Training your dog is an essential aspect of its upbringing. Aside from obedience training or K9 training, the common training methods we know, we still have to strain our dogs to stop some common behaviours they exhibit, like begging.
All dogs beg as puppies, and it should be corrected in time. I know it is always frustrating having your dog stare at you with puppy eyes whenever you are eating or carrying food. However, there are a few things we can do to help you stop this unwanted behaviour in your dog. Let’s get straight into it.
Also read: 10 Common Dog Behavior Problems and Solutions
Don’t Reward the Behavior
Dogs love attention, and they will do anything to get your attention. Whenever you react, they take it as if they are doing the right thing. Most pet owners will always give their dogs their food when they eat as they can’t resist those pleading puppy eyes, and they see it as a good thing; discouraging this behaviour might be one of the toughest parts for dog owners, especially pet owners who are very emotional.
Unfortunately, it might be hard to end this behaviour, but you don’t have a choice because it is an unwanted behaviour in dogs; not only that, it is an unwanted behaviour, but it can gradually lead to obesity and other health problems. So whenever your dog is giving you their puppy eyes whenever you are with food, it is better to avoid eye contact with them and pretend they are not there. With time, your dog won’t beg again because they aren’t getting anything from you when they do beg.
Use a “Place” Command
You can also teach your dog a command-like place when to avoid begging. Teaching this command will help you to send your dog away from where they were begging. You can say the command anytime you eat, and they will go to their crate or cage.
Always practice this command with your dog whenever you are with either your or their food. Then, say the command to have your dog go to its place. If your dog fails to move to its crate when you say this command while eating, you can tell the command again, put the dog out of the room for a few minutes, and then come back together and repeat the process.
Keep your Dog Occupied
Another way to stop begging is to get your dog a special treat to keep it occupied and busy during mealtimes. This will keep the dog occupied with something it enjoys and won’t likely pay attention to you when you are with food, allowing you to enjoy your meal.
And if you don’t have a toy for your dog, worry less because you can also keep your dog occupied by feeding your dog at the same time you are having your meal. Ignore your dog if it comes to you to beg. You can even take away its food bowl whether it ate or not. As time goes on, your dog will learn that it needs to eat its food at mealtimes if it doesn’t want to starve.
Make Your Dog Work for It
You would have noticed that in most dog training, we dogs don’t beg. This is because dog trainers always let their dogs work for their food before they get one. As most dog trainers, we recommend you do the same. This technique will teach your dog that nothing in life is free. Rewards are food and include attention, walks, and anything else your dog enjoys.
Always make sure you get to do something before you give it a treat or feed them. You can sit for the dog and then tell them to wait for some minutes before eating it and not just wait. Also, they have to wait for you to ask them to eat before they do. With time, dogs won’t beg at all because they know they have to tell them to do something before they receive it from you, so when you are eating, and you don’t ask them to do anything, they will know they won’t eat out of what you are eating.
Problems and Proofing Behavior
Consistency is the number one tool for preventing begging in dogs. It’s important to make sure that your puppy never gets a taste of human food because if it does, it won’t want to eat the delicious food made by us humans, and discouraging this behaviour from developing may be quite hard. Establishing consistent rules and boundaries during mealtimes will help your dog understand that begging is unacceptable.
Stopping your dog is meant for the home and when visiting friends and family, picnics, and cookouts. To bolster what we have been discussing, you can also stop begging by ensuring your dog has a day off for food. By doing this, you are training your dog to have self-control over food.
If you want to take training a step further, you can teach your dog to refuse food by asking you for permission before they eat anything. It’s a challenging trick that takes time and consistency. You start by teaching your dog to turn its head away from a treat when you give a verbal cue, like “yuck,” and then gently touch their nose with the treat. Most dogs can learn to refuse food patiently and consistently within a few weeks. This can be helpful when your dog begs for people’s food.
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