ALL of my dogs (and sometimes there are up to 8 in my house at a time-ranging in size from Akita to Yorkie), when they hear the words "Go Lay Down" they all scatter to the four corners of the house.
I'd teach your dog to "go lay down", personally. Not necc. to the degree that I've taught mine, but just a command that means go to your bed and don't be in my face. It works well when there is a lot of traffic (company) around and you don't want to crate your dogs, but at the same time you don't want them pestering people or being underfoot.
Otherwise, if you don't mind your little one being near you while you eat then maybe just teach him/her to "Lay Down". Very informal (as opposed to the down/stay) and gets the results you're looking for. I agree that this is a behaviour issue and shouldn't be allowed. Your little one shouldn't be so pushy if it bothers you or you can't trust that if you set your plate down for a moment that he/she wouldn't just invite themselves to dive right in. |