While your dog might be trained on the basic commands like “sit”, “stay”, “heel”, etc. they still might struggle with resisting the urge to beg for food at the table. You may not think it’s a big deal, however, it can actually lead to other less-desirable behaviors from your pup if you don’t train them to stop begging. Here are some tips to try out to get your dog to stop begging at the table. 

Eat dinner at the same time as your dog

If you and your family eat dinner before you feed your pup, it’s very likely your dog is coming to the table because they are hungry themselves. To encourage your dog to focus and eat their own food, serve them dinner at the same time you and your family eat. Your dog will hopefully be paying attention to the food in front of them rather than your food. If they still make their way over to your table, consider having them eat their dinner in a different room than you and your family. This will help them get less distracted and focus on their own food.

Ignore the begging

We know you don’t want to ignore your adorable pup but sometimes it’s necessary in order to teach them. If you get in the habit of sneaking your dog some of your food, they are going to start expecting it all the time. This could actually make the begging worse. In order to continue training them to stop begging, you just have to ignore them or redirect them to another activity such as a toy, a dog treat, or their own food.

Create an after-dinner routine for your dog

Even if you eat dinner at the same time as your pup, there is still a good chance that they finish eating before you and make their way to your table. You can try to avoid this by creating a routine of sending them to a comfortable area where they can digest and relax. Set up the area with comfortable pillows or a comfortable dog bed so that they’ll enjoy relaxing there while you and your family finish up your dinner.

Teach your pup obedience

Continue practicing basic commands like “sit”, “stay”, “heel”, “no”, etc. with your pup daily. By practicing basic commands it gets your dog used to learning and paying attention to you. Once they master these commands, you can use them at the dinner table to teach them that their begging behavior needs to stop. They will start to notice a pattern in their own actions and in your commands and pick up on the fact that begging is not wanted. Of course, it will take some time, be patient with your pup!

Sign Up For Dog Training at Leader of the Pack

Have you tried all these tips and are still having trouble keeping your pup away from the table? Sign your dog up for an in-home training session or a group training class with Leader of the Pack! At Leader of the Pack, your dog will get the best and most up to date training from our expert trainers. Check out all the different training sessions and packages we have to offer! Contact us today with any questions by giving us a call at 617-296-1711 or by filling out a contact form!