Dogs who beg for food when you eat

[How999]

My lodger feeds her dog from her own plate, so when the rest of us eat, the dog (naturally I suppose) also begs us for food.

Which I find completely off putting and irritating.

But I have never had a dog, so I don’t know if this is something most dog owners do and don’t mind. Maybe I should chill out?

I had a young Rhodesian Ridgeback stick its nose in my fanjo and then decide to go the whole hog by walking between my legs (I'm only just tall enough to accommodate that manoeuvre!) It's better to laugh about these things - the dog meant no harm and did no harm.

On a related note, my local park was absolutely covered in litter left by students who had evidently been having a piss up. Those remaining were quite keen on having my dog approach them for attention and try to call him over (they were far keener than the dog). Throughout the summer no doubt I'll have three quarters of the population trying to have dog cuddles and feed him from their picnic (and looking very offended if I call him away), and the other quarter being horrified that a dog could come within 10 yards of their picnic.

You can't win sometimes, and it's hard to teach a dog to ignore a picnic when people are literally trying to hand him bits of pork pie!

Eh? Are you saying woman shouldn't offer their fannies for sniffing and it wouldn't happen? picnics, pork pies? Wut

Ah you made me chuckle anyway.

I have a beagle and he is a nightmare around food.

He's fine at home because he just flops on the sofa while we eat, but if we're out at a pub or something he has to be tied up on a really short leash or he will do whatever he can to crawl up and steal off your plate.

We've never encouraged this or fed him off plates, but he still tries his hardest to get at whatever we have!

@gamerchick - Correct me if I am wrong but you are saying if you went round to a friends house for dinner and their dog starting begging you would 'punch it in the head'?

There really should be a dog owning license, like a driving license.

People who can't, or can't be arsed to, train and control their dogs give responsible dog owners a bad name and shouldn't own dogs.

Dogs can be trained not to crotch sniff, beg for food, steal food, jump up, and bark for extended periods/ at everyone who walks past. People who let their dogs do those things to anyone other than themselves, should not have a dog.

Lots of people put up with rude, invasive antisocial behaviour from other humans and from dogs, but that doesn't make it generally acceptable.

unless they want their dog to risk a punch to the head one day.

Oh ffs @gamerchick nobody is buying this "tough" persona and what an over reaction from you to suggest punching a dog in the head

@gamerchick - Correct me if I am wrong but you are saying if you went round to a friends house for dinner and their dog starting begging you would 'punch it in the head'?

Yeah you're wrong

Oh ffs @gamerchick nobody is buying this "tough" persona and what an over reaction from you to suggest punching a dog in the head

Brilliant

Our dog was not allowed to beg, they had to be out of the room when we ate. Out of the room often involved looking into the kitchen longingly but I could ignore that. He did struggle with Jamie gravy making day and cooking brisket in the slow cooker, they must have been doggy torture so we made sure he got a few treats.

@gamerchick I'm not sure the tough but dim persona suits you.

I'm saying that the dog didn't do any actual harm by sticking his nose in my crotch (I'd prefer it didn't happen, but no actual harm done). It's not worth getting worked up about these things.

It's hard to teach a dog to consistently ignore picnics if people keep rewarding the dog for approaching a picnic by feeding the dog pork pies. All they're doing is teaching the dog that approaching picnics is an excellent way to get treats - and that is undoing the training the owner puts in place.

@gamerchick I'm not sure the tough but dim persona suits you

Aw right in the feelz man.

I don't really give a toss about dogs and picnics. What's that got to do with dogs and crotch sniffing?

Dogs can be trained not to crotch sniff, beg for food, steal food, jump up, and bark for extended periods/ at everyone who walks past. People who let their dogs do those things to anyone other than themselves, should not have a dog.

But what about puppies who are still learning?

If you want a dog who you can, for example, take to the pub with you while it sits calmly at your feet, you need to start practising from a young age. Which means for a while, you'll be the one sitting there being judged while you try to get your pup to lie down/keep calm while you're eating.

