It so happens that the seemingly sweet and obedient Yorkshire Terrier, at the sight of any meal or at the beginning of the meal of the owners, simply goes crazy from begging. Moreover, the behavior becomes not so soft with a slight whimpering or touching look, but rather demanding, with a bark and a loud yelp, with stretching the legs on the knees of the owners and sometimes even jumping onto the table. What to do with this, and what may be the reasons for this behavior, we understand below.
Natural instincts of your Yorkie
It’s no secret that food for a dog is not only a way to stay healthy, but also a major aspect in maintaining physical strength. Therefore, the natural instinct of saturation is in the blood of every representative of the animal world (and not only in Yorkie). Thanks to this natural phenomenon, the dog waits for his meal every time. But it also happens that the animal, to put it mildly, becomes impudent, and in addition to its prescribed portion, it requires more.
Reasons why your Yorkshire terrier wanna eat?
- The loss of the hierarchical status of the head of the family in the person of the owner of Yorkie. That is, now the animal considers itself the main thing in the house and requires food.
- The dog’s misconception about where the food comes from.
- The banal hunger at the Yorkshire Terrier or parasites.
- If your pet Yorkie is begging because he considers himself to be the main one in the house, this is a clear signal that you are doing something wrong. Think, maybe you feed your companion first, and then you yourself start your meal? If your answer is yes, then we congratulate you. You yourself changed the view of Yorkie about who is in charge of the house. It is important to remember that the owner always eats first – the pack leader in the eyes of the animal. And only then the dog takes food. Priorities cannot be changed. If you behave in this way, then in the head of Yorkie, there will be a clear opinion that the leader first eats, and then the dog is satisfied with the rest from the table. If at first, the dog eats, then later it fully lays claim to pieces from the person’s table. Indeed, in this case, she considers herself the main one.
- It happens that Yorkie begging for the fact that he got the idea of the place where the food “grows”. The only such point for the Yorkshire Terrier should be his bowl. If you allow yourself to throw a piece of food from a table to a dog or to pinch a yummy out of the refrigerator, the animal learns that the food grows there. And begins to beg her. It is important to remember that the dog should receive all food only from its bowl, whether it is an encouraging piece of goodies or the main meal. Do not give yourself slack, do not feed the animal from the table or from the refrigerator.
- Well, it remains to check your pet for parasites if the two previous situations have nothing to do with you. Contact your veterinarian clinic for tests and treatment.
- By the way, is your Yorkie, by chance, not hungry? Regular and nutritious nutrition is the key to the dog’s health and excellent mental state. Therefore, follow your baby, build a correct line of behavior, and your Yorkie will be the most obedient in the world.
How to wean a dog to ask for a food
- The first thing to do if you decide to do this is to conduct explanatory conversations with your relatives. It’s no secret that most people love to pamper dogs and find nothing wrong with giving a dog a small piece at the table. I agree, maybe this is so. But look at all this from a different perspective. The dog comes to the table, sits down, looks at you with sad eyes and drools. What are you doing? Give her a slice – because she asks!
- Perfectly. But there is one caveat – who in this situation is in the position of the trainee? Guessed? Of course, it’s you! The dog made you do what she needed, namely, give it a piece. Are you pleased to be in the role of a subordinate? I think not really. After all, who knows what your dog wants next time? Maybe your bed, or maybe your clothes, it’s so soft, it’s so comfortable to sleep on it. And there is no guarantee that the dog will not use its teeth when it fails to get what it wants. Agree, this is logical – they gave her all the time, obeyed her, and now? Mess
- And this applies not only to dogs of protective breeds. In my practice, there have been many cases when, in the literal sense, the head of the family was a small dog, such as, for example, a cocker spaniel. And the mistress, a woman of about 50, walked around the house in boots and gloves; her legs and hands were bitten in blood …
- So where do you need to start? You know, the more often a dog is given reinforcements for any action, the less persistent this reflex becomes. What does it mean? If EVERY time for a sufficiently long time after the execution of a command you give the dog a piece, then the likelihood that she will execute this command without a piece is significantly reduced. You need to give the dog a piece of food at the table for three to four weeks whenever it suits, and do it right away. I think it will be easy. Of course, after a while, she will just run to the table where you have lunch. Then you abruptly, in one day, stop giving pieces. Do not forget, this must be done ONE DAY, unconditionally, and to all family members. Forget about the dog. Do not look at her. Do not pay attention to her. You can come up with a team in order to drive it away from a table, such as “Get out!”. A couple of days will pass, and the dog will begin to approach the table less and less. Believe me, this method has been tested many times in practice.
- In this situation, the main thing is not to break loose and not give her a piece, because in this way you will teach the dog perseverance. That is, she will know that this phenomenon is temporary, she just needs to wait, and in the end, she will get what she wants. And I can assure you that dogs know how to wait and be persistent better than ours! All your efforts will go down the drain, and starting it again will be much more difficult.
- I repeat, but the owner in any correction of behavior requires a huge margin of patience and no less persistence. The main thing is to remember: not you for the dog, but the dog for you!