Passive begging when eating dinner

I feed my dogs at the same time we eat dinner. Everyone is fed in their own area but it seems they still stare longingly at the dinner table waiting and hoping for one of the kids to drop a crumb. They wont run over for it but they do eventually mosey over and swoop up the crumbs and pretend like no one saw. I hate to put them out to eat but lately they have been very competitive over the crumbs. If I sweep them up then they tend to search and search for them like an obsession! What would be your course of action?

 

I've never seen a dog that doesn't eat something simply because it was full, so feeding your dogs an hour or so earlier than you eat won't change their lurking habits and feeding them an hour or so later would just make them lurk around the table more. When you sweep up the crumbs you are actually sweeping the scent of the food all across the floor, so they smell it everywhere and can't find it! Vacuuming instead of sweeping might stop the sniffers, or mopping up with a cleaner like SimpleGreen so it isn't harmful to your pets and kids and doesn't smell attractive to your animal (but smells clean to you)! Your simplest option is to put them out though.

 

I have to agree, timing isn't going to be a factor. I really have never had begging issues with my boys. They sit around the table when we eat, but never sit and stare at us. I would also agree, when cleaning the floor you are spreading the scent of food. Some dogs will just sit and stare, while people eat. My sister has 3 well behaved dogs and they have never been feed off the table, but 2 are always hanging around the table begging at supper time. Go figure?

 

Where is Caesar when you need him I need someone to whisper to these guys. Tonight was rough. I left the crumbs and they ransacked under the table. The behavior seems to be getting worse and Im not sure what to do. I threw them out but that doesnt seem like it will be effective.

 

Well, Cesar says in order for you to avoid such behavior, you must be able to claim the space where the crumbs are. No, this doesn't mean that you have to roll around the floor and mark it with your scent but you have to not allow them past an imaginary line before your dining table.

What I used to do is I block the space and stand in front of them until they give up. If they try to go around you, block. If they stare at you, stare back and don't squint. It's like playing a game of "no one's getting past me". They'll eventually learn to turn around especially if there's no budging you.

 

that gives a great visual of me rolling on the floor and marking under my table. I'll give your method a try. Tonight was another disaster. Ive never had such a headstong dog! Im wondering if he is suffering OCD issues or something.

 

I believe persistence is a dog's skill. They have adapted well to the human world and companionship that not only are they capable of reading our emotions (a quote from BBC's documentary about The Secret Life of Dogs) but they are capable of manipulating us with their puppy eye stare.

Don't give up. Good luck.

 

My Homer definitely is capable of manipulating me . He does that every time when I'm eating dinner. He just sits next to me and he looks at me with his adorable puppy eyes and he looks so hungry that it's very hard for me too be responsible and not to share with him too much of my meal.

 

I would just put them in another room. Even if you don't want to put them outside, just put up a baby gate that keeps them out of the kitchen for that time. If it's getting worse, then it's certainly not going to go away on its own.

 

I never minded it, They would put their head on our laps and stare up at us whenever we were eating. It was really cute actually. Thanksgiving was the worst for this. As they got older, we just started fixing them each their own plate on the holidays and let them pig out. They would get stuffed and leave everyone alone, and go take a nap. It was just easier than having them begging us the whole time.

 

I think that regardless of what anyone is eating, a dog will want some of it. Your dogs beg passively, which means you can probably continue to sweep them up - they will probably get tired of looking for the crumbs after a while. My dog begs aggressively, which means he will bark over and over again until he gets something or is scolded. If we drop anything from the table a stern 'NO' usually makes him not pick it up - you can try that although it does take a while for it to start working Good Luck!