Training Tips: Begging

*Please Note: The solution below works for many dogs, but there is not a single answer for every dog. If you try this method, and are unsuccessful, please email us. We'd love to find out more about your dog, and build a custom solution to help you through this problem, successfully.

Begging can be an annoyance and an embarrassment. If sitting down to a meal with friends and family means being serenaded by Fido's whines and cries as he begs for some of your meal... then this is for you!

What you need:
Collar/Leash
Treats
Patience
Blanket/Towel/Dog Bed

Begging is a learned behavior. For some reason, your little furry friend believes that whining at the dinner table is rewarding, perhaps you've been feeding table scraps. So, we're going to teach the dog a new, and more rewarding behavior as an alternative to begging. Our goal is to teach your dog to stay on its "place" so that you can enjoy dinner in peace. It is important that while training the new behavior, we do not allow the dog to continue to beg. You should either put the dog in a crate (if crate trained), in another room, or outside until the new behavior is learned.

Step 1. Place the blanket, towel or dog bed (to be called "place" from no one) in a spot where you would like the dog to remain during mealtime.

You need to select a spot where the dog can be tethered (maybe a doorknob or heavy table leg). We will rid ourselves of the need to tether as soon as possible, but it may be necessary to help the dog in the beginning.

Step 2. Tether your dog so that it can comfortably lay in the place you have selected.

Step 2a. Praise your dog for being calm and quiet in its place. If the dog whines, or is jumping around do not praise/treat the dog, simply ignore the behavior.

Do this for 10-15 minutes a few times a day, or until your dog clearly understands that the "place" is a rewarding place to be.

Step 3. Begin walking away from your dog. Praise/treat the dog for staying in the place you have selected. You may have to start by taking a single step backward, and rewarding. This step will be the slowest to build, and requires patience!

Step 4. When you are able to walk away from the dog, and it remains in its' place, you are ready for this step. Without food, and with the dog still tethered move to the dining room table, and have a seat. If the dog stay calm/quiet in the place you have selected, get up and reward the dog (immediately). Do this several times, or until the dog remains in its place 9 out of every 10 times you walk to the table. If the dog is unsuccessful in completing this task, you may need to go back to step 3, and continue to practice distance building.

Step 5. Slowly build time. Sit at the table for 5 seconds before getting back up to reward the dog. Then 10, then 20, then 30, 40, 50, and 1 minute. After the dog can successfully remain on the place you have selected for a full minute (9 out of 10 times) move to the next step.

Step 6. Have a snack. Start small. Don't expect your dog to sit through an entire meal the first time you add food into the equation. Eat an apple, a banana, something small/easy/quick. Take a bite, if the dog stays in its place, get up and reward the dog (with a dog treat, not what you're eating!). Reward the dog for every little-itty-bitty milestone that it makes while you consume your snack. Slowly, you will be able to build up to a full dinner. BE PATIENT!