You know that you shouldn’t do it. You know that the dog doesn’t need human food. However, you see the wagging tail, the excitement, the wide eyes and perhaps even the drool. And you are so tempted to give the dog just a little bit of food. There is plenty. You can rationalize that a little bit won’t hurt. You love that dog and you want to be good to the dog. It is so tempting to just give the dog a bit of a treat - but, don’t do it!

Once the dog knows that it will receive the occasional treat from the table, you are in trouble. The dog will be asking for a treat constantly when there is people food. It does not matter that you only do this for a ’special’ treat and only do it once in a while. Behaviourists have reported that the strongest schedule of reinforcement is a variable schedule. That means that the dog does not know when that treat will happen but it will happen. This type of schedule encourages persistence on the part of the dog. Of course, there are situations where this type of schedule of reinforcement can work to the owner’s advantage. For example, the dogs sniffing luggage at the airport are on such a schedule of reinforcement. The dog does not find contraband substances every time. It is only occasionally. The dog knows this. The dog knows that it will find that contraband sometimes, so it works hard to find it. And when it does, the tennis ball (or some favourite thing) appears and the dog plays with the handler. The dog works to have some fun.

That is a positive example. The occasional human food treat will set the dog to work. Only this work is to bother you for a treat. Your dog will whine and beg. If you have treated once, the dog works on the premise that it is only a matter of time and technique before you do it again. And it can be so annoying.

It is distracting, for example, to have the dog whining while you are at the dining table. Some dogs will even go to the extent of not eating their dog food, with the hope of having human food. Remember, for the dog, it thinks that it is only a matter of technique and working at it, before you break down and give the food - because you have done it previously.

To prevent encouraging the dog to be a problem, just control your guilt and do not treat with human food. And don’t let the dog make you feel guilty. Resist! Don’t show any weakness. Don’t even be tempted. You’re dealing with an expert - that dog is an expert at reading you.

Catherine Forsythe

Tags: dogs, begging, schedules of reinforcement, guilt