It’s time for dinner and your dog is there waiting. They have smelt it cooking and they are waiting for you to share it with them. But do you need to create boundries when it comes to eating. Do you really want to create an environment that when you have friends over for dinner your dog is drooling all over them to catch a fork full of their dinner? Or would you prefer a dog that realises they have their own dinner bowl and will get any scraps/treats after you have finished eating your dinner. I am certainly guilty of feeding Patch and Coco from the table (tut tut!), but with a third dog joining the family I felt it was time to take a look at some techniques for stopping them all from begging at the table!
5 Ways to Stop Your Dog Begging From The Table
1. Crate them at meal times. – This does seem a bit harsh and I don’t think it would be needed for an older dog. But with Joey only being 8 months old and never been trained, it was a must on day 1. He soon realised that if he sat quietly then he didn’t have to go in there. They are quick learners when they want to be!! 🙂
2. Feed them at the same time you eat. – This is a great idea. Have all their bowls ready and when you are about to sit down then feed them all at the same time. Everything goes so quiet as they eat their dinner and you can relax and enjoy your own meal.
3. 100% ignore them. – I recommend no eye contact, it just encourages them! By ignoring them you don’t give them any attention and eventually they almost get bored. Remember as soon as the food is gone they will off doing something else – so if they realise that there is no attention, no chance of using their saddest feed me face, they will give up trying. And don’t feel guilty – remember you don’t stare at them when they are eating their dinner!!
4. Give them a firm command – I think being strong when you use commands, whether that be a ‘no’ or ‘down’ is important. You don’t have to scream at the dog – just mean business.
5. Give them a toy to play with. A stuffed toy, with peanut butter, or an interactive dog toy can keep them occupied while you are enjoying your dinner. It’s great to distract them and is also mentally stimulating at the same time.
So let us know how you get on with training your dog NOT to beg from the table. Maybe you have other techniques you have used that you would like to share with us. Let us know in the comments below!
