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08-16-2009, 04:06 PM | #1 |
Yorkie Yakker Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Lafayette Hill, PA
Posts: 70
| Begging (actually aggressive) for people food My dog is 3.5 months old and the only thing I have fed her is her dog food (science diet) and her treats. I have never given her people food (except a piece of cheese to take her pills) but whenever anyone eats near her she begs for the food. Actually fights for it is probably more accurate to say. She will jump on you, grab at the food, and hound you until you have to either put her in the crate or move away from her to another couch. Today I was eating a bagel and she was whining for some and I SWEAR she got so mad I wouldnt give her any that she went and peed on my couch!! Even when I drink...like a bottle of water...she comes over and goes crazy grabbing at my face as I drink. I have no idea where she got the desire for people food but she is obsessed with it. Does anyone have any ideas on why she may be doing this or how to make her stop? It makes me feel like maybe I am not feeding her enough but I give what is recommended for her age/weight. I am at a loss. Thanks! |
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08-16-2009, 04:14 PM | #2 |
I ♥ Joey & Ralphie! Donating Member | Rule one is never to feed at the table, and don't allow guests to do this either. Push away, and say no, or shake a can full of coins. They will learn, but you must be consistent. If he can have a piece of what we are eating, I go to the kitchen with it to feed him, never from the table. Rule two is always eat at the table. Lol, Joey's great when I'm at the table, but I confess, I've given in if I've eaten somewhere else, and now he's relentless, so I just always eat at the table. Really you can say no 40 times, but if you say yes just once, it's like you've never said no, and all he hears is YES! Joey was the same way with bottled water, they want whatever you find interesting.
__________________ NancyJoey Proud members of the CrAzYcLuB and YAP! ** Just Say No to Puppymills – Join YAP! Yorkshire Terrier Club of America – Breeder Referrals |
08-16-2009, 05:42 PM | #3 |
Thor's Human Donating Member | Welcome! FYI, Science Diet is not the best food there is, you might want to consider switching her. Also, just to see if it's an issue, you might try free feeding her and see how much food she actually eats. As for why she likes human food without eating any... well, they have noses. I guess it can be different for different dogs. Thor sits on my desk while I work and will not beg if I eat at my desk. Every time he tried at first, I would just "sweep" my arm to push him back to his bed and he got the idea. I would implement a "one strike and you're out" rule. If she does ANYTHING you don't like, put her in her crate for a minute. Be prepared to do this literally thirty times in a row, and she will probably get it permanently. Alternately, you could crate her with a bully stick or something else she can attend to while you eat.
__________________ If you love something, set it free. Unless it's an angry tiger. |
08-16-2009, 06:09 PM | #4 |
Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Mankato, MN, US
Posts: 180
| Jack doesn't beg for food but if I offer something to him.... it's after I am completely done eating. Madden on the other hand, he thinks he needs to be sitting in my lap and licking my face as I eat. I just continually push him away.... after a handful of times he gives up and waits til I done. It's all about consistancy and establishing boundaries. A general rule of thumb is.... anything that smells good to us smells amazing to your dog. As your dog can smell better than we can. Good luck!
__________________ Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass... it's about learning to dance in the rain. Jack & Madden |
08-16-2009, 06:19 PM | #5 |
Yorkie Yakker Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Lafayette Hill, PA
Posts: 70
| Ok, so consistency is the key it sounds like. I want to be able to eat at the couch with my dog around b/c I live in a smaller apartment and dont even own a table! I eat at my counter (I have a stool counter thingy in the kitchen). The one thing that concerns me is that science diet is not good?? My vet recommended it so please let me know what I should be feeding her in place of it. Something more healthy maybe?? I did a quick search and saw that "blue" is supposed to be good food for a dog. Does anyone know? Thanks!! Last edited by NikkiSpice2; 08-16-2009 at 06:22 PM. |
08-16-2009, 06:42 PM | #6 |
Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Mankato, MN, US
Posts: 180
| I live in a one bedroom apartment that does not have a dining room and eat all my meals at my couch. I haven't decided if I should allow the dogs on the couch with me when I am eating or not yet but Jack tends to go eat while I am eating or will chew on a bullystick and Madden cannot get onto the couch by himself. As far as feeding a better food, there is a sticky (I believe it's the first topic) in the forum Yorkie Diet and Health (whatever the words are) that's called Dog Food (Kibble) Grading chart. It has a list of foods and their grades and many others have added foods they are feeding that did not make the list. It's quite the tool. I would check it out if I were you. A lot of the time it depends on what your local pet stores carry, your budget, and your dog's preferences that determine what you feed. But there are a lot of really good dog foods that aren't spendy. You just have to know what you are looking for. I tend to feed my boys holistic food. I hope this helps you more.
