How to wean a dog to beg for food from the table?

Does your dinner pass under a plaintive look, and a pair of furry paws periodically persistently remind you of itself under the table? It’s time to put an end to this! A dog begging for food from the table is a common phenomenon, but not at all touching and harmful to the health of the pet. Luckily, weaning your pet from this bad habit is quite easy if all family members are together.

Beggars are selective

A dog that asks for food at the table may simply imitate the behavior of people (eating at the table with the rest of the household is a reward for her). But this behavior is caused not only by hunger. Dogs that beg for food are either not getting the nutrients they need from their own food, according to the authors of the PetMD portal, or they are experiencing an attention deficit. How to determine the cause? Start with the food your pet gets: is it quality ingredients or mostly by-products? Make sure the food meets your dog’s nutritional needs and spread out your daily ration so that you feed your pet two to three small meals a day. This minor change can stop begging for food from the table almost immediately. Speak to your veterinarian or try Hill’s Science Plan foods that are balanced to meet your dog’s nutritional needs and keep your dog healthy.

Sleep is the best medicine

If your dog continues to beg for food after his nutritional needs are met, the next step you need to take is to assess the amount of attention you are giving your pet. If possible, try to play with him before your own meal time. This will help you burn a couple of extra calories before eating, and your four-legged friend will get a little tired and take a nap while you eat. However, some dogs stubbornly run to the table, despite all the tricks of the owner. With such pets, it is necessary to apply more effective methods of training.

Time and sequence

Ignoring your pet’s insistence on grabbing a bite from your plate will not solve the problem. Of course, you need to say “No!” to form good habits, but it is also important to replace the manner of begging for food with a command that the dog should follow at that moment. After you have commanded “No!”, you can say, for example, “Place!” or “Lie down!”. These commands require him to leave the place near the table. The essential point of such training is that you do not reward the dog for following these commands. If you encourage her in such a situation, she will always come to the table and beg for food before following your command. Practice these commands throughout the day to reinforce good behavior skills.

positive reinforcement

When you teach your dog these helpful commands for the first time, you say “Well done!”, pet him, and offer him a treat. As your dog progresses, you stop giving him treats and only encourage him with words. Once your dog has learned to lie down in a certain spot, you can use this command whenever he asks for food near the table. If after a few weeks you still don’t see results, you can use a safety fence to “lock” your pet in the right place while you eat. But remember that this is a last resort and you should continue to train your dog to leave the table during meals in the household.

Be consistent

Training will bring positive results only if you are consistent. If you don’t want your dog to beg for food from the table, never give him human food, even occasionally. This rule must be observed by all household members. It is not easy to get this rule out of young children, because they themselves are still learning good habits. Perhaps they will be outraged when they learn that you can not treat your furry friend with a piece from your plate. Therefore, it is equally important to teach your own children not to feed a pet from the table in order to wean him from begging. And if you have guests at the table, ask them not to give the dog food from the table. It is extremely important that all family members and friends who help you care for your pet strictly follow this rule.

A dog is man’s friend, not a vacuum cleaner

When weaning your pet from begging for food at the table, try not to tempt her. The dog is naturally curious, and the smell of delicious food in the reach of his sensitive nose will be a temptation for him. Don’t leave food on tables where she can get it. Make sure your dog can’t climb into or overturn the bin looking for food. The dog is not a vacuum cleaner at all, so do not let him eat food that has accidentally fallen off the table.

And if you have small children, keep a close eye on where the vegetables disappear from their plates. Allowing toddlers to feed your pet under the table can lead to the habit of begging for food. While vegetables help children grow big and strong, some, like broccoli, can cause digestive problems in dogs, so it’s best for four-legged pets to stick to their own diet. Unlike humans, dogs are completely happy eating the same food every day for their entire lives, so banning human food can help you painlessly rid your pet of the habit of begging at the table.

The habit of begging from dogs completely disappears as soon as they receive encouragement. All good habits should be formed in your pet using the same kind of rewards that you use when teaching children. Be sure to reinforce the desired behavior with treats, attention, words, and happy expressions. Your four-legged friend is a source of selfless love. Dogs really want to please you, so if you reward them the right way, the habit of begging at the table will disappear without a trace.