Why You Should Not Let Your Dog Beg for Food
EducationWhy You Should Not Let Your Dog Beg for Food
Many dog owners let their dog beg. Begging often starts out as an innocent behavior, but once rewarded with food, or treats, it becomes a bad habit. Perhaps begging is cute in a puppy, but begging in an adult dog is not only annoying but can be dangerous to the dog itself.
Begging is the act of a puppy, or dog, asking for food or treats. Usually begging occurs when people are eating and the dog decides it wants some of the food. It must be noted that dogs are not nearly as fussy eaters as cats, so dogs are more likely to beg than cats, however some cats do pick up this habit and it is not good for them either.
Not all human food is safe for dogs, and not all humans know this. Of particular risk for dogs are onions, and to a lesser extent, garlic. Small amounts of either can build up in a dogs body and cause health problems such as anemia, however a sudden load of onions can be deadly to a dog.
You might be aware of this concern and simply address it by making sure nobody that you know of tosses onions to your dog, however there is always a risk; what if somebody drops their onion loaded burger? A dog who has been conditioned to beg will think that this is an offering to them and will devour it. You will note that dogs who beg generally do not even take the time to sniff what is being offered and can be tricked into trying nearly anything offered to them.
Dogs who beg will sometimes even take things from their owners hand, convinced that their owner is offering them food. When I was young my mother was sewing with a needle and thread, our dog (who who begged only on occasion) reached up and took the needle, swallowing it, and had to be rushed to surgery.
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Consider that a dog who begs will beg from anyone it sees eating, if you are in a park, or if the dog gets out, or if you have company over, it will beg. This creates a guilt response and people often give in and give the dog some food – without thinking. As we mentioned if the food is onions, it can be a serious problem, even if not, any food can cause stomach upset, or even an allergic reaction (hot spots).
Begging is simply annoying. Nobody wants to feel guilty when a cute dog looks at them and asks for a small nibble. It is also a bad habit.
Dogs who beg are more likely to suffer from health problems, such as obesity, simply due to the owners giving in to the sense of guilt they feel when their dog asks for a treat.
Dogs who beg are somewhat dangerous in that they could beg from children, and enthusiastically jump up on a child, knocking it over. Dogs that learn to beg sometimes become aggressive and may bite as a demand to get food.
All in all, if you want to give your dog treats in the form of people food, you can do so, but please do so by putting the food in the dogs bowl, not by handing to them at the table.