__________________ Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass... it's about learning to dance in the rain. Jack & Madden |
08-17-2009, 07:46 AM | #7 | |
I ♥ Joey & Ralphie! Donating Member | Quote:
__________________ NancyJoey Proud members of the CrAzYcLuB and YAP! ** Just Say No to Puppymills – Join YAP! Yorkshire Terrier Club of America – Breeder Referrals Last edited by Nancy1999; 08-17-2009 at 07:47 AM. | |
08-17-2009, 08:52 AM | #8 |
Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: CT
Posts: 167
| Hi, My adopted 2 year did the same thing to me. I would stand up and turn my back to him. He would of course jump down off the sofa and back up again as soon as I sat back down. I did this a numbaer of times. He then got more determined about it so I would make my plate and then make his, gate him in the kitchen so he could eat his supper while I sat on the sofa and enjoyed mine. When I was done I would take my plate to the kitchen and open the gate. Three days later and he got the message. Now he just sits at the other end of the sofa or goes to his bowl while I eat. Ya just have to be as determined as they are I guess.;-} |
08-17-2009, 10:56 AM | #9 |
YT 1000 Club Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Miami, FL,USA
Posts: 1,005
| You need to set boundaries with your pup sooner rather than later That kind of behavior can never be accepted as acceptable at any time You will need to set up a distance that is good for you and your pup Set up sometimes where you have food and you don't mind getting up and up and up and up It's going to take a awhile But EVERYTIME she comes and begs for food you place her where you want her and NEVER EVER let her jump up on anyone to get food That can lead to food aggressive behavior
__________________ Mike and Zach's Dadd |
08-18-2009, 09:34 PM | #10 | |
YT 1000 Club Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: North
Posts: 1,324
| Quote:
There is not an aggression group called food aggression. If you are thinking possession aggression that is when you try and take a item from the dog. Bad manner or possible impulse control concerns which was called conflict aggression for sure. NikkiSpice2 Feeding human food is not a no no and is OK if it used with in boundaries and a great motivator for some dogs. What is raw diet but human grade fresh food. If you dog like human food as in whole foods like chicken or steak of raspberries or carrot use them as high value treats. Put them to work and use the fact she loves them to your advantage. So teach her in the presents of food she really wants she lays down and waits and she will get some on YOUR TERMS not hers. IF she is in a down she can not be on you looking for food. Or you want what I got do a spin work stays, do recalls, just put her want to work and get in on random reinforcement fast and the begging will stop as she wil learn to work for it and that if she is trying it will come. JL
__________________ "The truth about an animal is far more beautiful than all the myths woven about it." Konrad Loranz | |
08-19-2009, 09:26 PM | #11 |
Donating YT 1000 Club Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: So Ca
Posts: 2,376
| Great posts and very helpul. So it sounds like consistancy is what l need for Rockie l get the same behavior.
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08-19-2009, 09:41 PM | #12 | |
Donating YT 2000 Club Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: FL
Posts: 7,651
| Quote:
I have also been guilty of giving Rocky a taste here and there of my food. I eat a lot of mixed vegetables and he loves them (green beans and carrots are his favorites). Thinking they are good for him, I did not realize I was creating a monster. So, now I have to put my foot down and tell him no, every time. I figure it will take a month or so but he will get the idea eventually. Would have been so much simpler if I had never given him any while I was still eating, to start with. To the OP -- consistency is the key! Yours is still very young. That is very agressive behavior you are describing but you should still be able to get it in check with firm and consistent "no's." My others will sit and stare woefully at me when I eat but they never beg outright. They just learned it did them no good as I did not give in. I don't know what got into me with Rocky. Puppies are harder to say no to.
__________________ FlDebra and her ABCs Annie, Ben, Candy Promoting Healthy Breeding to the AKC Yorkshire Terrier Standard | |
08-19-2009, 09:58 PM | #13 |
YT 500 Club Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Kuna,ID,USA
Posts: 557
| I would most certainly agree that consistency is needed! My dogs actually won't even get close to a plate or bowl not used for their food. I will move a plate of food toward Joey or Tank (to show people how great they are!), and they move away from it. When I was teaching them this, I would just yell "no!" whenever they got close. Eventually, I just had to say their name in a "don't you even think about it" voice, and they are now wonderful! As for the begging, my dogs also participate in the behavior (my hubby and I are naughty...my furkids get people food every once in a while). We eat at our recliners with our plates in our laps most of the time (we live in an apt), and the dogs will jump up and sit on our armrests, with their faces in ours. We just shove them off the chair or tell them to get down, and they eventually forget what they were sitting on the ground for. They will play with each other, and we don't have to deal with the begging! I agree with not feeding them where you eat, also. I take the treats to a specific spot in the middle of my living room, and they know if I'm there with food, they may have it. Otherwise, they don't get any. Patience and persistence are the keys!
__________________ Sandy: Joey & Tank's Mom Jackson Ryan |
08-21-2009, 09:20 AM | #14 |
YT 1000 Club Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Miami, FL,USA
Posts: 1,005
| Every once in a while certain human foods can be used as treats but it's never a good idea to feed it to dogs regularly It makes them not want to eat dogfood and it's really not good for them nutrition-wise Just like when you don't want your dogs jumping on people when they come to the door you don't want them jumping on you when you are eating and consistent correction is the key
__________________ Mike and Zach's Dadd |
08-21-2009, 10:05 AM | #15 | |
YT 1000 Club Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: North
Posts: 1,324
| Quote:
And my dogs plural all go eat supper of kibble. You just take the amount of training treat valume out of you daily kibble amount. Also please if it is not ok to feed human food what is raw diet for dogs but human grade real food not kibble. If one knows what one is doing and many not including me hee know how to feed raw and do it well. JL
__________________ "The truth about an animal is far more beautiful than all the myths woven about it." Konrad Loranz | |
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