{"id":13820,"date":"2022-10-18T09:30:06","date_gmt":"2022-10-18T14:30:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.diamondpet.com\/?p=13820"},"modified":"2026-02-17T10:07:50","modified_gmt":"2026-02-17T16:07:50","slug":"untraining-your-pet-stopping-dog-begging","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.diamondpet.com\/blog\/behavior\/training\/untraining-your-pet-stopping-dog-begging\/","title":{"rendered":"Untraining Your Pet: Stopping Your Dog from Begging"},"content":{"rendered":"

Welcome to our \u201cUntraining Your Pet\u201d series, where we help you \u201cuntrain\u201d your pet from those naughty or annoying bad habits and get them back to being the goodest boys and girls. <\/em><\/p>\n

It probably started with those big eyes staring at you forlornly. Maybe there was even a little whimper, so you innocently tossed a scrap of food or a treat your dog\u2019s way. We get it \u2014 that\u2019s hard to resist. But it takes just that one time of giving in for your dog to learn that begging behaviors get rewarded. And then it becomes an expectation at every<\/em> meal. If your family (and your visitors) are ready to eat meals in peace, here are some tips for breaking your dog\u2019s begging habit.<\/p>\n

The Problem with Begging<\/h2>\n

It starts off as cute, but begging can lead to behavioral problems (e.g., drooling on guests at your dining room table) as well as health issues. Feeding certain table scraps<\/a> (e.g., rich, fatty food) can cause an upset stomach, and many human foods are toxic<\/a> for dogs. Additionally, the extra calories from table scraps can quickly add on extra pounds that can lead to weight-related health issues<\/a> for your dog.<\/p>\n

Be Consistent<\/h2>\n

Once you decide to tackle the begging problem, you (and everyone else) need to stick to your decision. If you give in to your dog\u2019s begging some times but not others, your expectations are confusing for them. And that only encourages them to keep begging because they know that eventually you\u2019ll give in. So once you decide to stop rewarding your dog\u2019s begging behavior, you need to be consistent with your response.<\/p>\n

Begging for Attention, Not Food<\/h2>\n

If your dog is begging while you\u2019re preparing or eating a meal, it\u2019s because they want the food, right? Actually, no. Often your dog just wants your attention, and they\u2019re not getting it while you\u2019re concentrating on making or eating your food. For these dogs, getting food in return for begging is a bonus \u2014 they got your attention and<\/em> they got some snacks out of it, too.<\/p>\n

If you think your dog is<\/em> in the attention-seeking category, not the food-seeking category, try taking them for a walk or starting a big play session before dinner. Then provide them with a food puzzle or their favorite toy \u2014 away from where you are. That way you\u2019re showing them lots of love and attention that will hopefully satisfy them temporarily, and you\u2019re also keeping them distracted while you\u2019re eating.<\/p>\n

If your dog\u2019s begging is truly about food rather than attention, you can try feeding them smaller, more frequent meals<\/a> throughout the day. This will hopefully keep them feeling full longer and less likely to ask for (or steal) food at your mealtimes.<\/p>\n

Begging Dog? What Begging Dog?<\/h2>\n

It\u2019s the hardest thing to do, but the best way to teach your dog to stop begging is to ignore the behavior. Don\u2019t look at them, don\u2019t speak to them \u2014 basically pretend your dog is in a different room. Yes, you\u2019re probably going to feel some tugging at your heart strings when your dog\u2019s whines and cries become more insistent as you continue to ignore them. But soon they will get the hint that those behaviors are no longer the golden ticket to tasty treats. Instead you can reward good behaviors, like if they stop begging and go sit quietly away from the table.<\/p>\n

When Both of You Can\u2019t Resist<\/h2>\n

If you really, really tried but just have<\/em> to give in to your dog\u2019s begging, make sure you use dog-safe treats or snacks. Don\u2019t just give them table scraps off your plate, because, as we mentioned earlier, this can lead to health issues. Have some dog-specific treats on hand and use those instead (in moderation, of course).<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

With some training, perseverance and \u201ctough love,\u201d eventually your dog will learn that begging is not the way to get attention or a snack. And your family and visitors can enjoy their meals without being stared at (or drooled on!).<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

RELATED POST: The Five Most Common Reasons for Your Pet\u2019s Behavior<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Welcome to our \u201cUntraining Your Pet\u201d series, where we help you \u201cuntrain\u201d your pet from those naughty or annoying bad habits and get them back to being the goodest boys and girls. It probably started with those big eyes staring at you forlornly. Maybe there was even a little whimper, so you innocently tossed a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":13822,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"none","_seopress_titles_title":"Untraining Your Pet: Stopping Your Dog from Begging","_seopress_titles_desc":"Are you trying to help your dog break the habit of begging? Read further to learn a few tips that can help stop your dog\u2019s relentless begging behaviors.","_seopress_robots_index":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_searchwp_excluded":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[201,282],"tags":[10,365,443],"class_list":["post-13820","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-behavior","category-training","tag-dog","tag-dog-behavior","tag-dog-training"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.diamondpet.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13820","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.diamondpet.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.diamondpet.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.diamondpet.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.diamondpet.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13820"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.diamondpet.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13820\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.diamondpet.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/13822"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.diamondpet.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13820"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.diamondpet.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13820"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.diamondpet.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13820"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}