teaching a dog not to beg

put her in her place/bed at time other than eating for short periods.  Start her in bed before folks start eating.  Shift the bed's position if the visual is a distraction.  Return her to the bed when ever she begs.  I would give her food/treat when she returns to the bed on occassion to set up a variable schedule.  There is food when you are here, but never at the table.

The teaching of the behavior you want the dog to execute while you're eating (such as "go to your spot" or just a simple down/stay) should definately be trained for during times that you aren't eating at first. Sit where you would normally sit while you eat and train for the behavior, rewarding appropriately when the she does it successfully. But while you're eating is at first a way too distracting moment to do any real training.

Also, make sure your dog never gets even a tiny kibble while you are eating, from anybody..................one slip-up can turn on a very bad behavior.

My dog used to sit at the baby gate in front of the dining room and whine when we were eating.  We simply ignorned her, and eventually she would lie down in her crate.  We would then praise her for the desired behavior, and if she remained in her crate for the rest of the time we were eating, she'd get a very small piece of food at the end of the meal.  We now give this treat at the end sporadically, and she still rarely begs.  It was actually incredibly easy, it just seemed to be one of those things that she figured out pretty much on her own... be annoying and beg, get nothing, be quite and polite and MAYBE you'll get a taste of food.

ORIGINAL: alisiaj78

My dog used to sit at the baby gate in front of the dining room and whine when we were eating.  We simply ignorned her, and eventually she would lie down in her crate.  We would then praise her for the desired behavior, and if she remained in her crate for the rest of the time we were eating, she'd get a very small piece of food at the end of the meal.  We now give this treat at the end sporadically, and she still rarely begs.  It was actually incredibly easy, it just seemed to be one of those things that she figured out pretty much on her own... be annoying and beg, get nothing, be quite and polite and MAYBE you'll get a taste of food.

I really like your approach - simply ignoring an undesired behavior is a great way to extinguish it.   Obviously, your technique was right on the money, and you didn't "cave" every once in a while, which is why most people can't make this type of training stick.  Good for you!!!! [sm=clapping%20hands%20smiley.gif]

From day one there was no way that Merlin (Mini Schnauzer) was getting any treats when we were eating.  He learned very quickly that if he even looked like he was interested in our meals he was off to his bed.  Today he perfectly behaved at meal times and when I am at home alone with him, I give him a chewy treat to have while I have dinner - otherwise he is just not interested in what I am eating.  The only exception is when he comes home from staying with the neighbours (I occasionally travel with work) where he and their dogs get little treats from the table!  For the first day or so he looks at me as if to say, 'Well, please'.  But quickly stops. 
 
I would say to crate at meal times.  And when the behaviour stops reward after the meal is over.

ORIGINAL: mondayblues

My dog begs whenever someone is eating (regardless of whether it is at the dinner table). When she does this, I usually tell her to go to her bed. I act consistently, but she still begs whenever she sees food. How do I get her to stop?

 
Our two German Shepherd Dogs went to obedience school and one of the best things they learned was the command "park it."
When we eat (these dogs have the complete run of our world/house/everything) and the dogs come to beg (a natural activity for dogs) my wife says "park it" and they flee to their living room pads. It is amazing to see a 135lb female and a 120lb male dog obey. (These dogs have living room pads, our bedroom pads and their crate pads, spoiled rotten,) but they behave.
The key here is training. If a person is willing to take the time, as my wife did, to train these animals, they will continue to act like dogs and want to beg, but will also obey and go to their pads and watch.
I have never had a dog that didn't want to beg, they are opportunists, I think it's natural.

Max came to us not being a beggar.  Sometimes he'll watch for awhile - of course, giving the *sad puppy* eyes, but if I ignore him, he goes away.

Joyce

Hi there - I am really interested in understanding the technique used to get the two german shepherds to 'park it'.  It is a command I would love to get a handle on!  My little guy likes to follow me around the house while I do house work etc and there are times I would prefer the happily had a little 'park pad'. 
 
Thanks
Tim

The number one rule (gosh I wish people understood how important it is) dont give your dog human food.
Second, IF you do, dont do it from where you are eating, if they think if they wait long enough begging at your feet they'll get soemthing then it will be harder to break. My husbands parents dog would go straight to the garage everytime we sat down to eat at the dinner table and she would stay there the whole time. She did this because his dad would feed her scraps in the garage after dinner was done. She knew that if she was to get something it would be in the garage so what use was it to beg at the table where she had never recieved food?
I did it a little differnetly. Rory was a beggar so I would set the table, wait for everyone to sit and then I would put Rory outside where she could stare at us through the glass door, Ok I know that sounds kinda mean but I wanted her to know from the start that she was not to beg. I did this for a whole montha nd then I let her stay inside only if she stayed on her bed in the living room. She tried to get up two times since then and I put her right back outside, i guess she had to test it.
My husband has started implementing the routine his dad used to do but with dog treats, not human scraps because Rory gets no human food except a little milk we recently found agrees with her tummy!
 

ORIGINAL: spiritdogs

...simply ignoring an undesired behavior is a great way to extinguish it.

This is exactly what we have done with our Goldens, and our puppy is following suit.  Also, when we have guests over for dinner, we make sure that they completely understand the rules.  We typically don't give them any attention whatsoever while we are eating (no petting...or much eye contact either because that's the same as acknowledging them and asking them to come over for some loving).  They calmly get comfortable somewhere and nap.  Our female Golden is a food hound, too.  They never get any food at the same we do.

Here's another vote for ignoring the undesired behavior.
 
I don't agree however that dogs should not be given "people food".  Mine eat homecooked every nite for dinner  .  Not only do they not beg when we are eating, they do not come near the table, and if I happen to eat lunch at my desk, I can get up and walk away and come back to a totally undisturbed meal.  And its not because they can't reach....there isn't much a german shepherd CAN'T reach.  They have quite simply been taught that if it isn't in their bowl or in their crate, it isn't theirs and they can't have it.  The only exception is "used" bones.  Those in the bone basket or scattered about the house are fair game.