Have you ever had that experience of sitting down to eat your dinner only to have your dog keep trying to jump up and grab food off your plate? If so, you're not alone. Whether it happens when it's just you or you're with family and friends, your canine's lack of good table manners can quickly ruin a meal.
While it can be tempting to throw them one of the longest lasting dog chews to keep them occupied every time you're eating, expert dog trainer Adam Spivey reveals there's a far better way to teach manners - and it couldn't be easier.
In a video shared to Instagram, which you can view below, Spivey reveals that the secret to being able to eat your food in piece is to train your dog to go to their crate or bed whenever you want to enjoy a snack or a meal.
"When you're eating, stick the dog in its bed. Whether that's a snack or a full-blown dinner or whether that's dinner being prepared," Spivey says.
While popping your dog in their bed will allow you to eat in peace, Spivey says it also comes with other benefits.
"This will teach your dog to be respectful and calm around food and this will help massively teach your dog how to behave - it's so beneficial."
As with any new skill you're trying to teach, be prepared for it to take some time for your dog to learn that their place is in their bed when food is being consumed. However, with plenty of repetition and lots of patience, you should start noticing some positive improvements after a few weeks of working with your pup on this.
If you find your dog isn't able to stay in their bed during mealtimes and continues to keep coming over to you when you're eating, we recommend speaking to a professional dog trainer who will be able to offer you some 1:1 support.
For more great training tips, check out our guide to how to deal with a badly behaved dog.
