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How do I teach my 2yr old tzu not to beg when I am eating. He can become very annoying and jumping all over me while I am trying to eat. The only way I can get this behavior to stop is giving him treats and then once he has eaten it he starts all over again. I constantly says "No" in a stern voice but he then barks very loudly and whimpers.

>>How do I teach my 2yr old tzu not to beg when I am eating. He can become very annoying and jumping all over me while I am trying to eat. The only way I can get this behavior to stop is giving him treats and then once he has eaten it he starts all over again. I constantly says "No" in a stern voice but he then barks very loudly and whimpers.

Hi,
I have a Shih Tzu and they have a way of getting anything their little heart's desire if you let them get to you. By giving him the treats, you're encouraging the very behavior you don't want to see. You can try to completely ignore him while you're eating or you can put him in another room while you eat. If you decide to let him remain while you're eating, you may have to put up with a little more begging for a time but don't give in. When you finish eating, you might want take him to another room and then give him a treat. Hope this works. Others may have some suggestions for you as well and good luck.
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Mary Lou & Katie

By giving in and giving your dog a treat to try to stop the behavior you have actually reinforced the bahavior and made it worse.

You may want to start all over and teach your dog a "go lay down" command. Have a rug or place that the dog has to go to when you say the command. Start right at that spot and treat lavishly for being in that spot. Gradually get further away and still treat while your dog stays in that spot. Eventually you will work up to having your dog go to that spot whenever you tell it to and wait for you to release it. There is no reinforcement- positive or negative- when the dog breaks from that spot. They are just casually put back in that place until released.

I hope that helps a bit.
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PHReign
Email me: HReign@pethobbyist.com" target="_blank">PHReign@pethobbyist.com
Dear dog,
I can not buy anything larger than a king sized bed. I am very sorry about this. Do not think that I will continue to sleep on the couch to ensure your comfort. Look at videos of dogs sleeping, they can actually curl up in a ball. It is not necessary to sleep perpendicular to each other stretched out to your fullest extent possible. I also know that sticking tails straigt out and having tongues hanging out the other end to maximize space used is nothing more than doggy sarcasm.

I agree with the other two responses. Consistency is key. No matter how cute or annoying your dog is being, don't feed while you're eating. It will take a while, but eventually, your dog will give up if he or she isn't getting any food rewards while you're eating.