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!