3 Tips to Stop Dogs from Begging

You've had enough. Every night as your family sits down to dinner over a well-earned meal, your dog seems to forget its place and walks all over you, crowding the foot room under the table and climbing up when it sees you have some food. Why do dogs do this, and how exactly can you get them to stop? If you want to get your dog to stop begging, you should treat it as another behavior that can be trained out; not as an inevitability. Here are three tips to stopping your dog from begging.

1. Set limits.

One of the most crucial aspects to dog training is setting limits for what your dog can and cannot do. Once your dog engages in a behavior that you find undesirable, you have to consistently and persistently correct that behavior. Note that I said "correct" and not "punish." This is because a dog might not know what it's being punished for - instead, you'll want to stop your dog from begging from removing it from the dinner area. If necessary, tie the dog up on a leash or put it in a kennel, just so it learns it is not welcome during this time.

2. Do not reward the dog.

If you give a dog a treat, you are rewarding a behavior it has produced. This is the essence of dog training, and it's the essence of the mistake that you make when you give a dog a reward for begging. What does the dog learn when you reward it after it begs? That begging is a desirable behavior if it wants to get a treat. You couldn't make a bigger mistake. Instead, give the dog a minimal amount of your time - remember that affection is a reward, too, and giving your dog affection because of begging will have a similar reinforcing effect.

3. Work on commands.

You should be working on a few single-syllable commands for your dog, including "down" and maybe even "out" with a point to show your dog that it should leave. Use these commands when you are at the dinner table and use them consistently - remember that you shouldn't give a command and then be inconsistent about how the dog should behave. If the dog won't remove itself, you should remove it. Reinforcing a dog's behavior after it disobeys a command will only show the dog what it can get away with.

You can't afford to have a soft spot for your dog, because your dog will exploit that for treats. Instead, you have to give your dog affection at the right times - when it is calm, submissive, and relaxed - and reserve the treats for when it accomplishes something more healthy.

Photo Credits: adamsofen

This post involves:

affection, desirable behavior, dinner table, Dog Training, dogs, foot room, inevitability, mistake, time 2

... and focuses on:

Dog Training, Tips for Dog Owners

Posted by Dog Training Pet on March 12, 2010 in Dog Training, Tips for Dog Owners. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.