How Do We Stop Border Collies From Begging For Food?
For dog owners it is an embarrassing situation when they have invited their guests for lunch or dinner and their dog is going from one guest to another, asking for a bite of their food. Sounds similar to what your dog does every day? Well, we all face it and can be an embarrassing problem if you haven’t trained your dog to stop doing that. When they are puppies, it may seem adorable and cute, but if you won’t train them at young age, it may become a bigger problem such as excessive barking, jumping, growling and pawing.
Why do they beg?
For dog owners it may be a bit bizarre situation, because some dogs gradually develop the habit of begging for food even if they are not hungry or even after having their food. Therefore, it can be categorized under a “learned behavior”. Just like any other bad behavior problems your dog develops, begging is also learned the same way. For example if you have kids at home and they have been sneaking and sharing their food under the table with your dog, that is exactly where the problem is, because unknowingly your kids are teaching your dog to beg.
Not only kids, but their parents are also partner in crime, because when they first bring a puppy home, they just can’t resist sharing their food with the puppy, because those adorable little eyes are too cute to avoid falling for them. However, that is not the end of it, because with Border Collies or any other dog breed, learning process never stops and this behavior can be corrected with consistent and strict training.
How To Stop Your Border Collie Stop Begging
It’s understandable that they are cute, adorable and those innocent puppy eyes makes you share your bite with them, but unknowingly you’re encouraging them for bad behavior. So, pour all your love, care and affection on your dog by giving them healthy dog food on time, but not the table scraps at all. You have to be strict with them, which will help them to become a well-behaved dog.
Try to be consistent with the timing of giving food to your dog. Feeding them on same time everyday will help them learn the right time of asking for food. It also helps them differentiate between when it’s time to eat and when it’s not.
The best way to stop them begging is to fix their dinner and lunch time exactly when your family is having their lunch and dinner. Also make sure to fix a permanent spot where you’ll keep their bowl and it should be far away from your dinner table.
If you’re training a dog that has already developed begging habit, give him his favorite toy to play to divert and distract him away from the dinner table.
If your dinner table is in kitchen, train your dog to avoid entering in the kitchen. It comes under house rules and obedience training and it will help you to keep him away from your eating space.
Even though at first it will be difficult, but completely ignoring your dog when he is begging helps a lot. Avoid making eye contact with him and let him beg as if you’re ignoring him. It may take some time, but eventually he will leave this habit.
If you have children and other family members, make sure they are on board while you teach him to stop begging. It is important because if you’re training him and other family members or kids are not following the rules, then all your efforts will be wasted. The best way to teach him is to make him realize that begging doesn’t work anymore.
On the other hand, you must remember that correcting a dog’s bad behavior is all about positive reinforcement. Therefore, always reward your dog when he follows your commands and stops begging. That helps him learn that being a well behaved pet will work, begging won’t.
