Does your pup constantly beg for scraps at the dinner table? You need to discover how to stop your dog from begging for people food.
Every dog parent that looked into their pup’s irresistibly cute eyes staring at them from below the dinner table has yielded to their doggy’s demands at least once. But little did they know that this was soon going to turn into an annoying daily affair.
Why Does My Dog Keep Begging For Food?
Dogs like to beg for people food because they simply find it tasty. It is a natural response that evolved because they have been living alongside humans for thousands of years.
Your pooch begs because he knows he’ll get treats sooner or later if he simply keeps at it. Dogs are natural scavengers, and they have the instinct to gather as much food whenever possible because, in the wild, food was scarce to come by.
So even if your pup is well-fed, as soon as he sees you sit down for a meal, it is natural for him to come running to you and whine for some tasty scraps of food.
Suppose you or your family members encourage this behavior by constantly feeding your canine under the table. In that case, this habit will only get worse with time.
Let us now look at how you can train your dog to stop begging at the dinner table.
Stop Your Dog From Begging For People Food by Ignoring His Demands
The first step is to stop rewarding your dog’s begging behavior. You must resist all of your dog’s attempts to get your attention at the dinner table and ignore him completely.
Also, make sure to let all your family members know so that they too ignore your pooch’s demands. While this may be difficult to do initially, it is vital to remember that these table scraps will negatively affect your pup’s health in the future.
So don’t make any eye contact with your canine at the dinner table and completely ignore his begging tactics.
Get A Dog To Stop Begging For Food By Feeding Pooch In Separate Area
Many dog parents feed their pooch’s in the kitchen because that is where they store their dog food. So it seems quite natural to put the feeding bowl in the kitchen and call your pooch when it’s feeding time.
This will train your dog to associate your kitchen with his feeding area. As soon as you sit down to eat your meal, your furball will come running to you because he feels it is his feeding time.
So ensure to feed your dog in a totally separate area that is as away as possible from your dinner table. It is best if your kitchen won’t be visible to the dog from the place where you feed him daily. This will help establish in your dog’s mind that his feeding place is different from yours and that he should not come to disturb you when you have your meal.
Prevent Your Puppy From Begging For Table Scraps By Blocking Access
If you are initially having trouble keeping your dog physically away from your dining area, then it is best to contain your dog during mealtime.
Keep your dog in a separate room like the laundry room, or use baby gates to block your pooch’s access to your kitchen during dinner time. Give your pup some chew toys and puzzles to keep his attention occupied.
Initially, your dog may resist and try to jump over the gate or make whining noises to get your attention. But if you keep up the practice long enough, your pooch will learn to stay away from you when you are eating.
After you have eaten, go to your canine and give him a few treats and praises to reward him for his patience.
Train your Dog To Stop Begging By Teaching The Place Command
Train your dog to follow the ‘Go To Place’ command. Pick a favorite place in the house where your dog likes to hang out. This could be a dog bed, a couch, or a rug in your house. Make sure the place is in a separate room from which the dinner table is not visible.
Select one location in the house and teach your canine to go to that place whenever you give the ‘Place’ command. Initially, you may physically need to hold the dog by the collar or leash and guide them to the place. Reward your pup with treats and praises once they reach their place.
After repeated and consistent practice, you will be able to go their place on cue without your assistance. If your canine starts lingering around the kitchen during mealtime, simply issue the Place command to send him away.
Break Your Dog’s Begging Habit By Redirecting His Attention
If your pooch tries to get too close to you when you are eating, redirect his attention immediately with some toys or treats. Give your canine a chew toy or a food puzzle filled with his favorite treats.
Your pooch may still get up and come back to beg for your food, but again redirect his attention to the toy. It is vital to get co-operation from all family members as you are doing this. If any one person ends up yielding to your pup’s begging, then the whole strategy will fail.
Stay strong and keep sending your pooch’s attention back to toys and treats until they learn to stay away from the food table.
Make Your Dog Stop Begging For Food By Modifying Her Diet
Has your dog recently started coming to your dinner table more often than he was doing earlier? Maybe his diet needs to be changed. As your pooch ages, his nutritional requirements can change.
Depending on the breed, when puppies turn into adults, they might get hungrier and will seek out food with more calories.
If your pooch still seems to keep hunting around for treats after you have fed him, then try switching his dog food. You can also add some wet dog food to his regular kibble to add variety and taste.
As adult dogs turn into seniors, their nutritional needs change once again. Also, they find it harder to chew hard foods like kibble, so they may show a preference for softer human foods. If your aging dog has started begging for more dinner scraps lately, then change his diet to a formula specially designed for seniors.
Get Your Puppy To Stop Begging By Feeding Him First
Before you sit down to eat your meal, fill the dog’s food bowl and call him to eat in his separate feeding area. By feeding your pooch at the same time as you have your meal, you can ensure that she will leave you in peace when you are eating.
If your canine gobbles up their meal quickly and comes running to you, then put their meal in a special toy puzzle or a feeding bowl. The bowls are specifically designed to slow down your canine from devouring their meals swiftly.
