How to Stop your Dog from Begging?

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How to Stop your Dog from Begging?

We all know what happens every time you sit on the table to have your meal, and as you attempt to take the first bite, your adorable furry companion comes & sits next to you, eyeing your food longingly. Not many people know that begging comes naturally to dogs so when they handed out a few bites of their food, it results in building the foundation of begging behavior in dogs. Begging for food is one of the most common complaints among dog owners as it can be quite frustrating & embarrassing when the dog starts begging for food in the presence of house guests.

To make your dog stop from begging, you need to teach  & train him so that he stops drooling on seeing people dining. Many dog owners ignore the fact that feeding table scraps can quickly become a bad habit which eventually will result in developing bad behavior in dogs. It is a dog owner’s responsibility to ensure that his dog displays good behavior at all times. Begging may seem cute at first but if not fixed, it can cause a major behavioral issue. When you don’t fix your dog’s begging nature then it only encourages him more. You can’t even think of eating without your dog howling or jumping around you to get table scraps. Also, stopping your dog’s begging from an early age is of utmost importance otherwise it will become quite impossible to break your dog’s habit.

Why do dogs beg for food?

To prevent or fix your dog’s begging behavior, it is essential to understand why do dogs beg for food. No matter how full the dog is, he will still eat if you offer him food. Most dog owners wonder why do some dogs beg whereas some don’t? Well, the answer is that begging is a learned response so the dogs who get scraps from the table end up learning a begging behavior whereas the dogs whose owner don’t feed them table scraps don’t beg for food. Begging for food is a natural response, however, you can fix it by providing him proper training to stop the behavior.

Want to stop your dog’s begging behavior? Well, don’t worry!

In this article, we’ve rounded up some tips & tricks using which you can easily stop your dog from begging:

Don’t give in

The most common mistake that every dog owner does is that they meltdown seeing those puppy eyes & end up feeding table scraps to their furry companion. Some dogs intentionally make those sad faces & start whines just to get the food so you need to avoid falling for it. When it comes to food, dogs are way to smarter as he would do anything to make you give him food so you need to ignore every time your dog starts begging. You need to stop giving tids bits of your food to your dog as it will only make him stick to this bad habit. Always, never fall into the trap of “ just one time” as that will be like rewarding your dog’s begging behavior.

Take your dog to another room while dining

The next effective way to make your dog stop begging your food is by taking him to another room while dining. Separating dog from the dining area is a great way to stop your dog from begging. Make sure to remain consistent so that your dog can learn to sit calmly when all the members of the family are eating. You can also use some treats & praise to reward your dog’s calm behavior.

Give him proper behavioral training

The next tactic that will help in stopping your dog from begging is by providing him proper behavioral training so that he can learn to be polite around food. Behavioral training can also help in fixing your dog’s begging behavior as you can command your dog to stay in one place until you finish your meal.

Keep your dog occupied

To stop your dog from begging food, you can keep him occupied in other activities so that you can eat in peace. By keeping your dog involved in other things, you can make him put his concentration in other things such as puzzles, chew toys, etc.

Keep his feeding schedule consistent

The next way of stopping your dog’s begging behavior is by keeping his feeding schedule consistent. Make sure to feed him at the same time & the same place every day so that he can learn that it’s his mealtime. If your dog still begs for food then you can coordinate your meal time with your dog’s mealtime so that he doesn’t interrupt you while eating.

Avoid feeding directly from the table

Most dog owners make a common mistake bu feeding their dog directly from the table. Feeding your dog directly from your own plate encourages begging behavior so even if you want to share some scraps with your dog then make sure to put it in his bowl. You need to make him learn that he is supposed to eat only from his bowl so you should always avoid feeding directly from the table.

Be consistent

To see desirable results, you need to ensure that everyone in the household is on the same page. Dog’s begging behavior will only stop when you stop feeding him from the table. To rectify your dog’s behavior, you need to stop felling for those puppy eyes that dogs make while begging. By reinforcing it, you can surely put an end to your dog’s begging behavior.

So, these are some of the preventative ways using which you can stop your dog from begging food. Begging comes naturally to dogs but if the dog owner doesn’t fix it then it can cause many behavioral issues in the future.

Final Thoughts

Wrapping it up, we can say that, all you need is consistency & patience to teach your dog not to beg for food. By bringing some discipline in your dog’s life, you can surely make him a well-behaved dog.

June 24, 2020|Dog Training

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