He sits. And he waits.

Can I ask WHY you got replies from animal rights activists? I re-read that other post and can't figure out what you did to make them upset? You didn't say or do anything against animals...

Couldn't resist posting my two cents' worth.... here goes: I am the alpha female in the house (mom) and my animals eat after me. Off their own dishes. And sometimes when they're watching me prepare their plates I show them that I am alpha by discreetly sneaking an almond into my hand and pretending that I just dug it out of their bowl and I eat it, while they're watching ;-) ...... then I feed them.

My two gorgeous golden retrievers girls are very obedient and I don't need to yell or anything. They know basic commands are respond with much love and adoration to their alpha female... me! At the end of the day, all dogs see the family unit as a pack, and you decide where you fit in, the top dog, or the under-dog. It's your call. Have fun!!!
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My husband feeds our cats more than I think they need of human food. My cats love eggs, cheese, ham, and of course any kind of fish. The fish is okay for them i guess. AND CREAMER LAIDEN COFFEE FOR OUR FEMALE CAT. :-P What can I say, the cat loves it, it's cute and I'm never up and awake when he does it. ;-)

Anyways: my husband's former dog would eat all kinds of veggies and of course drink coffee with my hubby in the mornings. ;-)

If it's veggies not cooked in butter, I believe it's okay if BB eats it as long as there is an equal share for you and Noah. ;-) Also my mom's dog loves tomatoes and oranges.

Absolutely no french fries or pizza. ;-)

We give our dogs scraps....just don't give them grapes or raisins, and read up on other foods that aren't good or poisonous for them. There are a lot of human foods that are bad for them.

My dog back home, an OLD beagle, wasn't too spoiled. My dad taught us early on not to give her any hand outs from the table but eventually we ended up giving her a handful of plain Cheerios for breakfast. And then she had a liking for ice cubes.... So every time you pour a bowl of Cheerios, you can bet your ass she'll be screaming down the staircase for some morning munchies. AND every time you open the freezer bay for some ice, you can bet your ass she'll be sitting right there on the floor, looking up at you with those puppy eyes.

I have no idea how she even came to actually want to eat ice cubes. But it's awesome for her, especially in the summer. It's also funny to just watch her figure out how to keep the ice from slipping away. Of course, there have been times when we would find a puddle of water on the carpet from an abandoned ice cube, probably from the enticements of something tastier.

Even though we typically don't give her human food, my dad has gotten into this habit of giving her a dog biscuit every night after we finished eating our food. I guess that plays into the whole dog pack thing.
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Do NOT give in to him. Just saying. It's not good health-wise for him. And once you give in a little it makes it easier to give in more and more and more ...
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If he isn't gobbling up the little crumbs that hit the floor, what you take as begging (watching you intently as you eat) my not be. Dogs in a pack will wait to eat until the alphas have eaten. It is a form of submission, and really submissive pooches will lay down and watch the alphas eat so as not to in any way challenge their authority. He may just be being respectful in a doggy way.

My friend's family takes their dishes to the sink first, then gives their dogs a few leftovers. Sounds kind of weird, but it has a hilarious side-effect-- whenever they sit down to eat, the dog runs into the kitchen and waits by the sink!
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When I was a kid, my family had to move in with my Grandparents... at the time our dog Maggie was PERFECTLY trained to not beg at the dinner table. In fact, she would leave the room when we ate. After a few months with my Grandmother, Maggie became a fixture under the table... After we moved out we discovered that my Grandmothers morning routine was to sit Maggie on her lap and share and English muffin together... She even started to have butter on it, since Maggie liked the butter more.

Even to the day that we lost out dear Maggie, she still remained a fixture under the table.
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I'm guessing his sitting under the table was a behavior he picked up from his past life. And he is a smart one - kids always drop stuff! Sitting by you guys may reward him without you even realizing it! But I wouldn't be too quick to shoo him away. Perhaps he is just there to be part of the family. Would you want to go eat your meal alone while the rest of your family enjoyed eating together? I don't recommend rewarding him for the behavior at all (that can just serve to make him pushier - we had a dog who got bits and pieces from the table and she would bark the whole meal to beg!) but ignore him and he will be fine!

