Begging
My Boxer Begs for Food all the Time!
Overview
Does your Boxer constantly beg for food? This can be a very frustrating dog behavioral issue. Dog owners, who make sure that their Boxer is eating plenty of dog food, can find themselves wondering, “Why is my Boxer begging for my food?”
This type of dog behavior often begins with the simple act of innocently giving your dog one morsel of your food. Many dog owners do not think twice about it. If your Boxer relentlessly begs for food, it is most likely because this one tiny action of handing a piece of your food to your Boxer started a behavioral issue.
Your Boxer thinks, “If I was given human food once, I’m sure I can have it again, I just need to keep begging for it!”
Train Your Boxer to Stop Begging
So how can you stop your Boxer dog from begging? Training your Boxer to end this type of
behavior will take strict training, you must be consistent and non-wavering. Once you prove to your dog that begging is counter-productive and life is not fun when they are begging, your dog will stop.
How do you do this? Social Isolation is the key. Before you take this on, if there are other human family members beside yourself in the home, it is suggested to hold a family meeting.
Discuss that you all need to work together as a team to train your Boxer to stop begging for food. Make sure that everyone understand the rules of this training and that everyone agrees to follow the rules 100% of the time, no matter how much you Boxer dog begs for food.
This type of dog training will take several weeks and may be difficult at times. However keep in mind that when you are done, you will have a well behaved Boxer. You will have a Boxer dog that is polite when company comes over for dinner and you will have a dog who lets you eat in peace…all elements that are worth a few weeks of training!
The key is to 100%, completely and absolutely
ignore your Boxer dog when he or she is begging for your food. Now, this does not mean that you are to just not give your dog your food. This means that as your Boxer howls, barks, jumps, whines, begs and makes those “puppy dog eyes”, you must act as if the dog is invisible and you cannot hear him.
If anyone gives in and at any point in the day offers human food to your Boxer dog, training must begin all over again. So it is very important to stick to this training method without fail.
It is best if you plan to have your Boxer’s dinner time be the same time as your dinner time. Set down his dog food and then proceed to the dinner table. Expect it to be a very noisy dinnertime for the first couple of weeks, as your dog makes every sound possible to gain your attention.
If your Boxer jumps up and physically bothers you, it will be best to leash him or her away from the human food. It is best to keep your dog within sight and not put your dog outside or in another room. Why? Because if your dog does not see the food and the chance to beg for it, he will not learn that begging is negative behavior.
Your dog needs to be in the situation of human food being near him and learn that begging for it will not be accepted.
If at any time, your Boxer stops begging and sits or lays still, it is very important to praise him. During this initial training period, you will want to over-praise your dog. Say “good dog” several times in a tone that implies that you are very happy and proud of him. Whether your dog is sitting or laying down, get to his level and gently pat him. Do not take action that will get your Boxer dog all excited, but let it be very clear that you approve of your dog’s behavior.
Whenever your Boxer dog shows no begging behavior during an entire meal, once you are done eating give great reward.(Just don't let that reward be your food!)
During these first few weeks, a dog should be given a new toy
if they do not beg for an entire meal. You should pat your dog and give great words of praise. If your Boxer loves attention, spend some time throwing a ball around or another activity that your dog loves to do.
It is very important that your Boxer dog learns that when he behaves, life is better!
Lessons Learned
Over several weeks, your Boxer dog will learn some very important lessons:
• When he begs, everyone in the home ignores him…he receives zero attention. Since a dog loves attention, being ignored = life is not fun
• When he does not beg for food, he is rewarded with attention, play and praise.
Consistent and rigid training is the only effective way to correct a dog from begging.
Keep in mind, most human food is not healthy for a canine; dogs need to eat a diet of high quality, well balanced dog food. Once your Boxer learns to stop begging, you will have a healthier pet and of course, a more peaceful household.