You can easily teach your dog better behaviour around the table
You can easily teach your dog better behaviour around the table – create the habit that when meals are served, dogs go to their beds. Any rewards that might happen while humans are eating, happen on the bed. So that’s where they hang out! Good dogs! Example – Dogs wait on their bed while the grandkids eat lunch. This not only keeps them from circling like sharks waiting for dropped food, it also keeps the kids from feeding them and rewarding begging. The door is open. Now it’s just habit, food is served, dog must go outside. “People food” doesn’t teach dogs to beg, PEOPLE do! Why do dogs beg? Because you have taught them to. Some time, somewhere, you picked a piece of food off your plate and delivered it to their ever-cute face! No people food … from your plate. Many people say that they never want to feed their dog “people food” because it will teach the dog to beg. The food doesn’t teach the dog. The response of the human to pleading eyes does. The “people food” that you should never feed your dog is food that you are eating at the time. People food is fine. SHARING your own meal is the problem. “One for mommy, one for Spot” is out. “Begging”? Or simply long-duration eye contact taught by variable schedule of reinforcement? But I thought I was only supposed to feed my dog “dog food?” “Dog food” is just people food turned into meat flavoured cereal and put in a bag. It’s all food: meats, grains, vegetables. The real difference between the meat in dog food and the meat on your dinner plate is quality. You buy high quality meat. The chicken meat meal in your dog food might very well be beaks and feet or the meat of old tough birds no human would consider eating. Don’t give your dog the gristle and fat you wouldn’t eat either, but don’t toss perfectly good, healthy training treats down the garbage disposal! The dog treats in the pet food aisle of your grocery store are the most expensive, unhealthy thing you probably feed your dog – full of sugars and artificial colours and preservatives. Cut up that left-over lean turkey or roast beef into small cubes and put it in a container in the fridge for your next training session. Work to earn. Begging to work is wonderful. Mooching is not. Keep it all in perspective. That left-over piece of chicken chopped up into treat-sized pieces and put in a bag in the refrigerator will make a fine training session later, after dinner is over and the dishes are done. Just be aware of what behaviour you are rewarding! Don’t let this happen to you! Stand up, walk away or better yet, teach them where they should go at mealtime. and make sure NO one in the family is contributing to the delinquency of a beggar! With Kind Regards Pam Naude K9 Communications Dog Behaviourist/ Force Free Dog Trainer PAT ( Pets As Therapy) Area Co-Ordinator and Behaviourist for Durban Doggone Safe Bite Educator for Schools Durban Member of the Animal Behaviourists of SA Mobile: +27 83 628 88 04/ WhatsApp Office: 031 572 5146 Facebook: K9communications-doggyminds