Actually, your dog sitting and waiting for you to finish eating before he eats is B.B's way of showing that you're the alpha dog and he is the beta dog. The Alpha dogs always eat first in the pack and the Beta dogs don't eat until the Alphas have had their fill. So you're super sweet puppy is not trying to beg or trick you or make you drop from your Alpha status, your dog is showing you respect and subservience. He is a very good dog and should be rewarded. With a doggie treat. After dinner.

When I was a kid, we tried to break our dogs' habit of begging for popcorn by throwing vitamin C or aspirin instead of popcorn for them to catch. They never cared a whit, begging until the day they died.
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Wow, I was surprised to see how many people read this post and didn't even seem to enjoy the humor and cuteness of it (and B.B.) in their rush to correct your dog feeding habits - even though you haven't given him anything! Anyway.

Growing up, our dogs (we only had one at a time) were always trained to "go lay down" at the entrance into the dining room. Since they could still see us (and us them), it didn't cut down any of the staring, but most of that was just to pinpoint the little tidbits that fell to the floor so they could quickly clean them up as soon as dinner was over. This they were allowed to do. In fact, if a guest ever spilled crumbs or something of that sort on the ground, Mom would tell them not to worry about it, the dog would get it. But that was all they got, unless they managed to steal something (surprisingly rare, with all the kids around).

However, Mom would put down the just emptied tuna cans for the cats to lick clean. When she was feeling particularly nice, she'd even leave a few chunks of tuna in them - accidentally, of course. ;-) This was such a part of my childhood that I do the same for my cat today; but while she'll run to the kitchen at the smell of tuna, she won't touch the cans . . . it makes me sad, and I keep trying in the hopes that she'll change her mind one day. The only time she's touched human food is when she gets mad (usually after I've been gone for a while, or there's a new baby taking up most of my time) - she vents her frustration by ripping into loaves of bread and gnawing the crusts.

when we adopted our dog, lillie, from animal rescue, she had been living on the streets for quite a while. as a result, she had picked up the habit of wanting and begging for people food. we did not give it to her from the table, but we would let her have the left overs that were appropriate... meat, rice, etc. even in her old age, racked with horrible hip pain and blind/deaf, she sat at the table, eternally optimistic that it was finally the day we would feed her from the table. we never did, but she never stopped. she was the best dog ever, and we miss her dearly. it still makes me laugh to think of her persistence.
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And what does Donkey Kong have to do with anything?

It is VERY bad to give your dog people food, and most especially bad to do so from your plate/the table! It is not just you and Noah who will be exposed to this behavior if you give in, it will be every house guest anytime they come over for a meal. Do NOT give in! You WILL regret it!

A dog is not a people. It does not think like one or process like one, but it can outsmart you, if you let it.

If you are providing him with well manufactured, well-balanced dog food that meets his nutritional needs, that's all he should have. A (very tiny) "treat" now and again *used for training purposes* can be helpful, but never should it be understood by your dog that he can "puppy dog eyes" his way into getting it, or *your* food.

Speaking as a former military K-9 trainer (and MP) you can train your dog out of this "sitting, waiting and looking" behavior. He does it because he can - you have yet to train him not to. If you don't know how to effectively go about it, I can offer useful suggestions - perhaps in email, since it could get rather long winded here.

Good luck!
Krikit ~:)

Yes, it is a BAD behavior. In feeding your dog food from your plates, you are teaching him that he is equal to you in your position of the pack. Stand firm Dan!!!!

