How to stop a dog begging at the table

A hungry dog is a determined beggar, so serve its own meal just before yours. The AKC's begging advice is to feed right before you sit down, preferably in a separate room from where you eat. A full dog has less reason to hover, and a dog busy with its bowl in the kitchen misses the moment the plates come out. A walk before dinner helps too, because it takes the edge off a restless adolescent.

Then pick the spot. A mat, bed or raised cot several feet from the table, where the dog can see you but cannot reach a lap, works in most homes; a crate with a chew, or a gate across the dining room doorway, suits dogs that cannot hold a place yet. The AKC suggests the same choices: a bed, crate or mat with a stay, or a gate that blocks the table. Teach the mat at other times of day before you use it at dinner.

One slipped crust a week is enough to keep a dog checking every chair. Hold a short family meeting and agree three things: nobody feeds the dog from the table or the counter, an adult picks up anything that drops before the dog can, and the dog's rewards during meals come only on the mat. Tape the rule to the fridge and repeat it whenever a grandparent, a sitter or a summer houseguest sits down to eat.

Small children are the hardest rule-breakers, because they drop food by accident and share it on purpose. Put the dog's mat out of sight of the high chair, or use a gate for family meals until the toddler stage passes. Table scraps are not only a training problem; the AKC notes they can upset a dog's stomach and contribute to obesity, and the ASPCA lists grapes, raisins, onions, garlic, chocolate and xylitol among foods that can harm dogs.

A dog that stiffens, growls or snaps when someone walks past its chew on the mat, or near food that has dropped, is guarding, and that is a job for a trainer rather than more practice. Polished Pup, our 10-week, 20-session program, is designed for complex cases including resource guarding. A dog that takes food off counters when you look away has a related habit, and our board-and-train page on counter surfing explains how management and training share the work.

For a young dog that simply cannot hold a mat while people eat, private sessions from $94 can build the place cue around your mealtimes, and Bright Beginnings, for pups from 4 months, covers impulse control and everyday manners over 4, 6 or 8 weeks. Gabriella Pope, our Director of Training & Canine Behaviorist, leads the team. Gloucester and Cape Ann families can start with the training form, and the team replies within one hour on business days.