| You have company over for dinner. The table is | | | | despite 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 sitting | | | | and 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 his | | | | start, he will most likely begin to whine and howl |
| own or pawing at your guests. This can ruin the | | | | loudly in complaint of the treatment. DO NOT GIVE |
| dinner party and is not particularly good for your dog | | | | IN. 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 a | | | | dog a treat just to be nice (and you are not really |
| very long time ago. Some horribly misguided individual | | | | being nice at all) can ruin all the prior training so |
| who was trying to be a good pet owner did this | | | | standing your ground and enforcing the rule of not |
| while the pup was still very young and trained the | | | | giving meal time treats to the dog is a must. |
| dog for this very behavior. Want to know who | | | | One 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 pet | | | | preferably in a separate room. This way the dog has |
| for this unwanted behavior and you did it with the | | | | its own meal and will not feel the need to beg food |
| best of intentions but the behavior is here now and | | | | from others in the household. If this is not an option, |
| must be dealt with. Your dog learned this trick from | | | | give your pet something to distract it, perhaps a toy |
| all those times when little scraps of food were | | | | to play with to keep them occupied throughout |
| tossed down to a cute little puppy who staring up at | | | | mealtime. |
| you with those sad brown eyes. All of this could | | | | Consistent and rigid training is the only effective way |
| have been prevented by a simple act of will power | | | | to 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 in | | | | if 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 to | | | | hate to say it but... watch them. It is a habit for them |
| share their meals with the dog and follows this rule | | | | and they may not even know they are doing it. In |
| no matter what the circumstance. You may even | | | | this circumstance, I like to keep my dogs away from |
| have to confine your dog to its kennel or a separate | | | | the 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 the | | | | blessed with a healthier pet, a happier household and |
| household who tend to feed the dog from the table | | | | pride in your well-mannered canine friend. |