I find Jasper LOVES carrots :) If I throw a party with a veggie tray - I use them to show him and his tricks off :) hehe I think it was a bad habit to start though! Once they taste human food, they start to wonder why they have to eat the SAME thing day after day. And the eyes become "accusing".
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Our Tucker sits and waits too. But he does this because he knows he's going to get something. We are weak, I admit it. But he loves it and he's very healthy and the vet says it's fine so there. LOL
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We had a dog when I was growing up that looks like he had some similar background to yours (he was a prebred MUTT, but looked similar and similar size). He went through a phase where he refused to eat and wanted food off the table just like you describe, though we also never gave him our food. We finally caved and got him the canned dog food for a while. We put it on the table and fed him bits off a fork during dinner time. He was SO tiny and needed the food! Gradually we were able to get him to eat the wet food like a normal dog. Then over time we mixed his canned food with dry food until we moved him all the way to crunchy dog food. He may have thought we caved, but at least he still only ate dog food.

Don't do it, Dan! Once you give in, he'll keep coming back for more.

In the words of Daniel Larusso's mom from the karate kid, "Be strong, Daniel, be strong!"
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Typically we do not feed our dogs from the table. We have a Pappillion and a Yorkie whose little tummies do not handle scraps very well. We also have a German (Shiloh) Shephard who we used to give healthier scraps to all the time. However, she has been diagnosed with food allergies and we are instructed to not give her anything anymore. :( She has been much healthier since we have followed this 'rule'. We do let the occasional piece of meat, fat or whatever else (veggies) they will eat fall to the floor for our pups . We spoil our dogs but one thing I hate is for them to literally beg. They know better then to beg...they just sit and wait UNDER the table out of sight usually. I don't mind that. Also anytime we tell them to "get" they listen quickly! I know everyone says that once you feed them from the table once they never leave...but ours know when they are told to LEAVE! Good luck in making the right decision for YOU. Posting a pic on FB of one of our funnier "begging" moments!

I've never fed my dogs from the table. I'll feed them certain tidbits as I'm preparing, but once I sit down to eat, they're actually banished to the other room. Yeah, they've done the same thing- sit and wait, lol.. and I just ignore them! Yeah, I'm a mean mom! But my "puppies" love me!

I don't make it a habit to feed our dog "people food"...once in a while, if I'm trimming meat and there's a bit, I'll cook it and add it to his food. But it's occasional.

Of course, that doesn't mean he doesn't steal food...like bags of Snickers, pizza dough mix, crackers and chips. Sometimes it's a miracle that he's still alive.
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HAHA. Our husky seems to think along the same lines as B.B. He has a full bowl of dog food that he ignores, and then when we let him in for the night, he is snuffing around the floor looking for anything edible that my toddler might have dropped. He is quite the thief though, he grabbed a sandwich when the baby wasn't looking.. but I agree, giving the dog human food isnt a good idea. Be strong!
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People food is fine - just don't ever feed them chocolate, onions, grapes, macadamia nuts, cooked chicken or turkey bones or anything with xylitol (a sweetener).

Wait-you put your plates in the sink?...and eventually reuse them?...without worrying about eating poop? I think someone's growing.

Did you stop to think maybe he's waiting for you guys to finish so he can be excused to go do doggy things? He's part of the family, too! He looks fantastic btw, you guys have done a good job taking care of him :) Be vigilant about not giving him people food as you never know when something won't be tolerated by his little tummy...something as innocent as a grape (no joke) could make him very, very ill. Stick to the dog treats :)

I don't know that he's waiting for food, Dan. It may be that he's waiting for the Alpha members of his pack to eat first before eating his own food, that may be why he waits until your plate is in the sink before he eats. Our dog doesn't eat either until the other members of her pack have eaten and she also sits by the table and waits : )

If you want it to stop, teach him a command and make him do it while you eat.

For instance, our boxer, Blitz, used to do this too, except that his face is table-height. We taught him to "go lay down" so if I catch him begging, I tell him to do that. It might be right next to the table, might be in another room, but he's not officially begging when he's sleeping next to us while we eat.

And yes, my husband does still sneak him food every now and then. :)

My schnauzer girl is 11 years old, we've never fed her from the table, and yet she waits even to this day. They are stubbornly cute little creatures :) Just FYI, schnauzers are notorious for all sorts of gastro-intestinal issues that can happen earlier as well as later in life, so you are MUCH safer not ever feeding B.B. people food and risking stomach issues.

