My dog barks and begs for food during meals. How can I stop it?

And I forgot to mention, just DONT GET IN THE HABIT OF FEEDING HER YOUR FOOD while you're eating. Then she's learned that this behavior works, and she has trained you instead of the other way around. ;)

It sounds like your puppy is begging for food - this is a normal behavior but it certainly should be discouraged. The most important thing to do to eliminate this behavior is to never give him any scraps or treats while you’re eating - this will reinforce the behavior. You may want to confine him somewhere away from the room where you’re eating during meals and give him his own treat or chew for a little while.

Yes, most dogs once hungry enough will eat their own food as long as you aren't giving in and giving them people food and treats in between meals. You can use a little low sodium chicken broth with dog kibble to help entice eating and then gradually reduce it over time as Hercules gets used to his food again. As for barking and begging, looking up some YouTube videos on begging behavior can help you. In most cases, begging is something that is worked with via "extinction" which means you basically have to ignore it until he gives up when he realizes he's not getting a reward. This can be hard because with any extinction behavior, a dog will ramp up (IE barking more, begging harder) for a time in an attempt to get you to give in, before they gradually decrease the behavior. The key to getting past this is patience, and knowing it gets worse before it gets better! Distracting Hercules with a favorite chew toy or even something such as a Kong stuffed with his kibble may redirect the behavior as well while you work on it.

The best way to prevent begging behavior is to absolutely never give any foods when begging is happening! With time your puppy will realize that begging doesn't work for her. If she is very persistent and annoying you during meal times you may need to restrict her access by tethering her to a spot in the house (a bed or other space that is just hers would be best) or putting her in her crate - during these times you could give her a chew or treat puzzle to keep her occupied.

This is a very common problem for many dogs owners! :) The first, and most important thing is to make sure that you **never**, ever, give her anything at all from your plate while you're eating. If this behavior is rewarded with a tasty tidbit, even if it's only once in a while, it's guaranteed to continue - so this is the most critical part of stopping any kind of begging behavior. I have three dogs, and eat on the couch all the time. The dogs don't show any particular interest at all, because they know from experience that begging in this situation will not get them anything. You can do this too - you just have to be 100% consistent. If she has been rewarded in the past for begging like this, it may take a long time for her to learn that this behavior no longer works. In that case, I would recommend giving her something else to distract her while you're eating for now, such as a special chew bone or a Kong stuffed with peanut butter. You could also put her in her crate while you're eating to prevent her from bothering you, and let her out again once you're finished. Eventually, she will lose interest in begging as long as it never works. So be patient and consistent in the meantime, and make sure that everyone in the family is on board.

It is best not give him human food at all. If he begs while you are eating put him in a different room or outside so he can't beg. Remove the opportunity. Feed him at the same time you are eating but in a different room or outside as stated above. Once you are done eating you can let him in and if he hasn't eaten his food then pick it up and then give it to him again at his next meal. He will not starve himself to death. Eventually he will eat his food once he realizes you are not going to give in. He is training you instead of the other way around. Coco is very young to be already starting this behavior. You need to stop it now before it becomes a habit that going to be even more difficult to break. Dogs do not need to eat human food ever. They should only be eating dog food.

I recommend that you or your Mom feed him his dinner when she goes into the kitchen to cook. Then he will wait for her to cook and be happy because he knows he will get fed at that time. You can also give him a chew toy or play fetch or tug with him to take his focus off her. Another trick is to fill a Kong toy with peanut butter or cheese whiz so they take a long time licking it out and it will keep him busy instead of barking. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Damon.