My dog is only 14 months so he's still a pup really - well, more a teenager who knows what's expected of him but chooses to ignore it whenever possible! He's much better than he used to be but he's still learning - I know people judge me when he plays up but he's still young and he's learning how to behave.

Dogs don't come trained, you have to do that and unfortunately it doesn't happen overnight!

Hate, hate, hate this. I have had dogs for most of my life and the golden rule is dogs sit away from the family eating. Its their nature to beg and is as unfair on the dogs as the humans. Can't think of anything worse tell her to sort her dog to be somewhere else during mealtimes!

Beagles will take a flying leap, mouth agape, ears aflap, across a dining table and suck up whatever they sense.

This is so, so accurate!

Adaline, very valid point I didn't think of that as we are new to the UK and never realised dogs were so welcome in pubs etc, which is lovely by the way!

Adaline, very valid point I didn't think of that as we are new to the UK and never realised dogs were so welcome in pubs etc, which is lovely by the way!

Mine loves the pub as he always gets a biscuit and a fuss! But his behaviour is certainly a work in progress. He needs to be tired (so we always give him a good walk/swim beforehand) and we always bring a chew to try and keep him occupied, plus one of his blankets.

He's normally perfectly behaved until the food arrives, and then it does take work to distract him and get him to settle! At home he can takes himself off to the sofa but at the pub we have to keep him with us so the temptation can be a bit much sometimes!

He is better than he was though :)

My dog loves a good lick of a plate. She can hear the dishwasher being opened from a mile away. It's called the pre-wash:
offtheleashdogcartoons.com/off-the-leash-dog-cartoons/the-pre-wash/#.XK9i85hKiUk

I had this with an old colleagues assistance dog. As soon as someone started eating he would come and stare and whine and paw at you. If food was out it would even ignore the stuff it was supposed to assist with.

Whenever anyone walked in the office with food from the chicken shop down the road the collegeue would have a go at as for distracting her dog

Just ignore the dog. Drives me nuts I never feed our dogs at the table but my son does. The dogs will never sit by me as I ignore them

I don't really give a toss about dogs and picnics. What's that got to do with dogs and crotch sniffing?

Well the thread is actually about dogs begging for food, I would imagine that's why PP brought up picnics?

@Adeline - well done for pointing that out. I have a 15 month old dog and if I took the attitudes on mumsnet as a wider world view the poor dog would never get out

I have a 15 month old dog and if I took the attitudes on mumsnet as a wider world view the poor dog would never get out

Yep @MyKingdomForACaramel I know that feeling!

Thankfully I live in the Lake District which is, by and large, very dog friendly and very tolerant of young, playful pups who are more interesting in chewing carpets than doing as they're told!

I recently took mine into Fat Face in Ambleside and to my horror he started to chew the carpet so I told him off and went to leave - the manager called me and said not to worry at all, that it was what dogs do and it was entirely to be expected of a young pup. I was so relieved!

Yes it is. I was then collared repeatedly because I said it was right up there with crotch sniffing. Which was then compared to pork pies and picnics.

Brain boggles man.

My dog seems to be the exception here.

I live alone so my evening meal is usually eaten from a tray on my lap while I sit on the sofa watching tv.

My dog will happily lie a couple of feet away, either fast asleep, or watching what's on the tv if it involves other dogs.

She never ever begs or even shows any interest in what I'm eating tbh. I eat quite late so she's already had her last meal of the day and she isn't a Labrador so don't know if both those factors make a difference.

The only time she begs, if you can call it begging, is when I'm cutting up carrots for soup. She'll come into the kitchen and sit behind me waiting because she knows that she'll be getting some as well.

I wouldn't allow the lodger to have the dog in the room when I'm eating tbh, it's bloody unpleasant to be constantly badgered by a dog while you're eating.

Our dogs do this. I say our dogs, they were DPs before we met so they've been allowed to beg for food. If we eat on trays, he lets them sit on the sofa next to him leaning over him with literally inches between their noses and his food - it drives me mad.