# How can I stop begging?



## hunnefeld1 (Apr 21, 2010)

I have a 9 month old GSD. Whenever I goto the kitchen to make food he will follow me around, until I give him a stern command and then he will go lay down. If I eat at the table he will beg for a second and then lay down but if I try to eat in the living room he goes nuts. He will start jumping on me and trying to get at the food. He will start drooling all over the place. The only thing I have done to try to stop it is a stern command and then put him in time out (which is a leash hooked up to a door handle and no attention from me). This seems to work but the second he gets out of time out he goes nuts again. Any ideas?


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## mjbgsd (Jun 29, 2004)

Easiest way, put him in his crate.


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## sagelfn (Aug 13, 2009)

When Sage was a small pup I had to put him in his crate when I ate. Once we had some good OB down I would tell him to "leave it" and he would go lay down. You could also give a park it command where he is to lay and stay in one spot while you eat.


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## Vinnie (Sep 4, 2001)

In our house we have an imaginary line between the kitchen and dining room. When I am cooking (hard to cook if you're tripping over 3 dogs) or we are eating at the kitchen table the dogs are not allowed to cross that line. They can beg all they want from the other room when I can't see them. 

When we eat in the living room the dogs must lay down or leave the room. 

We'll give them scraps or a treat when we're done eating IF they are good while we eat and they know it so they follow the rules.


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## doggiedad (Dec 2, 2007)

i never fed my dog from the table when
he was young (9 weeks to 1 year old or so).
after my dog knew "leave it", "no", "back up"
i could give him food while i was at the table.

if i'm eating in the livingroom and my dog gets to close
i can say "back up", "no", "go to your bed" or wahtever
and there's no problem.

i think you have to start when they're young and
teach them what you want from them ( training/
socializing). 

at 9 months old i think a dog should know
how to behave when i'm eating and it doesn't
matter what part of the house i'm eating in.
it doesn't matter whether i'm eating indoors or in the yard.

start working with your dog and teach
him what you want from him.


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## GSD MOM (Apr 21, 2010)

My dogs have a "chair" in the living room. It's really a bed but we call it a chair because their crates are called their beds. Anyway... we tell them to go to their chair and they do until all food is out of the room. If you want to try this maybe train him without food in the room. Just so he can learn the command. It won't take too long for him to figure it out.


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## Kamahi (Feb 27, 2010)

I have a baby gate to close off the kitchen.. my only problem with that is Kamahi can, and will, jump over it. :headbang: But he's pretty good about not begging in the kitchen.

I get my dogs to 'down, stay' while I'm eating. They're still in the same room, just about 10 feet away from the table. Half the time they even fall asleep.lol.
When I finish eating, they will usuallly get some table scraps.

Tosca is put in the crate until she's trained though.


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## TxRider (Apr 15, 2009)

My dogs were taught "get back" and "down" and they only get a morsel of my food if they do not beg.

That is, I just reward the behavior I want. If they lay down and don't look at me for a while they get some food.

If I eat sitting on the sofa they may lay down 3-4 feet away on either side of me, but they actively lay their heads down looking anywhere but at me. Hope even hides her head under the coffee table. And if they behave that way they might get a scrap when I'm done.

It started small, but once they figured out not begging got the food, it went rather fast to the point its pretty automatic now. They patiently look at anything but me until I am done, then they look at me to see if they get anything.

You might call it anti begging, begging by actively not begging.. 

The also know if I say "no more, all gone" there is none to be had.


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## kelso (Jan 22, 2007)

Your dog is only 9 months, so still very much a pup. So I would just continue with not reinforcing the begging. Just keep eating or whatever, and if you are trying to eat in the living room completely ignore them and if he comes up to you just turn your body away, no eye contact, and keep eating. Or say no, or like you said tell him to lay down. I will also nudge them away if need be.

I wil not even reward them with some of our food if they are good and lay down or do not beg after we are done eating. I will however give them "human" food at seperate times during the day( even if it is leftover from a meal) as training treats. But it is not associated with "us" eating.

He is smart and will get it after awhile that it is not in anyway rewarding for him, so will stop doing it. It may take some time (and he is young) but he will figure it out that there is no way he is getting your food if you keep at it (DO not break and even give a morsel after you are done) Try to seperate you eating and him eating as very different events in his day. We had the beggers of all beggers and really after alot of ignoring now she just lays down while we eat. I will not say my dogs are the smartest ever, cause I know they are not, but they have learned the difference between us reaching in the fridge for our stuff and eating our own food vs, reaching in a particular spot/with particular foods that may be for their treat!!

But that is just how we did it...there is many different ways to do things! And it may depend on the dogs as well


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## Lilie (Feb 3, 2010)

Is your pup allowed to "jump" on you when food isn't involved?


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## hunnefeld1 (Apr 21, 2010)

No he never jumps on anyone. He just started to jump on me when im carrying food. I just keep ignoring him and telling him to goto his room (which is in the living room on his bed) and eventually he listens.


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