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Begging:
Pups learn to "beg" or crave and demand our food usually because it smells so good OR at some point they received the highest form of reward known to canines across the planet, PEOPLE FOOD!
Begging can be expressed in a variety of subtle ways including:
staring at you while you eat
panting/drooling while looking at you/your food
Being too close or laying under your chair/table and waiting
sitting right next to you
nudging your arm
licking you
barking at you
trying to get your attention
jumping up on the table/counter/couch where we're eating
counter surfing (jumping up and sniffing on the counters for food)
being underfoot in the kitchen
Rules are simple: They need healthy safety boundaries!
No dogs allowed in the kitchen or within 5 feet of people food being eaten, cooked, prepped, or being put away from the grocery store.
Why? It's dangerous! And also, it's just too tempting for pups still learning self-control.
There are quite a few very common human foods that are very toxic or dangerous for pups, even in very small quantities.
Some of those include:
*chocolate *macadamia nuts *xylitol sweetener *animal bones *onions *garlic *grapes *citrus *yeast *raw animal proteins such as eggs, chicken and beef
Kitchen dangers:
Pups underfoot in the kitchen are a hazard to their health (and ours).
How so? Let history teach us all a lesson! Save yourself time, money and injury.
*Tripping hazard: accidentally stepping on them or tripping over them while underfoot and we're moving around the kitchen- broken paws for them, and broken hips for us. Pet ER then human ER- good times.
*Boiling water: walking from the stove to the sink to strain our pasta ... trip and BOOM- boiling water on everyone, causing serious burns
*Hot oil: paw flips it off the stove, need I say more?
*Dropping a chunk of onion while chopping, hoover pup inhales a huge chunk immediately. Immediate trip to the pet ER and hundreds-thousands of dollars later for toxicity treatment
*They jump up and turn the stove on, burn their nose/paws on the burner, or open the hot oven
*Counter surfing, they knock down the cutting board with a knife on it- OUCH! Another trip to the pet ER for laceration repair.
They should be on their bed or in their confinement area during these times for the safety of all
Follow the 3 strikes rule:
They get 3 chances to stay back 5 feet OR on their bed in a down/stay while enjoying their meal or a long-lasting chew bone.
Each time they get off of their bed or move closer than 5 feet, we get up and bring them back to their bed or spot at least 5 feet away, give a reward/toy/chewie treat, and go back to what we were doing.
After 3 chances, they must go into their kennel or x-pen until you're done, as nothing positive will likely occur past this point.
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