Imagine this, you’re going to a dinner party.  As you approach closer to your destination, you can smell that aroma of a scrumptious dinner.  That aroma invites you in as it would for a dog while you’re opening the oven door to a roast Turkey.

You can imagine that with a dog’s nose known to be more sensitive than a human’s, it’s going to want a piece of that Turkey.  Once a piece of food accidentally falls on the floor and the dog lunges for it, this action can become repetitive if the behavior is not corrected.

The meal is finally on the table. Your dog follows you as you sit down and he/she waits for you to give food from the table.  If lucky, a piece of food does fall on the floor for him or her to pounce on.  Once you have started giving food from the table, the dog will most likely remain there until your meal is finished. This can lead to the dog repeating the same behavior.

It’s amazing to see how dogs act by begging at the table for some food scraps.  There could be whining, shaking, growling, howling, tugging and nudging your leg for attention.  If those don’t work, then the next step would be for the dog to try to jump on your lap or even on the table.  A dog jumping onto a table may lead to another unwanted behavior such as counter surfing.  In other words, if a dog can manage to find a way onto a chair, it can get onto a table to get to the food on the table.

Another reason why you shouldn’t give food from the table is to prevent your dog from getting sick eating unhealthy food (i.e. spicy).  You may be able to monitor what you give your dog at the table, but there’s always the chance of something dropping on the floor or a guest feeling sorry and giving in.

There are different ways to correct the begging behavior.  When at the dinner table, refrain altogether from giving food to your dog from the table.  Having an area gated or your dog in a crate can be a good preventative measure.

Once again, it’s important to note that once the dog has started to beg at the table and is rewarded with food, he or she will likely be there every time you sit down for a meal.

Utilizing a daily consistent positive and motivational training routine can help modify this behaviour.