A Begging Dog Is A Bad Gundog

There is nothing that melts our hearts more than those pleading sad eyes of a begging dog. Even though it is cute as a puppy, if it continues past the first few months, you will never forgive yourself.

Why Does My Dog Beg? He’s NOT Even Hungry!

It probably goes without saying but, a dog begs because he has a natural tendency to seek food at any cost. Even if your dog has just eaten he will still want what you have.

Why Is Begging For Food Bad?

Aside from the fact that it is just simply annoying to have your dog act like he’s starving while you feast on a plate full, it is actually dangerous for him to eat your food. Even though eating and begging from the table can cause obesity, obesity is not the only health risk he faces if allowed to beg.

Most importantly, your food isn’t always healthy for your dog. You might think, “Oh no, I eat very healthy!” However, a dog’s digestive system is quite different from yours. So what might be healthy for you might not be healthy for him.

Here is a simple comparison of your digestive system versus your dog’s:

The human jaw can move up and down and side to side making a somewhat rounded motion that is perfect for the grinding that we need in order to get our food ready for the stomach to break down. A dog’s jaw can only move up and down, therefore only crushing their food, which should be dense or thick. You may have heard that your dog’s saliva is “healing” and there is a bit of truth in that. A dog’s saliva is used to lubricate their food, just like ours but doesn’t have the enzymes we have that help break our food down further. The enzymes in your dog’s saliva are completely different, they are not used to break down food but, yet to kill bacteria. This was especially beneficial in the early years when dogs ran wild and ate a rotting carcass or any other bacteria laden find. Your esophagus also serves a somewhat different purpose when it comes to the digestive system. The human esophagus keeps food from entering the lungs and your dog’s esophagus is equipped to enable your dog to throw up easily if your dog eats too much or eats something that is not the correct size. Your dog’s stomach holds food much longer than yours does. A dog’s stomach has a very high acid content which helps break down large particles and even bone. Food stays in the stomach longer and can help your dog feel full longer. This is one reason that the food needs to be dense and firm. When a dog eats human food prepared for our human stomachs it is usually already broken down and can cause diarrhea when eaten by your dog. The last stop is the intestines, which in your dog is much shorter therefore allowing less time to absorb nutrients. Which is why a dog needs less grain and veggies and more nutrient rich foods that are easily broken down such as meat and organs.

Tips To Prevent Begging

• Never start feeding your dog from the table and make sure everyone at your table including guests understand the rule.


• Pick up food you drop. As easy as it would be to leave it there and let him get it, it is a bad idea and can cause your dog to basically stalk your messiest eater.


• If your dog has a crate or a safe area to abide in while you eat, that is a good time to put him there.


• Don’t feed him at the same time as yourself. Feeding times can be tricky and it seems like the perfect distraction from your food but, he will eat faster and come straight back to you, not even realizing that his stomach has enough food in it already.


• NEVER allow him to jump up or put his paws on the table or even in your lap. He needs to know this is an off-limits area.


• If you have leftovers that are veterinarian approved for your dog make sure you use them as a replacement and not in addition to his regular food.