My dog is scared of me after a food accident. What should I do?

It sounds like your puppy is begging for food - this is a normal behavior but it certainly should be discouraged. The most important thing to do to eliminate this behavior is to never give him any scraps or treats while you’re eating - this will reinforce the behavior. You may want to confine him somewhere away from the room where you’re eating during meals and give him his own treat or chew for a little while.

As hard as it is, you must ignore bad behavior. To a dog, even negative attention is better than none, which is why scolding sometimes doesn't work. Put Tao on a leash when your friend comes over, and keep him close to you. Do not respond to the behavior in any way (warn your friend in advance that this is what you are doing). He may get worse before he gets better, as something that has always worked for him before is suddenly not working. Don't give in! This is actually a doog sign that he recognizes things are changing and he making a last-ditch effort to hang on to the old way. Always praise him if he is quiet, even for a moment or two. The same is true for begging and stealing your food. This must stop, no matter how much he begs or growls. Do not, ever, give in to that. What you describe are signs of a spoiled dog, and he needs to learn that he does not run the house. Good luck with this! If you need additional help, you can click on the prompt to start a consult, where we can discuss these problems at length.

The best way to prevent begging behavior is to absolutely never give any foods when begging is happening! With time your puppy will realize that begging doesn't work for her. If she is very persistent and annoying you during meal times you may need to restrict her access by tethering her to a spot in the house (a bed or other space that is just hers would be best) or putting her in her crate - during these times you could give her a chew or treat puzzle to keep her occupied.

Hi there. If this is a recent change for Harley, I would be concerned that he may have some type of medical problem causing him to feel more hungry than normal. In that case, I would recommend a vet visit to discuss this issue and see what may be going on. If he's always done this, then he may simply be interested in human food - which is normal behavior for many dogs. :) It can usually be addressed fairly easily by giving the dog something else to do while you're cooking or eating, such as a rawhide or bully stick to chew on, or teaching him to wait quietly on a mat or dog bed during these times. If you need guidance on how to teach this, I would recommend getting in touch with a qualified trainer in your area who can work with you in person. You can search for one here: www.ccpdt.org

I recommend you have a crate in another room and feed him his dinner when you both are eating yours. As long as he’s a normal weight you are not starving him. Dogs love people food and once someone starts feeding it to them they will beg and eat it regardless if they have had enough food of their own. As far as training I recommend you work with him on a leash in your yard away from your mother’s distractions. Also you and Snaccs may enjoy going to a group obedience class. That will help him listen to you and you can work together with the distraction of other people and dogs. He’s still young so training will help so keep up what you can. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Snaccs.

And I forgot to mention, just DONT GET IN THE HABIT OF FEEDING HER YOUR FOOD while you're eating. Then she's learned that this behavior works, and she has trained you instead of the other way around. ;)

This is a very common problem for many dogs owners! :) The first, and most important thing is to make sure that you **never**, ever, give her anything at all from your plate while you're eating. If this behavior is rewarded with a tasty tidbit, even if it's only once in a while, it's guaranteed to continue - so this is the most critical part of stopping any kind of begging behavior. I have three dogs, and eat on the couch all the time. The dogs don't show any particular interest at all, because they know from experience that begging in this situation will not get them anything. You can do this too - you just have to be 100% consistent. If she has been rewarded in the past for begging like this, it may take a long time for her to learn that this behavior no longer works. In that case, I would recommend giving her something else to distract her while you're eating for now, such as a special chew bone or a Kong stuffed with peanut butter. You could also put her in her crate while you're eating to prevent her from bothering you, and let her out again once you're finished. Eventually, she will lose interest in begging as long as it never works. So be patient and consistent in the meantime, and make sure that everyone in the family is on board.