06/06/2026
🔶️🔶️ MY DOGS WILL BEG FOR FOOD 🔶️🔶️
On this episode of "Your Hypocritical Dog Trainer"... 🤣
My dogs will beg for food.
There, I said it.
If you've ever felt judged because your dog sits staring at you while you eat, or suddenly appears the second you open a packet of crisps, don't worry... you're not alone.
My dogs do it too.
Now before the dog training police come for me, let me explain...
If I tell my dogs to go and lie down while I'm eating, they will. We practise that regularly and they understand the rules when I ask for them.
But sometimes I'll be sitting having a snack and I'll happily share a little bit with them. Sometimes it's a bonding moment, sometimes I enjoy spoiling them, and sometimes it's just nice to share something with your dogs.
The important part isn't whether they beg or not...
The important part is whether you can switch the behaviour off when you need to.
A lot of dog training isn't about creating perfect robots that never put a paw wrong. It's about teaching dogs when something is appropriate and when it isn't.
My dogs are allowed little wins in life. They get to be dogs. They don't need to be in a perfect heel position every second of every day, and they certainly don't need to be flawless around food.
What matters is that they understand boundaries when I set them.
As always, I'm not suggesting everyone should encourage begging. If you don't know how to balance it with training and clear boundaries, it can quickly become an annoying habit.
But if your dog occasionally gives you those big hopeful eyes while you're eating...
Congratulations.
You own a dog. 🤣
