Dinner time

[Dawn]

I was wondering what your doodles do during dinner (sounds like a tongue twister :)     We usually feed Lucy around 4:30 but we don't eat until later.    I put the spray bottle next to me and give her a squirt if she comes to the table.    I know some people crate their dogs but I don't really want to do that.  We do crate her when we're gone and when we go to bed.      I think we may have failed with the crate training because she does not go in willingly.  We made the mistake of putting a pet pillow on the floor and she prefers that over the crate.   

 

Also, what do you think about putting your puppy in a time out (in the bathroom) if she snaps/nips at you?  We are still having a problem with her nipping at my 9 year old daughter. 

 

Thanks,

dawn

 

 

[Phoebe's Mom]

I feed Phoebe at 4:30pm as well and then we eat dinner later, she gets a treat in her Everlasting treat ball--she licks and licks it and totally tires herself out.  If she does finish before we do, she usually just hangs out under the table.

[BG and Gavin]

Both at home and at the cottage, Gavin has to do to his bed during our supper time.  He lies down on it in the living room and can still keep an eye on things.  I trained him just the same way that Jane recommended.  It is  also useful for other situations when he should not be underfoot including when people come to the door.

[BG and Gavin]

In fact I really can't emphasize enought the importance of the "go to your place" command.  When he comes in with dirty paws, it's "go to your towel" and when we go to visit friends, it's "go to your mat" etc.. They learn to do a really good down stay in any defined area.  In fact Gavin and his muddy feet are is in one right now in the kitchen and has been for the last 10 minutes.  Very useful command.

[Sherri, Sophie, Winston, & Kitty]

Ok! I need to get on this!

[Leslie, Dexter & Kirby]

Our doodles are with us when we eat.  They will sometimes beg for a minute but then we tell them to "go lay down" and they'll just lay near us or in the next room as we eat.  They're less well behaved when guests are here but we just repeat the command a few times and they will calm down.  They don't like to be separated from us.

[Dawn]

Thanks for all the advice.    I am going to work on having her go in her crate more.  There is just so much to learn :)

[Deanna & Desi & Cori]

As a puppy, Sedona was put in her X-pen while we ate.  If she was a "good girl", she was given a treat.  Eventually, we let her out of the pen, but she continues to stay away from us while we eat - occasionally, she'll eat while we do.  As soon as we're finished, she gets her "good girl" treat for leaving us alone.  By now, the treat is more a part of our meal-time ritual, rather than a true behavior modification tool.  

[Sue, Murphy and Bella ()*o*()]

My two are always close by whether we are cooking, eating, sleeping, walking around the house or yard. I don't feel I need to make them go away from us when we eat. They don't beg, they just look at us for a min. Then both just lay down nearby like they do for everything else. They do eat real food and we never give it from the table or our plates, but put leftovers in their bowls if we give it to them after we eat.
As for nipping, we always gave a loud OUCH when they did it and It would scare them into stopping. Then Murphy would kiss DH to try to apologize for hurting him. So cute.

[Barbara B., Sasha & Oliver]

When I eat both doodles lay right next to me on the floor.  I have never ever fed them anything from the table so they do not bother me or family or friends when we eat.  My BIL created a monster when my sister took my Mom's dog (Shih Tzu) when she passed.  My BIL would give Suki little tid-bits of food from his plate like a piece of bread or a piece of meat.  So then when my sister's family would sit down to eat little Suki would constantly bark for food.  I also have a girlfriend that has a mini weiner dog and her BF gives the dog bits of food from the table too now Rosie bothers everyone for food when you sit down to eat.  Even when I had my own gang of Shih Tzus, I never ever fed them from the table and all they would do is just lay under the table or next to the chair and just sleep or hang but you never heard a peep from them.  People create the bad habits is dogs with food, my doodles only get food or treats in the kitchen.  The only thing Sasha does which is totally bizar is that when I go to sit in my chair at the dining room table she grabs me around my waist and humps - LOL  its the strangest thing !!!  I always push her off and say no very sternly.  If I remember prior to sitting down I watch for her to approach and I put her in a sit and stay position.  I was worried that since Oliver is so tall and his chin is even with the table he would snatch food but he has never done so and both doodles are really good that way.  So my advise is to never feed from the table #1 and to train your doodle to stay in the kitchen or some place else while you eat.  I can't strees enough is not to give anything from the table or your plate because dogs will NEVER forget it and a monster is created.