Use Your Begging Dog to Your Advantage

Oh, begging dogs, it’s time to change your begging ways or we’ll use begging to our advantage. 🙂 Here are myths about begging dogs dispelled plus tips on preventing, fixing and using the behavior to your advantage.

Myth: People Food Causes Begging

This is a common myth. Many dog owners refrain from using bits of baked chicken or cheese as training rewards because they’re worried their dogs will start begging. Allow me to ease your mind. People food does not teach your dog to beg. Feeding food from your plate teaches dogs to beg. 🙂 By feeding food from your plate, your dog learns to hover around because he will eventually be rewarded with a few nibbles of your dinner.

How to Stop Your Dog’s Begging Behavior

• Prevention: Don’t feed a dog from your plate. 🙂
• Hardcore beggars:
  • As approaches, grab a luscious food stuffed toy for your dog to enjoy in his crate. This keeps him busy and happy while you enjoy your meal.
  • Tether your dog. If your dog is not crate trained, try tethering. Redirect his begging attention by providing a delicious food stuffed toy while he is tethered. Plus, the food stuffed toy teaches him to associate good things when tethered.

Using Begging to Your Advantage

Who can resist those pitiful brown eyes asking for a tiny morsel of your dinner? Use begging to your advantage! Remember the cues you learned during dog training class? Well, it’s time to practice them. 🙂

“Down-stay” is my favorite dog behavior to teach during meal times. As you’re sitting down to eat, ask your dog to “down” and “stay.” While eating, toss a few tidbits between his front legs. This ensures he remains lying down, but is still rewarded. Soon your dog will have a rock solid “down-stay.” Woot woot!

Take it a step further and teach your dog to “down-stay” from across the room. Toss tidbits across the room, so it lands near his front legs, which provides easy access plus you’re practicing your aim. If he begins creeping toward the dining table, tether him and continue to practice.

What cues do you practice during dinner time?