I grew up with dogs and they always used to get scraps of meat, veggies, rice, etc. as well as some grease or gravy left over in the pan. But we never fed from the table (they were outside dogs anyway, and only one ever slept inside). We would put the scraps in their food bowl and mix it with their dog food when we fed them. We also gave them the leftover milk from our cereal. And sometimes, just for fun, I'd give them peanut butter wrapped in bread, then sit back and watch the fun!

None of our dogs died from what we fed them. One died from someone in the neighborhood poisoning meat and leaving it around for the neighborhood dogs to find (bastard), one died after being attacked by another dog, and a third died from good old old age.

I would say, especially since B.B. is a terrier, it most likely won't kill him. Terriers are tough as nails and have stomachs to match!

We are getting a dog in a couple months, and I was disappointed the other night when we had t-bone steaks. It seemed like such a waste to throw the bones away when I know a dog would just go nuts for them. (Always gave them to our dogs when I was a kid.)

I give my cats tuna straight from the can, but it's the tuna that has nothing but water or salt. As long as you haven't thrown anything like salt on meat, it's okay to give some to a dog. Just make sure it's not hot first. And some veggies (same as above) is okay, too. I would put it in his bowl, though, so that he doesn't start looking for food elsewhere (like, countertops and tables).

Dogs will do what you teach them, so if you teach them that they can beg (even if by default, by allowing them to beg or stare while you eat) then they will beg, period ... until or unless they are taught to do something else. I can't really figure out if you like the begging (think it's 'cute') or if it bugs you, but either way, your dog is going to keep it up unless you teach him what you'd prefer he do at meal time. If you don't like the staring then put him in another room and don't allow him to sit at your feet and stare. Real simple stuff that he can no doubt handle. If you don't mind sharing a tidbit then wait until you are done eating, then call your dog over to you and ask him to 'do' something to earn the treat. Maybe have him sit or lie down or even teach him to roll over. (Don't teach him to give paw ... that's a very annoying habit that's hard to break) Then "treat" him for doing what you asked by giving him the morsel of food. I would never just "give" a dog a high value treat for no reason whatsoever as that leads to "pushy" and "expectant" behavior. As for the staring ... well, how would you feel if you had 100 times the ability to smell than humans and every night a five star restaurant opened up in your kitchen? What if the cook didn't speak your language and you didn't speak theirs, but the food smelled FANTASTIC .... how would YOU try to communicate with the cook if that was your situation? Food is one of several inherent drives that dogs have and they can't turn it on and off at will. Even if they just ate, if something smells really great then they're probably going to try to communicate their desire to acquire the food, including (but not limited to) staring. That said, you CAN teach your dog to better control his food drive by offering him other options and rewarding him appropriately when he responds correctly. I see nothing wrong with using certain foods as high value rewards for good behavior. In fact, most humane training programs endorse this already ... unless of course they are trying to get you to purchase expensive commercial "doggie" treats. Dogs like protein. Small pieces of cheese, chicken, beef or even hot dog work just as well as pricey doggie treats. I would avoid anything that is over processed and sweet or toxic. (Duh, but many people don't know what is and isn't toxic to their pets) OK, sorry for rambling ... good luck and congrats on having such a bright little pup!

You should see the puddles of saliva my 'puppy' (10 year old boxer x Irish Wolf hound) leaves at dinner time
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I know people who only give their dogs human food: grilled chicken breast, veggies, rice.
Just pick wisely and mix it with his food. Or buy him can food, most dogs love that.
BB's precious!

To try to stop the eating own poop try getting some meat tenderizer and sprinkling a little on his food. Not sure what exactly it does but it has stopped ours from doing that. Our vet told us that trick.

