# OBSESSED with food and stealing our food!



## JakeysMum (Jul 31, 2009)

My puppy is food crazy! 
I don't mind it when its just his food involved but when he starts becoming obsessive over mine and my families food thats when i get worried. Whenever im eating near him or he senses im in another room eating he will bark his head off and jump up and try to get it. Today i was eating a sandwich on the couch and he was sitting on the floor infront of me the next second he jumped up on the couch and stole the whole thing eating it in about 10 seconds. Thats the second time this has happened. The first time he bite into my hand aswell as the sandwich and i was in tears.
He usually has no problem sitting/playing outside in his enclosure while i'm doing housework inside.. But when he KNOWS im in the kitchen cooking dinner or making something to eat.. (the kitchen is right near the back door so he knows when im in there). He barks his little head off and cries wanting me to let him inside. I know he's just a puppy but he's learning these selfish behaviours and when he's bigger I wont be able to control him as much so i need some advice on how to deal with this now before it gets too much! lol.

Any advice would be much appreciated !!


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## liero133 (Aug 23, 2009)

use punishment to teach him theres nothing to gain by beggin (as cute as it can be when they gulf down sandwhiches).

whenever he gets into beg mode, lead him away from the table/couch etc
and and tell him to lay down and stay somewhere. naturally hell get right back up when you turn around
but you just be consistent and tell
him to lay down again. youre not angry, yell or manhandling the dog doing this, you just telling the dog this is how it has to be. expect this to require maaaaaany tries. the punishment for begging is the qonsecuence of "boredom".

im sure ill be called ignorant and 
outdated, not to mention cruel for this, but that is misunderstood. this is the correct way to use punishment. if i told you to get angry and smack the dog as punishment, i would be cruel, because that is serious abuse.

also, never give the dog food at the table again, because that is inconsistent and only rewards begging, thus ruining the work you both put in.

hope this helps, and again, dont expect the dog to get this right away, but never get angry no matter what.


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## max935 (Jul 28, 2009)

Jesse is also a bit food crazy but is now much better when we are eating/preparing food (she is now 3.5 months). She also barks like crazy if she wants our food!! We tried a few techniques in combination on the recommendation of our puppy school instructor. Firstly, if she barks for attention while we are eating we ignore her completely (easier said than done, especially for the first few weeks!!) - she generally throws herself to the ground after a while and lets out a few more barks before admitting defeat, just like a 2 year old throwing a tantrum!! Same thing if I am preparing her dinner - she gets ignored until she calms down and is sitting patiently. Secondly, if she jumps on us we immediately stand up, turn our back and ignore her for 30 seconds or so until she gets down and calms a bit. Once we sit down she sometimes tries again (she tried again multiple times in the beginning) but is getting much better at lying quietly. If she jumps on the couch we tell her off (and physically put her down), sit back down and repeat if she tries again. Thirdly, if we have friends over and really don't want her disturbing us while we are eating then she gets a kong to chew on while we are eating.

No idea if these techniques are good or not but they seem to be working for us. I am sure the trainers on the forum will have some great advice!!


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## Willow52 (Aug 14, 2009)

I may sound cruel, but we never allowed Maggie eat, beg or bother us while we were eating. It was something she had a hard time learning and usually ended up waiting it out in the gated laundry room. It bothers me to have a dog at my elbow when I'm eating or having her grab food out of kid's hands.


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## Mssjnnfer (Aug 9, 2009)

You can use this to establish your alpha dog role... Like the above poster said, it sounds cruel... but try to put your dog somewhere (kennel, behind a baby gate) so he KNOWS you're eating, but can't do anything about it. When you are ALL finished, feed him his dinner. (Or lunch, or breakfast) The alpha dog always eats first, and then everyone eats when he's done. He gets the best food, they get what's left over. That's just how dogs do it, it's not cruel, when you think about it. (I mean, sure he has has to wait a little bit... and drool while watching/hearing/smelling you eat, but he WILL get his food eventually)

We did this with Mojo, and now when it's mealtime for US he knows he can either lie down nicely on the floor in the living room to watch us, or he goes into his room behind the baby gate.

Hope this kinda helps... Bon appetit!


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## yvettelovesgoldens (Mar 30, 2009)

We have trained our 11 year old to lay down in the kitchen while we eat. when we are finished Shadow gets a tiny piece of something we are eating. Maybe a piece of cooked carrot, a french fry or piece of chicken. This has worked her entire life. Even the company we have over for dinner comments on how well behaved she is. Willow, our 15 week old pup is also doing this! Its so nice and peaceful at mealtimes


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## BJSalz (Mar 24, 2009)

Our previous dogs have been food hounds so with our Golden pup, we have always put him in his crate at dinner time. His crate is visiable from the dining room table but he doesn't even fudge to get out. He just takes a nap or chews a bone. He doesn't care that we are eating; I'm hoping it lasts!!


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## tippykayak (Oct 27, 2008)

Whatever you do, don't allow a situation where he actually gets any food by stealing. He already knows it works, so you have to break that association right now and forever. Crate him when you're eating, then feed him afterwards. No need to torture or tease him, but you need to break the reinforcement cycle first and allow him to get used to the fact that people food is for people.

You also can't give scraps or ever feed him anything while you're eating. You have to make the distinction very clear for him, at least in the short term.


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## TobysDad (Apr 7, 2009)

*Our mootch*

Our mootch LOVES to mootch. And who can turn down that little face?


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## Noey (Feb 26, 2009)

Our little guy is a shark! Food focus beyond focus...he can't think with food around. We are having a hard time teaching him to go easy and chew his food. He's nuts...I feel your issue big time. (15 weeks)


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## JakeysMum (Jul 31, 2009)

I cant really feed him after us, though i wish i could, because we eat at about 7pm most times, and i think thats a bit late for him to eat..  i feed him at like 5pm before its dark. I suppose to get him to see we are the alpha 'dogs' i try the idea of giving him a tiny bit of something off my plate after ive eaten IF he's behaved. 
Thanks for all the great tips everyone 
Lets hope all this hard work pays off


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## Bkhollan (Aug 18, 2009)

The most annoying thing a dog can do IMO (besides destroying something) is whine/cry/bark/jump all over me when I am eating. It really annoys me when my parents dog does it. I would not tolerate it from the very first time it happened. I would put your dog in his crate when you are about to eat and just let him whine/cry/bark in there. 

Honestly, I will never give Bella any food that I am eating. She will be allowed to have some leftovers, but it will only be given to her when I fixed her bowl of food in the morning or the evening. It will not come straight from my plate or hand to her.


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