Instructions
Refrain from giving a puppy food from the dinner table. Properly training a puppy to stay away from the dining area is to build good habit from the day the puppy enters your home. Teach the puppy that you control his access to food by consistently ignoring him if he begs for food at the dinner table. If a puppy knows that his begging for food will not be rewarded, he will be less inclined to visit the dining area during mealtime.
Use commands to instruct the puppy to stop begging for food. When your puppy starts whining or begging for food, use vocal commands such as "no," "sit," or "go" to train your puppy to stay away from the table. Puppies adapt to commands quickly especially when the commands are reinforced with consistent actions. Confining your dog by using a leash, a kennel or a gate is another option for teaching your puppy that he is not allowed to beg at the dinner table. Confinement, however, does not teach the puppy to self-regulate his behavior and should be used in cases where the puppy's behavior is unrelenting.
Feed the puppy when the meal is over. Puppies have a pack mentality. They intuitively and naturally desire to be dominated by their owners. When a puppy is fed after his owner, he is told and he understands that his owner is the leader. A puppy will not seek food from his leader. This tactic may seem counter-intuitive, especially if a puppy is hungry when the family is eating, but it takes into account a puppy's lineage.
How to Keep a Puppy Away From the Dinner Table
Puppies bring excitement, fun and love into a home. However, they can also make a family's mealtime miserable with begging for food at the dinner table. Training a puppy not to beg for table food is a commitment that must be taken on by all family members equally and consistently from the moment a puppy enters the home. Following a few techniques, a puppy can quickly learn that his trip to the dinner table will be fruitless.