Begging Dogs: Dog training expert shares top tips to stop your dog mooching at the Christmas dinner table

Unfortunately, the smell and taste of the Christmas dinner is just as delicious for dogs, so they will be doing all they can to play on their owners' caring nature to get scraps.

Dog begging can be anything from giving puppy eyes, to whining, scratching owners’ legs, jumping up and even barking and growling.

To help out dog training expert Ben Randall has partnered with ACME Kennels to offer free advice and training tips to dog owners to help tackle bad behaviour.

Ben explained: “With all the extra delicious food and smells over the festive season, begging in dogs can get particularly bad, disruptive and annoying - especially if there are lots of guests around the house.

“However tempting it may feel to give in to the puppy dog eyes, begging is a learned behaviour, so it is important owners don’t show them it works by sharing any of their food.

“Owners should never give in to their dogs begging as it signals, they can manipulate them into giving a food treat as a reward.

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“Also, giving in to begging and feeding dogs human food could potentially put them off their diet and increase the likelihood of an upset stomach.

“From teaching a dog the ‘leave’ command to creating firm house rules, we hope these tips will stop the whining, barking and jumping while owners cook or eat so they can enjoy their Christmas dinner in peace.”

Here are Ben’s five ‘hacks’ to stop dogs begging:

Feed beforehand/during mealtime

By feeding the dog beforehand, or at the same time as the family sits down, they will have less of an urge to beg for more food. It will also redirect the dog’s attention to their own meal, keeping them occupied and less likely to focus on begging for human food.

Chews/toys

A dog will be less likely to beg for food if it has a long-lasting chew, bone or toy which can distract them or engage their brain in a different direction.

Ignore

By giving in to begging, owners are teaching the dog if they ask for food, they will get it - which is rewarding bad behaviour. In fact, owners should completely ignore their dog during mealtimes and avoid eye contact. Although the dog will make a fuss at first, it will eventually learn that displaying unwanted behaviour will not get them treats.

House rules

Set rules in the house so family members and friends visiting know they shouldn’t feed the dog, even if it’s left over table scraps. Consistent rules will cause less confusion for the dog so they know begging will not be rewarded.

LEAVE command

The ‘leave’ command is a command I personally use for all negative behaviour for example, begging, barking and jumping up. Unfortunately, stealing and begging for food is a common problem in dogs and ‘leave’ is one of the biggest tools to tackle the behaviour, but it must be firmly established. The dog must understand that, when that command is used, all negative behaviour must stop immediately. It’s a command owners should instil as a puppy, because it could save a dog from potential danger, including poisoning and chasing other animals. However, with consistency and a bit of work on the owner's part, they can soon resolve and correct this naughtiness from any age.

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