Begging at the Dinner Table

There are quite a number of myths floating around these days concerning our dogs and one of them has to do with begging.  Does this sound familiar: “I don’t give my dog people food because I don’t want him to beg at the dinner table!”  But is that really true?

You might be surprised to know that many positive reinforcement trainers, including myself, give so-called people food to their dogs.  And my dogs don’t beg at the dinner table even though I give them  anything from boiled chicken, to fresh veggies.  I believe there are great health benefits associated with giving our dogs food that is unprocessed and in its natural state.   That’s why I have made the choice to do it.

If you don’t want your dog to beg at the dinner table or in the kitchen there are some simple steps you can take to ensure that doesn’t happen.  Don’t make the mistake of feeding your dog from the table, for starters.  Secondly, I’d recommend teaching your dog to settle/stay in a position away from where you eat.  Reinforce the stay, calm and quiet behavior by giving them a treat/chew/toy! When we sit down for dinner our dogs are in a settled position a good distance away.  They can see us, but are about 15 feet away in their case.  You can adjust the distance based on your dogs needs.   Teach your dog to settle on a mat or a bed, and over time they’ll learn that’s the place for them to be while you eat.  If your dog is whining while you’re eating it could be that they’re too close and the temptation is too great.  In some cases I recommend putting the dog in their crate or out of sight in another area of the house.

Another suggestion I would make is when you start training the settle in their new spot do so without food on the table.  Just have the family sit down as usual, but with no food around.  Over time you can gradually work toward the goal of having them in the same room, settled, and a lovely feast with the family.

As you’re making dinner, it’s also a good idea to have your dog out of the kitchen.  You can set up a baby gate or again teach your dog to settle in a location outside of the kitchen.

So feel free to give your dogs food that you eat.  As always I recommend researching what is appropriate to feed your dog and what is toxic or unhealthy.