We’ve all heard the expression “puppy dog eyes” and we all know that look of longing when we sit down to the dinner table to a nice dinner and our dog’s aren’t invited…which incidentally they should never be. The idea of begging for food is a learned behaviour, it is not one that is innate to dog’s it is one that we teach them by acquiescing to their pushing of boundaries. The simple fact of the matter is that in the wild, in a pack that has rigid hierarchy rules dogs dare not approach their alpha dog while they are eating a meal, such behaviour would result in a snarling snapping frenzy that more often than not would leave your dog limping away to lick his wounds. That is not to say you should snarl and snap at your dog when they approach you for table scraps but you should set your dog in his place in the hierarchy. There are many ways to correct the learned behaviour of begging, obviously the best way is never to teach it by giving in; however, don’t worry if you have already conveyed this as an acceptable behaviour, it is never too late to correct you dog.

The most important thing to remember when dealing with your dog in any situation is to establish your and his position in the pack hierarchy. Your family is your dog’s pack and he depends on your behaviour and your cues to set his position in the hierarchy. By allowing your dog to beg for table scraps you are telling him that this is, indeed, an acceptable behaviour for his position in the pack and that you will eventually throw him a proverbial bone. The problem with allowing this behaviour (aside from the awful habit of drooling, making dinner guests feel intimidated, and being terribly unhealthy for your dog) is that is reinforces to your dog that he has a more prioritized position in the pack than he should have. The concept of treating a family as a pack is a difficult one for dog lovers to understand at times especially those who see their dogs are their children. It is perfectly fine to spoil your dog with toys and extra playtime and pats on the head as often as you like; however, rewards that confuse your dog’s position in the familial pyramid often cause future problems that are much more difficult to fix – one such problem that comes with a feeling of raised status in the family comes when your dog decides to challenge other family members for their position.

Hierarchies, as unpleasant as they sound to us as dog lovers, are necessary to your dog. Dog’s thrive on structure including a social structure. Dog’s don’t care if they’re first or last on the pyramid as long as they know where they stand and receive food, care and attention. As mentioned above, it’s fine to spoil your dog with healthy affections and “dog” products, but be consistent with your requests of them and make sure you enforce their position in the family. Enforcing positions in the family doesn’t mean your dog can’t get on the furniture if you choose, can’t play with you etc, it simply means that you must be consistent in your requests of him, make sure he knows you are the alpha of the household and for the sake of your dog choose healthy alternatives to sharing your food with him!

Other than hierarchy issues why shouldn’t I share my food with my dog?

There are plenty of great reasons not to share people food with your pet! One reason which should be reason enough is your dog’s health, besides being unbalanced for canine diets human foods are extremely likely to cause obesity, tooth decay, gastric upset and toxic side effects as noted in “Human Foods Your Canine Pal Should Avoid“. Due to the high calorie content of many of the foods we eat as well as the fact that many of them are not natural foods (ask yourself if this food is available to your dog in the wilderness) most of the foods we consume are not fit for canine diets and leave our dog’s succeptible to high incidences of obesity. Tooth decay is another huge problem caused by feeding our dog’s “people food.” Human food is extremely high in refined sugars that are, again, not available to them in the wild. Dog’s have not established a routine of brushing their teeth after sugary snacks and most owners are lax when it comes to tooth decay in pets! With a combination of these two factors human snacks leave our canine pals with painful cavities that are rarely caught in time to fill. Gastric Upset is a frequently noticed side effect of feeding dog’s table scraps. Human foods are flavored to taste, many of these spices, while they taste great to us, upset the delicate balance in a dog’s gastric system which is designed to handle bland foods as found in nature. Think of it this way, if your dog can’t catch a fully seasoned chicken or italian sausage there is no way his intestinal tract is going to be able to handle digesting it without some serious consequences. Finally there are many human foods which result in toxic side effects for our dogs because of their sensitivities to certain food products. People often feed their dog a few grapes or raisins as they are snacking without thinking about the horrific side effects these foods have on their dog’s nervous systems! To avoid toxic side effects from human foods it is better to familiarize yourself with the human foods that are toxic to dogs and avoid feeding human foods all together. Like it or not your dog’s gastric system is designed to take bland food, food that is found naturally without being refined and things we would not necessarily consider appetizing, if you feel the need to “mix it up” for your dog, choose a different flavored kibble of the brand you currently feed (avoid this if your dog has allergies), pick up a new treat for him to try, or add a raw component to your dog’s food by researching the BARF diet but just avoid those table scraps!

My dog already begs, how do I stop him?

Stopping a dog from begging is going to be tiring but it is worth it for your own comfort and for the comfort of any potential dinner guests you may have in the future. Breaking begging behaviour is very similar to getting a child to stay in bed at night time. Your dog knows that there is a potential he’s going to miss out on those good scraps if he isn’t waiting at the table, he expects that food because you have previously rewarded his behaviour with it. When you sit down to eat your dog may follow you to the table, you need to have your dog’s bed or toy or some other marker parked across the room, when your dog sits by you at the table you are to direct him (or physically move him, gently mind you) to his place across the room and tell him to sit and stay in place. Many trainers use the word “place” to mark a particular place that they wish their dog to return to. No doubt that your dog will do as you say for a brief moment but follow up with a repetition of dinner table begging…this is where the getting a child to stay in bed analogy comes in. You are to again, get up and take your dog to his “place” and tell him to stay. If your dog already has a grasp of the command “stay” this should not take too long for him to comprehend; however, if your dog is not familier with the concept of “stay” this could be a very long meal for you. Rewarding stay’s with small dog treats is often helpful as well as the repetition of the desired behaviour. If your dog does not have a grasp on the concept of “stay” this is a great opportunity for you to work on it together, it will be frustrating to you both; however it is a concept quickly learned with the correct amount of repetition and reward. Just remember that your dog is more likely to repeat a behaviour he is rewarded for as opposed to stear away from a behaviour he is punished for so keep up with positive reinforcement and you will soon see a change in behaviour. If you feel that this is something you cannot work on with your dog alone, I highly recommend going through a training class or two with your dog, it is not only a great way to teach your dog commands but it is also an amazing way to stimulate your dog and prevent him from becoming bored and destructive. A tired stimulated dog is always happier than a hyperactive bored dog!