# Begging for food



## marb42 (Oct 19, 2008)

I was wondering how all of you handled meal times with your family. Does anyone's dog beg while you are eating dinner with your family? Do you have a place for him/her to go or have you trained your dog not to beg? 

Marble is my first dog, and I really didn't research training before I got him.:brick: So, we have developed a lot of bad habits that we are trying to reverse. My kids used to feed him food under the table at meal time, and he has developed a very bad begging habit. He begs and whines a little for food anytime someone is eating. We stopped giving him any food in the kitchen about 5 months ago, but he still begs. I also gave him a spot right outside the kitchen to sit. If he stays, I will give him a little piece of boiled chicken every five or ten minutes. This has helped a lot, but he does come in and still beg quite often. For the main meals, like lunch and dinner, I feed him in his expen while we're eating. That has worked well, but my kids and DH have other smaller snacks during the day.

So I just wondered how all of you handle meal/snack time with your family and dogs. 
Gina


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## DanielBMe (Nov 25, 2007)

The easiest way was to never give them anything at all when I'm at the dinner table or even eating at my coffee table. No matter how much they begged. Within a few days they just gave up. Giving them food from the table even once is the best way to make beggars.


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## Gabby (Jul 20, 2008)

I don't know if you ever watch "Its Me or the Dog" on Animal Planet, but Victoria addresses this issue on several episodes. She teaches the owners to get up and back their dogs away from the table and out of the kitchen and if they stay in one spot (like you are doing) she rewards them with a treat. It seems to work if you keep at it. I would keep up what you are doing and tell your kids no more table food for Marble.


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## Scooter's Family (May 23, 2008)

We just ignore him. Now he rings his bells, right next to my chair, at mealtimes just for attention. We still ignore him and he lies down next to my chair or under the table and goes to sleep. He's never been fed our food. We can eat on the couch next to him and he'll run to see what it is but we tell him OFF and he'll usually leave us alone.


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## Jane (Jun 2, 2007)

I am guilty of feeding from the table, but I was impressed when Lincoln's older brother came over. His owner taught her Havs lay down in a "stay" in a _different room_ while they are eating a meal. And her dogs really do stay there! I was impressed!


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## HavaneseSoon (Nov 4, 2008)

Dexter usually lays at my feet or under the table somewhere, but........he has looked up at us with those puppy eyes. We ignore him when we are eating and he goes off to lay down.


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## littlebuddy (May 30, 2007)

oh, don't know, we agreed from the get go no people food. django always comes by to take a sniff at the dinner table, just in case we change our mind but we dont so he just takes his rawhide and chews it under my chair. i think it's one of those things where you all need to nip it in the bud right away, she will get the message sooner than later.


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## marb42 (Oct 19, 2008)

Thanks for all the great advice! I really regret that we all used to give him treats at the table. Sounds like just once is all it takes to really cause a problem. Gayle, I love "Its Me or the Dog" . I may have forgotten or not seen that episode, but at least I'm on somewhat of the right track. He eventually gives up and goes to his spot, but he tries every day for a good five minutes before he 
gives up. Jane, wow! I wonder how they taught Lincoln's older brother to "lay down in a "stay" in a different room." It's interesting that Scooter, Dexter and Django all remain under the table. Marble lays under the table, too. Funny little furballs!
Gina


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## gelbergirl (Jun 9, 2007)

I never fed Henry from the table, only from the kitchen.
I am not sure he would know how to "beg".
At meal times he just lays next to the table while his people eat.


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## Sheri (Oct 11, 2008)

Gina, I wonder if this might help to incorporate with what you are already doing with Marble.... for any actual treat Tucker gets I have a dog rug that I put the treat on. So, if he's hoping for a treat he goes to the rug and looks at me hopefully. If I leave the house and give him his toy with a treat in it, I set it on his little black rug. He knows that if the goodie isn't on his rug, it's not for him. Maybe if you got a particular rug for him to associate with it might help to cement the lesson into his little mind.


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## gelbergirl (Jun 9, 2007)

Sheri - that is so cute. (and smart!)


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## marb42 (Oct 19, 2008)

Sheri, that was a really good idea, especially because you can move the rug around if needed. Thanks! I will have to go look for one
Gina


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