dog begging

Dealing with Dogs that Beg

Dealing with Begging Dogs

You sit down to a juicy T-bone steak cooked to perfection. Your dog is already there, however, begging and pawing for a piece, then another, and another. Doesn’t he have any dignity?

That all depends on how he was raised. Let’s look at why dogs beg and what you can do.

Why Do Dogs Beg?

Begging is one of those learned behaviors that can be considered either endearing or a nuisance behavior depending on your viewpoint and situation. If you are standing eating from a bag of chips and a friendly dog approaches, sits on his haunches, and looks up at you appealingly, you might think it’s cute. Some people even train their dogs to beg in order to receive food or food-treats.

Occasional begging for food isn’t the biggest behavior problem owners encounter with their dogs. In fact, as a form of communication, it may even strengthen the human-companion animal bond. However, at the other end of the spectrum are dogs that won’t leave their owners alone at mealtimes, constantly nudging for a piece of the action to the point of ruining the meal.

Begging may take the form of sitting next to the diner’s chair, perhaps whining, eyes riveted on the target of attention, the food. In other cases, the dog may take a more proactive role in begging. He may paw, jump on the owner’s leg, or bark incessantly.

Whatever form the begging takes is testimony to what has worked for the dog in the past. And the behavior leaves no doubt in the owner’s mind as to its meaning. It’s not just food that can cause a dog to beg. The object of a dog’s begging can be anything that he wants enough to work for. Toys and attention are other commodities that can inspire a dog to beg.

Because begging is a learned behavior, it is best not to train it in the first place, though lots of folk unwittingly do so. Some owners do not have to contend with begging at all because they have never encouraged it, condoned it, or reinforced it. The perfect example of this is the owner who refuses to feed the dog from the table … ever … and never feeds him human food. The dog receives his meals at the same time, in the same place, every day.

Those owners who do have a begging dog problem must have rewarded the behavior at some point, either inadvertently or intentionally. Perhaps they found that giving their dog food from the table occupies him for a while and temporarily prevents food mooching. Perhaps they find that giving their dog a piece of hot dog is easier for them than just saying “No.” In both these instances, what the owners have taught their dogs is that begging works. The learning involves classical Skinnerian reinforcement of an operant behavior. Descartes said, “I think, therefore I am.” Similarly, the begging dog’s philosophy is, “It works, therefore I beg.”

Some owners of begging dogs decide to try to break the cycle of begging and reinforcement, but don’t have the willpower to stay the course. Instead, they occasionally cave in, reinforcing the dog’s begging behavior on a random intermittent schedule. This schedule of reinforcement produces the most indelible learning of all. It ensures that the dog will continue to beg on the off chance that next time he may win.

Methods to Stop a Dog from Begging