We have 2 dogs and a cat. The dogs, Zoe (german shepard/queensland mix) was a shelter puppy; Max(ine) (queenland/lab mix) was one of 18 puppies one of my co-workers suddenly found herself with and needing to find homes for... that just happened to be ready for homes about the same time my younger son, and beastmaster extraordinaire, was having a birthday. The cat, Sam (purebred Traditional Siamese), was a rescue. We got him after the first cat I'd ever had passed away. The kids said they couldn't have a house without a cat anymore, and I said we'd better do it soon before I settle in my grief over the first cat. Sam was raised by breeders, got hurt and was left at the vet because they didn't think he'd be presentable. He's needy, he's grumbly, and if we're gone for what he feels is too long he will yell at us for 10 minutes straight. He hogs the bed and wakes us up early. Zoe learned fast that when we eat, she is to go outside or lay down someplace. Max is just a big dopey dog who just constantly follows Zoe and wants her belly rubbed... constantly. I'm pretty sure if she saw Zoe eating people food, she'd probably try it. But she so far hasn't tried.

Animals are certainly a part of the fibers that make life worthwhile.

My family raised Chows when I was growing up. We learned that feeding them from the table was unacceptable, and bad for them. Though the occasional scrambled eggs and bacon do find there way into the dogs' bowls when they're extra sweet and particularly adorable.

Is it possible that someone taught him to lay down and stay put at meal times, once upon a time? It sounds like he's not begging so much as staying put while you eat. We're currently training our new puppy not to beg when there's human food. She gets hand outs on our terms, but is learning that as soon as human food comes out, her job is to go to her bed and lay down.
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Our dogs did that as well. We finally taught them "Out of the Dining Room". For the first week or two they would sit at the edge of the room & stare at us throughout every meal. After a while, they started napping in the next room until we tell them "Okay".

I do rarely give my dog human food, but it isn't very common- mostly because once she gets it she thinks she should get it every time!
As long as you don't feed him a lot of high-calorie, high-fat stuff, and GOOGLE FIRST so you know whether what you are going to give him is safe for dogs, the occasional scrap is fine; the problem comes in when people feed their dogs chicken, bacon, cheese, etc. all the time, and then wonder why they are suddenly obese. :P

Do *not* feed him directly from the table. After you're done eating, put some in his bowl- or, better yet, use a bit to teach him new tricks.

We always had dogs on the farm. They always ate scaps and people food and all sorts of other foods! I don't think we ever bought dog food! They lived to be 15 &16 healthy, happy years old. I strongly disagree with all the people that say 'don't feed dogs people food'. Our dogs never saw a vet and never needed to. They didn't get all those diseases you hear about now. Guess what? Dog food companies want to see expensive dog food! And none of us really know what's in it !!!

I grew up on a farm. Our dogs were ALWAYS outside, working animals. They NEVER came in the house. But we fed them table scraps, instead of just throwing away the food. I know people say not to feed the dogs table scraps, that it is bad for them, but I think if you can put up with a little gas, why not? However, I would still resist feeding them from the table. That's just bad training for the dog.
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My dog only eats a 'people food' diet. No kibble for him whatsoever.
Having said that, he knows his place during dinner time. He's a St Bernard, so boundaries are VERY important, as his head could lay on the table. And he's still a puppy (almost 2 years old) so he could easily snatch food when one wasn't looking- AND because his mouth is as big as my head, he doesn't always realize when he's not being easy. So, I believe it's important to keep the food boundaries. Especially since sometimes we snack on the couch- I want to make sure I can set my bowl down to go to the bathroom and not come back with nothing but slobber leftover.
So keeping the "my food" "your food" separation is VERY helpful in that regard. He could easily bowl my 22 month over and snatch the peanut butter and jelly sandwich out of his hand. But he knows better- that's Tommy's food- NOT his.

I 110% DISAGREE with anyone who says "never give dogs people food". It's just not accurate. Giving them people food is healthy, so long as you make sure you stay away from dangerous foods (onions, chocolate etc).

