Put A Stop To Your Dog's Begging

Begging in dogs is traditionally associated with food but your dog may also beg for other things such as a walk, a favourite toy or simply for you to make a fuss of him. Your dog's begging may also take many forms including whining, barking, pawing, nuzzling, staring and, when the object of his desire is indeed food, even drooling.

All forms of begging are undesirable and should be discouraged at all times. Begging will become a real problem if you give in to your dog and let him have what he is begging for as he will then come to associate his begging with a reward which will in turn further encourage the behaviour.

The golden rule is never to give in to your dog's begging for food no matter how tempting it may be to do so. You should at first try simply ignoring your dog's pleas as some, but not many, dogs will realise for themselves that there efforts are going unrewarded and so leave you alone whilst you are eating. For most dogs however the lure of food is simply too great and they will persist with their begging in the hope that you will eventually give in to their demands and in these cases simply ignoring your dog is not enough.

When you first start training your dog not to beg, make use of another area of the house or room for him whilst you sit down to eat. If you have a cage or crate for your dog that may also be used for this purpose. Always settle your dog in the chosen location with the "settle" and "stay" commands before you sit down to eat. If you wish you may also give your dog a favourite chew toy to keep him occupied whilst you are eating. Then, when you have finished your meal return to your dog and release him from the "settle" and "stay" position. Praise and reward him for his good behaviour.

As your dog learns and gets used to the "settle" and "stay" routine whilst you eat, allow him to stay closer to the table if you so wish but remember to ignore any begging he may be tempted to do and if necessary repeat the "settle" and "stay" commands. With time and patience your dog should soon learn the appropriate and expected behaviour whilst you are eating.

Regular feeding of your left over food and scraps to your dog is not a practice to be encouraged. Many foods that we eat will at best upset your dog's digestive system and at worse result in an expensive visit to the vet and even fatality. Under no circumstances should you ever let your dog eat chocolate, onion, garlic, mushrooms, grapes or raisins as they all contain toxins or similar hazards which can kill him.

It will not however harm your dog to occasionally feed him a small amount of carefully selected left over food and scraps as part of his daily food allowance. If in doubt, play safe and restrict it to simply prepared lean meats and vegetables such as carrots and broccoli.

Never feed your dog scraps or left overs from your plate or the table as this will encourage him to beg. Always put the scraps and left overs into his usual food bowl and preferably as part of his daily food allowance.

As already mentioned, dogs may also beg for things other than food such as a walk, a favourite toy or simply for you to make a fuss of them. If your dog does this, never give in to his demands straight away. Get in to the habit of discouraging your dog's begging by first making him "settle" and "stay" for a short period of time before you take him for a walk, give him his favourite toy or make a fuss of him when you are ready and on your terms!

Want more help and advice on how to train your dog including access to online audio and visual training material? Check out the website at www.train-your-dog-online.com and read the puppy and dog training online review blog here.

Further helpful tips and advice on a range of dog training matters can also be found for free at the dogexpert website.


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