Does your dog ever help themselves to a second breakfast by taking yours from the table while you are distracted? It can be a challenging behavior to prevent, since stealing a succulent meal can be more rewarding than the punishment. Fortunately, we can fix this naughty habit through behavior modification training. In this blog, we will discuss strategies for “how to stop your dog from stealing food from the table”.
Don’t feed your dog from the table
A simple way to discourage your dog from stealing food is to stop them from getting food from the table. It can be hard to resist your dog’s puppy eyes or a gentle paw begging you for some food. But remember that this behavior can encourage them to check the table for food.
Teach your dog an alternative behavior
A differential reinforcement of incompatible behavior (DRI) is a procedure where you strengthen a desired behavior that can’t occur at the same time as the undesired behavior, such as stealing food from the table.
Through proper management, your dog’s desire to steal food from the table will decrease, while their engagement in alternate behaviors will increase.
So, what obedience behaviors can you teach your dog to do instead of stealing food from the table? Some of these behaviors are:
These obedience behaviors will, in the short term, effectively manage food stealing while you are present. In the long term, we recommend shaping appropriate behavior, which is anything other than stealing food from the table. For example, if your dog is getting a treat for an obedience command that is near the table, and not being rewarded when they jump up to the table, then your dog is likely to choose to listen to the obedience command.
