So here's the deal, my dog is a little under two years old, a beagle and either rottweiler or german shepard mix. He's a very intelligent dog, but he takes food from anywhere. We left a bag of bread on a table pushed back against the wall today, he took it and ate the entire thing, including part of the plastic. We thought he'd grow out of it but he really isn't. When he does things like that, he'll go hide under the table because he knows he's done wrong. Then when we find out, he runs over to his cage where we make him stay for a bit until he can come out again. He acts very sad and distraught when he comes out, meaning he remembers he messed up, but he'll do the same thing the next time it's possible! He won't do it in front of anyone, but the moment you leave a room, he's jumping up on tables to get food. It's getting ridiculous, he stole a steak the other day! What do we do to stop this behavior? Because yelling at him and putting him in the cage do not work, thank you!
2007-02-05 10:17:30 · 8 answers · asked by B 2 in Pets ➔ Dogs
Like the previous answer.....dogs are like children. You have to think ahead of them, like double-time. And if you are lucky enough to catch them in the act, that's the best time to teach them not to do the act.
2007-02-05 10:30:26 · answer #1 · answered by WheelchairBA 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
well, first of all, the best thing for your dog is to not leave food ANYWHERE he can get to it; especially since some human food can hurt dogs. what's going through their mind is, this food is here, i guess someone intended for me to eat it. trust me, most dogs will not, cannot resist a free and easy meal.
second, never feed a dog human food if you can't control their environment and ability to steal food but that rule is minor to the problem you're having.
i don't think there is a way to stop dogs from taking food, maybe someone with more expertise can answer that. however, one thing that i read and found to be successful for keeping dog off the counters is to set them up. dogs hate to be surprised/ scared, and giving them a bad experience while scavagging may deter the behaivor a little.
leave something on the counter or place where he can get to the food, leave it unattended and pay attention to where the dog is at all times while you're doing this. when the dog enters the area where the food is he will be more in tune with the potential free meal instead of where you are and since you're keeping an eye on the dog you know what he's up to. sneak around and wait for him to go for the food when he does you spring up into the room, preferrably behind him and yell in a barking tone, "LEAVE IT". an impression will be made and he may be less likely to try and get to food in places he shouldn't.
either way, leave it is a command you need to instill in your dog for any occasion and if you haven't already i would get you and your dog into obidience training so you can learn this and other basic commands.
2007-02-05 10:46:15 · answer #2 · answered by David W 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Mouse traps. Get the kind with the fake cheese on it. Set them up all over the table. Then 'bait' the 'trap'. When your dog jumps up to steal the food, all he's gonna get is a bunch of noise makers scaring the daylights outta him. They won't hurt him, just scare him enough to think twice. Might take couple 'traps' b4 he gets the hint but that's how I stopped my dogs/cats from getting on tables, counters, and in trash.
hobbitfee... metioned the 'clapper' which is basically the same thing as mousetraps except it has a flap attatched to it to make the sound louder. I read about that but figured mousetraps are cheaper and are just as effective.
2007-02-05 11:02:46 · answer #3 · answered by blackbriar2006 2 · 1⤊ 1⤋
I know your pain man! My lab Sidi does the same thing... we haven't tried it yet, but the trainer at dog school said to put cans filled with beans or pennies on the counter, closed up, and to put them on the food, so if she tries to get it, the cans will make a loud sound and scold her in the act. The specific sound really works well for dogs. You can also buy a "clapper" to put on the table, which will make a loud noise whenever the dog jumps up. You can buy them at petsmart.com I believe. GOOD LUCK!!!!
2007-02-05 10:44:28 · answer #4 · answered by hobbitfeet144 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Stealing is a human concept.. you really shouldnt apply it to an animal/pet.. you can train him however to go aginst his natural instincs which is to gather food when available.. a sharp harsh yell of no will generally do the trick...
And there is also the point of YOU have to modifiy your behaviour as well.. would you let a 2 year old run with siccors & play with electrical outlets? If so.. you dont need to have a pet or kids..
2007-02-05 10:31:38 · answer #5 · answered by darchangel_3 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Never yell at your dog! He doesn't know what you mean and it scares him. The cage should be his safe place not a punishment. He must have one place where he can hide safely and his cage ought to be the place. I'll tell you beagles are very neurotic and difficult to train because they want and need lots and lots of love and comforting. Try going to Cesar Milan;s site and see what advice he has. He has some excellent advice for training dogs.
http://dogpsychologycenter.com/dogwhisperer/
2007-02-05 10:33:24 · answer #6 · answered by MissWong 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
My dog is 7 years old and if I leave food out she will get it.Dogs are a lot like children you have to keep stuff put away from them.
2007-02-05 10:25:33 · answer #7 · answered by Jim C 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Okay, this will sound mean but it worked for me. My dog would beg for food so one day I gave her a jalapeno pepper. She spat it out and barked at it, but after that she stopped begging for food, permanently.
Also, don't leave food out, and when you cook and put food on the table, put your dog in another room.
2007-02-05 10:32:46 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