Getting
Started Week
Nineteen - Baton Down Begging
Giving
food to the dog from the table starts a bad habit. Your dog is likely to
begin begging behaviors any time people are eating at the table.
It can be SO satisfying to nurture those we love! However, resist those
puppy dog eyes unless you are prepared for a lifetime of your dog
begging for food and stealing it from the table when you are not
looking.
You have set up your dog to escalate
unwanted behaviors.
When your dog begs and you respond by
giving him or her the food, you must stop and think, "Who just told
who what to do?" Did your dog actually give YOU a Instruction, you
obeyed?
To baton down begging, be sure
NO reward or
attention results and give plenty of attention
for desirable
behaviors.
Any time you change the rules, expect your dogs behavior to get
worse before it gets better! Instructions your dog gives you may look
like: nudging, pawing, whining, rattling a food bowl,
approaching with a toy or barking.
In some cases, dogs adopt an unusual behavior that got
attention at least once in the past. Your dog repeats the behavior
hoping for another pay off.
That's why it's best to ignore and walk away from behaviors you
want to extinguish. You must be consistent. Inconsistency actually makes
behaviors stronger!