BEGGING BE GONE! How to Break Your Dog’s Annoying Tableside Habit It’s Thanksgiving, and your dog is family — what could giving them a little bit of turkey possibly hurt? A small, thoughtless action could lead to months of bad habits. Begging at the table is one of dog owners’ most common complaints, but they often unknowingly encourage the behavior. nudging, or scolding them. If you consistently act like they aren’t there, your dog will eventually get the message in several weeks. Distract
Telling dogs “no” doesn’t nearly work as well as instructing them what to do. If your dog is a beggar, they need something else to occupy their mind. You might try distracting them with a favorite toy they can only use during mealtime. Others train their dogs to go to a cozy spot during dinner, where they can’t see the food and you can’t see their giant eyes. Some people feed their dogs before dinner to make the human meal less tempting. Reward Even a dog who loves food will likely see a hot, fresh turkey as more compelling than their kibble. So, while distractions help, they probably won’t solve the problem alone. But positive reinforcement goes a long way toward correcting their habits. Get up from the table and give your dog a treat for staying in their designated spot. Done often enough, they’ll learn that good behavior equals a tasty snack. Remaining firm is the most crucial piece to this puzzle. If you crack and give your dog table scraps “just once,” they’ll remember it for a long time. Remember that you feed your dog well, and they will not die from turkey deprivation. Canines use human pity to their advantage, so stay strong, know you’re doing the right thing.
Begging isn’t only annoying for humans but deeply unhealthy for dogs and their weight. We’ve included some tried-and-true tips here for breaking your dog’s begging habit, but it will require as much work from you as from them. Ignore Giving into your dog’s begging is the worst thing you can do, but scolding might be almost as bad. Dogs generally consider any attention from their humans as positive reinforcement. The more you engage with them, the more likely they are to think begging might create results they want. Avoid making eye contact with a begging dog, S NCVew C Policy At the time of scheduling a dental or surgery appointment, a $250 deposit will be required. This deposit will be applied to the procedure bill. If you need to cancel the appointment, and you give us at least 24-hour notice, the deposit will be refunded.
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