I think the biggest fear is that if you start 'scrap' feeding, the dog won't eat his kibble at all anymore, so if you do want to just treat him occasionally, it won't hurt him, but just be aware he might turn his nose to his food if he gets too much.
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My dog has been getting fat...from dog food. From what I've read, not all dog food is the greatest for your dog. My dog previous seemed to like when we changed his food every once in a while.
My current dog just likes to be with the "pack", wherever we are he wants to be. In summers we eat outside a lot, and he's big enough to get food off the table without jumping up. If you look away long enough, some of your food might wind up missing. It's hilarious because of how sneaky he thinks he's being.
I don't believe it's terrible for your dog to have human food, just not all the time...If you look at some of the ingredients on certain dog foods, it may contain things you don't want your dog eating either.

When we first had our dog when I was little, we would set up a board between the living room and kitchen so the dog couldn't go in when the family was at the dining table. If she came up to the board, we told her to go lay down in the living room. Dad stomping his foot sent her back to where she was supposed to be. After awhile, she stopped hovering. Scraps were only given AFTER dinner was completely over and the dishes were in the sink. When Dad pushed back his chair was Casey's cue to be ready for food, if there was any for her. She was a good dog, overall... not the brightest, but a good dog...

I know what it's like to have eyes staring at you while you're eating. I have two cats that magically turn into vultures when I have a plate in front of me. I don't have a dining room table yet, so the access to me by the back or the arm of the couch is seen as quite an opportunity. Zoey, the 1 yr old cat likes to sit on the arm of the couch and when I move the fork from plate to mouth she reaches out a little paw and grabs my fork re-routing it to her mouth. She always seems to get a little frustrated when that plan is thwarted. Once she's had enough of the fork grab game, she curls up and lays there with a stare that would melt steel. She also has a sidekick that she's training. Cody, the 15 week old kitten is picking up on the game, but he won't stop at the fork, oh no, he feels that he's got to try to sit on the plate. What takes 5 minutes to eat, usually takes 20 minutes for me because I'm in constant defense of my plate.

I gotta say this, though. As a Vet Tech, it's ok to feed an animal "human food". Just make sure it's not processed junk or chocolate. Keep it in moderation. I know there are people screaming, "No, don't feed an animal the same things we eat." That's true, to a point. Have you seen the new dog food that's out there? Not the kibble, but the rice and stews and things like that. That's all human food! Perhaps if you fixed a little extra of what you're eating, just the healthy, natural stuff; and fed it to B.B. while you were eating he'd leave you alone.

Our dogs name is Cody and he is havanese and he is family .He just loves my homemade sauce and meatballs. His favorite Macs is Angel Hair or Vermicelli. He always gets his share in a paper plate and he eats the whole thing. I have had dogs all my life and I have always shared. They all lived a long life. If he doesn't like what we are having , he just lies in his bed until we are finished eating and then he will eat his dog food. He's a cute and we love him.

I made salmon the other night. My kids didn't eat all of theirs (surprise surprise). We also had mixed veggies and rice. I gave the leftovers to the dog. I think the Omega-3s and the grains and the veggies are just as good for her as they would have been for my kids. So yeah.

This little B.B. is a real cutie pie! I'd have trouble saying no to him, too! I love scrappy little doggies like him.

I've read in several guides that when you leave your dog's dish down all the time s/he will start to think s/he is in charge - the leader - because in a dog pack, the leader controls when the other dogs eat (typically eating first until satisfied and then 'allowing' the others to join in). The dog in charge of food is the dog in charge of the pack. Because his dish is down all the time he starts to thinks he has the power to tell you to give him food and you're being 'defiant' by not complying. I understand dogs also often yawn to 'show off their teeth' as a sort of instinctive passive threat, too.

My mom had trouble with training her Jack Russell Terriers until she started to keep the dish and food away in a drawer and only give them a meal once a day. Now they're much better listeners. She still occasionally gives them appropriate table foods (generally just meats and veggies) but they just sit quietly off to the side, sometimes watching, sometimes doing something else and wait until everyone's done eating - THEN they get a little. We give our Puggle table foods, too, in the same way. I don't mind the animal sitting near me or watching me eat but I certainly DO mind them whimpering, whining or pawing at me - that's not tolerated. Really, when you think about it, you're giving them hell for looking at you while you eat. Seems kind of unreasonable to me...
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