# Stop going after our food



## kimi (Jul 29, 2010)

Jackson just turned 6 months recently, and how do we stop him from taking food from peoples hands-he is so rude when it comes to food. He is decent when we eat at the kitchen table, but our nightly popcorn, or even eating a sucker, he is all over and will just take it-as if its his right. We are unsure how to correct this.... Any suggestions???


----------



## Stosh (Jun 26, 2010)

I've never given a dog 'people food' out of my hand- I always dropped it in their bowl so they know it's for them. When we're eating a snack or something in the living room rather than at the table, I have them go to a place and give the 'settle' command- which means they can lay sit or lay in any position they want, but they need to stay there. Usually they pick the rug in front of the kitchen sink or under the table, I don't care where- just away from me


----------



## kimi (Jul 29, 2010)

We don't ever give either of our dogs people food, and our older lady wasn't as rude as Jackson is. He is such a different personality. He is really driving me crazy lately. But, today we are trying to eat popcorn and he is all up in our faces and won't stop..


----------



## cassadee7 (Nov 26, 2009)

kimi said:


> We don't ever give either of our dogs people food, and our older lady wasn't as rude as Jackson is. He is such a different personality. He is really driving me crazy lately. But, today we are trying to eat popcorn and he is all up in our faces and won't stop..


Try 'Leave It' and if he doesn't listen put him in his crate. I think he will figure it out after a few times.


----------



## kimi (Jul 29, 2010)

I thought we shouldn't use the crate for punishment? 
He seems to be hungry all the time this puppy. I don't know what his problem is. Esp once he discovered that we eat different food than he does. He just seems to have lost some of his manners lately, and I am not liking it!!!!


----------



## codmaster (Aug 5, 2009)

kimi said:


> Jackson just turned 6 months recently, and how do we stop him from taking food from peoples hands-he is so rude when it comes to food. He is decent when we eat at the kitchen table, but our nightly popcorn, or even eating a sucker, he is all over and will just take it-as if its his right. We are unsure how to correct this.... Any suggestions???


How about teaching him "no" or "leave it"? That is what we did with our pushy 3 yo male.


----------



## Melgrj7 (Jul 5, 2009)

By playing the "



" game


----------



## ZAYDA (Apr 22, 2010)

If your 6 month old puppy can not be trusted around people eating then he should not be given the privileged of being lose and able to such a thing. "puppy should not be lose"

2nd. You know that you have some training to do on this subject so don't put your puppy in the worst case scenario and try to fix it. Work with your puppy 1 on 1 and teach him to leave it.


----------



## lcht2 (Jan 8, 2008)

easy solution...crate.


----------



## JessWelsch (Oct 2, 2010)

Until Jordan would lay at my feet and not whimper or try to get my food we used puppy time outs.... but not in the crate.... I tethered her in the same room so she could see me and the food... then I gave her the settle, down, ah-ah, or leave it commands depending on her reactions.


----------



## doggiedad (Dec 2, 2007)

teach your dog not to approach the table when you're
eating. teach your dog not to snatch food when you hand feed him
teach your dog when you're feeding him not to rush his feed bowl.
teach your dog not to snatch food. when my dog comes near the table when we're eating we can say "back up", "move away" "no", "go Lay down", etc. all of these things keeps our dog from crowding the table.


----------



## Cassidy's Mom (Mar 30, 2003)

I'm not understanding how he's able to just take your food. :thinking: I would start by teaching self control around food, as in the video that Melgrj7 posted - I used that method with Halo, and recommend it all the time to other puppy owners. I would also work on teaching "leave it" with food, toys, and anything else you can think of, in order to generalize the command. What I like about the "It's Yer Choice" game is that it's a default "leave it", where they learn that they can only take something if you've released them to do so. If there are times when it's hard for you and your family to keep him from grabbing food out of your hand, I'd confine or restrain him so he can't, until you've trained him not to. Crating a dog when you can't watch him is not punishment. 

Keefer had horrid manners around food as a puppy, and I couldn't have my full attention on him while I was making dinner, so I'd crate him at those times. I taught him impulse control at other times, and only when he was pretty good did I even think about leaving him loose when I was in the kitchen cooking. With Halo, I fed her her lunch kibble using the Its' Yer Choice game, so she learned early on that food wasn't hers until I said it was, even when it was well within her reach. Grabbing at it made it instantly go away.


----------



## Zoeys mom (Jan 23, 2010)

I think it's a simple case of you need to be in charge. Each time he comes near your food say eh eh, no, or whatever you guys normally use. When he doesn't listen remove him from the room and keep him separated until your done eating. Dogs are smart he'll quickly learn when he's being a butthead he goes away. It doesn't have to be the crate- you can puppy pen him, baby gate him, or put him outside. 

You can also use the "place" command while you are eating when you basically designate a place for him and say that places name when you want him to go there. Obviously he has to know the command first but it's a great command for when people come over, he's being a butthead, or you need him out of the way. At my house my lab's place is upstairs and Zoe's is in her crate. I say Zo crate and Henry go upstairs, they go, and stay until invited back. Start with getting him to the place and staying for short periods, then extend the periods of time he has to stay, and finally add you leaving while he stays. It takes time but it is our most used command in the house,lol


----------



## marinehoney (Feb 5, 2012)

melgrj7 said:


> by playing the "its yer choice" game


love this!!! <3


----------



## Bismarck (Oct 10, 2009)

as i don't have a kitchen table, i usually just eat on the sofa watching TV.

no dogs are allowed anywhere near me while i'm eating.
should a dog try and be persistent, i'll get up, and back them off with my body (and give a verbal "back") maybe 3 times. after that, if they didn't get the clue, they get crated.


----------

