Dog Begging

Dog begging habits develop in dogs when they are given people food tidbits while their owners are eating and if they are given a food reward when they beg. You can prevent this type of behavior in your dog by ensuring that your dog is not given food when it does try to beg and by never feeding your dog bits of food off of your plate.

Stop Dog Begging Behavior

One way that people encourage begging habits in their dog is by teaching their dog to beg for a treat such as a doggy bone or a cookie. While this type of begging is fun for the dog and the owner, it can often spread to begging for human food if the owner is not careful. Instead of teaching your dog to beg for a treat, have the dog perform a task such as sitting or rolling over.

It is also important to talk with other members of the household about feeding the dog extra goodies if it begs. If you, or other members, would like to give the dog a special treat left over from dinner, then make sure that the food is placed in the dog's bowl after everyone else has finished eating.
If your dog does beg for food, do not give in. one time is all it takes for a dog to make the connection between begging and a food reward. Instead, ignore your dog when it engages in any type of begging habit or try to immediately redirect your dog's attention to another type of behavior.

Stopping Your Dog's Begging Once the Habit has Formed

Ignoring a dog when it is begging at a table is a lot harder then it sounds, but this is the first step that needs to be taken to end begging behavior. No one at the table, including children, should give any attention to the dog even it is whining or barking loudly. If the dog begins to paw at people who are eating at the table, or becomes physically aggressive, then the dog should be removed from the table area.
Dogs are social creatures and they want to eat when their people eat. Begging dogs can focus on their own dinner instead of someone else's if they are fed at the same time as when other members of the household eat. The dog may even bring a mouthful of food near the table to share this social occasion. When the dog is behaving well by eating its own food at this time, the dog should be verbally praised.
Pet owners who live in a household with children will need to have a serious discussion with the kids when it comes to giving in to the dog's begging. This type of behavior cannot be stopped until all members of the household stop giving the dog food when it begs.