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Begging is a learned behavior which is usually unconsciously reinforced. Many of us see our pets as members of the family, so it's extremely natural for us to want to share with them. Although it gets annoying to have a pet begging at the dinner table, we have a tendency to block it out and let it continue. One minute we might yell, "Stop begging!" at the guilty dog, but the next minute we feel bad and feed him something. This is exactly where the problem begins.
The moment you give in and offer your pet even a morsel of food, you're reinforcing begging behavior by teaching the dog that if he hangs in there and has the patience to wait, he will be rewarded with a taste. Dogs can be very patient: some will jump and whine and carry on, but many will just sit, stare and wait.
Dogs are pack animals, and in their natural habitat the social order would be ranked in a hierarchy with the leader of the pack -- known as the "alpha dog" -- dominating. Pet owners should be aware that "the pack" instinct remains intact even in domesticated dogs, and that they must take on the alpha role in order to discipline their pets. Once you firmly establish that role, you can more easily take control of bad habits.
So how do you stop the begging? The easiest way to stop your pooch from begging is to not let it begin in the first place. If you are bringing a new pet into your home, establish rules and stick to them, eg don't let that cute little face get the best of you. It's natural to want to spoil a new pet, but instead of table scraps give him food and treats formulated specifically for him. If your toddler wanted to eat a puppy treat, you would redirect him to an appropriate snack. Do the same for your pup. Some human food can even be harmful to dogs.
If your pet is already begging it will be harder to break the habit, but it can be done. Start by feeding your dog at the same time you eat your meals and removing him from the kitchen or dining room while you eat to eliminate temptation. Before you sit down to eat, put your pet in another room where his food has been set up. He might resist at first, but if you stick with it, you will establish habits that will make dining much more pleasant for both of you.
If you want to stop the begging for good, eliminate human food from your pet's diet entirely. When you are snacking, avoid sharing with him no matter how much you want to and give him a doggy treat instead. It will satisfy him, and it's much healthier in the long run.
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oh please!
My wonderful dogs know full well that I am neither alpha or beta.
They also know to switch alpha and beta between themselves.
You are attributing this knowledge to your pets AS a human. They don't 'know' anything. They are fantastic loyal animals capable of being domesticated, but instinct dominates their behavior. Unless DNA specialists can prove that domesticated dogs are relying less on instinct and more on individual thought, your attributions are incorrect. Your dogs need a leader, not a dictator, just a person setting the boundaries. Humans in a community setting also need a leader. The need exists for natural harmony and order, it doesn't have to be merciless domination or be ruled by an extreme alpha-beta dichotomy.
MM THEY "KNOW' MORE THAN YOU DO.
This "alpha leader" stuff is pointless. Dogs do live in packs, but they deal with each other one on one, There is no linear pack order. There is no "one" leader of the whole pack. This has been proven in countless scientific and real life studies. Dogs are scavengers, not pack hunters.
Your dog is not born "knowing" human rules. You need to teach him both self control and YOUR house rules. Call it leader if you want, he just needs to learn what you want. Once he understands, if he crosses the line he needs to know there are consequences (like no food). He cannot understand when it is okay to beg and when not to, so you have to be consistent and fair. If make him beg for treats, he will try to beg at the table as well.
I never feed my dogs from the table. They do not beg, it would be pointless. They can have some table scraps (including veggies) in their dish only after we are done.
If you think throwing your dog an onion or pepper will disguise the smell of whatever you are actually eating, then you dont know much about dogs and their noses :o) My dogs are 13 and 10 and I trained them long ago to stay out of the kitchen in general, and I virtually never feed them people food. The result? They've never gotten it, there is no expectation that they will get it, so they dont bother to beg for it.
rjrj100, besides the fact that onions are TOXIC to dogs, there are a lot of dogs who will eat just about anything, and seriously, do you want to deal with the after effects of feeding your dog peppers??
Fine - now how do I stop my CAT from begging - or demanding? From the time I come out of my room in the morning until I go to bed at night, she thinks I should be feeding her. She yowls at me and stands in my way. I have to shgut her in another room and I don't like it.
You might want to take your cat and have it tested for diabetes and other possible diseases that would cause him/her to beg for food constantly.
Just give in. You can't win when there's a cat involved. =D
very simple.......get rid of the thing. get a dog instead
@Barb, yikes, I know what you mean. Explaining doesn't work lol I have learned I'm not a bad mom if I use a water spray bottle to change cat behavior. The important part is to not let the cat know it's you doing the spraying. Good luck!!!
Your cat may have a thyroid condition. They become very vocal and are hungry all the time. Howling is a major symptom.
Are you quite certain your cat is hungry all those times? That is the only way the cat can tell you what she wants. My cat will fuss at me when he wants me to play more so than if he is hungry. He brings his little shoe string to me and starts hollerin' up a storm, wanting me to play chase/jump for the shoe string with him, and he is QUITE tenacious. She may also be in pain.
rjrj100 , onions are fatal to dogs!!!!!
Maybe she just wants attention, not food, try playing with her, talking to her. As far as feeding, don't reward the behavior you mention with food, feed her when she's being quiet.
Is it really food to attention that the cat may be asking you for? Has it had a good health checkup, complete with blood work to see if there is aphysical problem?
Some cats want you to watch them eat, shake their food bowl or some other sort of goofy ritual in order to make them feel like they are getting the appropriate attention. Sometimes there is something else they want, and if you don't get it they think that you want them to eat more before you will give them what they want. Some cats are just gluttonous. :)
Heather, you are absolutely right! Mine started begging and meowing all the time. Turned out she had a hyperactive thyroid. After getting on medication, we are now at peace with each other.
First step on how to stop your CAT from begging and demanding: GET A DOG
our little guy started doing this several months ago and has since gained 3 lbs,now if i could just figure out a way to get those lbs off of him i would be one rich man !