Prevent the problem
Sometimes it’s easiest to solve a problem by preventing it from happening. If you’d rather your dog leave you alone while you eat, use a baby gate to confine her to another room when you sit down for a meal. Or, if your dog is crate-trained, you can put her in her crate while you eat. To keep her busy and quiet, try giving your dog a chew bone, her dinner, or a toy stuffed with something delicious.
If you’d like your dog to stay in the same room with you but not loiter right next to the table drooling on your shoes, use a tether to keep her in her own space.
Before sitting down to eat, lead your dog to her comfy spot, and attach the leash to her collar. Give her something to chew. After you finish your meal, you can release her from the tether. As long as you give your dog a tasty treat of her own to work on while you eat, she’ll enjoy settling in her special spot during mealtimes.
Teach her to settle
You can teach her to go to a designated spot, usually a bed or a mat, and settle. This skill can be useful in a variety of other situations, too. If your dog jumps up on people when they come to the door, you can ask her to go to her spot whenever the doorbell rings and wait there to greet visitors.
Additional tips and troubleshooting
If you don’t want your dog to beg at the table, don’t give her tidbits from your plate. If she sometimes scores a delicious morsel when she barks, whines and stares at you while you eat, she’ll be back using her tricks whenever you sit down for a meal.
Avoid yelling at your dog if she begs at the table or barks for food while you’re eating. Giving her attention of any kind — even negative — might actually encourage her to keep begging.
By giving in to a begging dog you are setting yourself up for years of repetitive behavior. When you stop giving in, the tender looks quickly turn into crying, whimpering, barking, pawing, jumping and other attention-seeking behaviors. It’s hard to enjoy your food with a constant whining dog at the table.
Most of all, be consistent and make sure all family members and guests follow the rules.