster
Unfortunately, your dog thinks so too and is sittingand it will take several weeks of consistent work on
up and begging for morsels off everyone's plate and,your part to break your dog of this habit. Once you
if not rewarded, attempting to take the food on hisstart, he will most likely begin to whine and howl
own or pawing at your guests. This can ruin theloudly in complaint of the treatment. DO NOT GIVE
dinner party and is not particularly good for your dogIN. If you do, the battle is lost and will be that much
either. How could this have been avoided?harder next time. One weak moment of slipping the
Know that his is not the dogs fault and it started adog a treat just to be nice (and you are not really
very long time ago. Some horribly misguided individualbeing nice at all) can ruin all the prior training so
who was trying to be a good pet owner did thisstanding your ground and enforcing the rule of not
while the pup was still very young and trained thegiving meal time treats to the dog is a must.
dog for this very behavior. Want to know whoOne way to implement this change is to feed the
taught your dog this trick? It was YOU.dog at the same time the rest of the family,
No doubt you weren't consciously training your petpreferably in a separate room. This way the dog has
for this unwanted behavior and you did it with theits own meal and will not feel the need to beg food
best of intentions but the behavior is here now andfrom others in the household. If this is not an option,
must be dealt with. Your dog learned this trick fromgive your pet something to distract it, perhaps a toy
all those times when little scraps of food wereto play with to keep them occupied throughout
tossed down to a cute little puppy who staring up atmealtime.
you with those sad brown eyes. All of this couldConsistent and rigid training is the only effective way
have been prevented by a simple act of will powerto correct it. Every member and guest of your
then but now you have a problem to deal with.household must enforce the rules or all your work will
So how can you stop your dog from begging?be of no avail. Guests can pose a problem, especially
Stop rewarding the behavior. This means not giving inif they slip their dogs treats when they eat. Just
and not paying attention to your dog when he begs.explain the rules before you sit down to eat and, I
Make sure everyone in the household knows not tohate to say it but... watch them. It is a habit for them
share their meals with the dog and follows this ruleand they may not even know they are doing it. In
no matter what the circumstance. You may eventhis circumstance, I like to keep my dogs away from
have to confine your dog to its kennel or a separatethe table just in case.
room during meal or snack times if this is difficult.Once you stop your dog from begging, you will be
This is especially useful if you have people in theblessed with a healthier pet, a happier household and
household who tend to feed the dog from the tablepride in your well-mannered canine friend.