There’s one good way to stop your dog from doing things you don’t want him to do: Give him something better to do instead, and reward him for doing it, as explained in our page on Teach Yes, Not No.
The better you get at teaching Yes, the more your dog will rely on you to cue Yes behavior. He may remember getting a little stuck in this situation last time or just recognize he’s not sure what to do right now. If you are the person who always shows him what Yes is, he’ll look to you for direction.
Dog Psychology 101
It helps a lot to understand what your dog thinks is going on when he does things you don’t like. Then you can envision how to make the positive alternative more attractive.
| Bad behavior | What the dog is thinking | What you want the dog to think |
| Jumping on people | When I put my paws up on the guest, I enjoy touching her, and she pays attention to me. | When I keep my paws on the floor, Momma is happy and I get treats. Plus, the guest pays attention to me when my paws are on the floor but not when I jump. (See Four Paws on the Floor) |
| Guarding a treasured thing, such as a bone or toy | I don’t trust you. I’m worried I will lose this. My only chance of keeping this is to growl and snap. | I can always trust my Momma. She gives me good things when I am good. If she wants me to leave something, she gives me something else to take. (See Leave It) |
| Ignoring recall | I hear Momma in the distance but I am having a really great time doing what I’m doing. Life is SO GOOD! If Momma really wants me, she’ll come get me. | I love running fast to my Momma She is always happy when I do. I can’t wait to see what she’s got for me! (See Recall) |
| Begging | The closer I am to the food, the more likely I will get some of it. If I look longingly at Momma, she’ll know I want some. | If I hold a down-stay, Momma will give me some of that food. Look below for some specifics on begging. |
The point is to understand what your dog wants and work with it. Instead of letting your dog take what he wants, you make him earn it—or something even better. Let’s look at a specific example.
How to Stop Your Dog from Begging
Some dogs are obsessed with the delicious food we eat. You can ignore them till the cows come home—but they still stare. And as far as I know, there is no way to teach a dog not to beg without teaching him what to do instead.
My suggestion: teach “down-stay, look away” by using tiny morsels of the food you’re enjoying as rewards. I started this method on my couch while watching a movie with a bowl of popcorn. The second Logan went into the down position, I tossed a piece of popcorn to his nose. My dog quickly started holding a down for me. Kindergarten accomplished!
To get to elementary school—still during the same movie—I started rewarding only when his eyes were not on me. It was amazing how quickly he learned to stay down and look away from me!
The rest of the curriculum is simply to work gradually up to longer and longer periods of “down-stay, look away.” Both you and your dog will be more comfortable when he doesn’t stare at every bite you take!
