Dealing with begging behavior in Jack Russells by: Tom
Hi there,
Unfortunately giving in to this behavior is about the worst thing you can do. From now on, NEVER give Milo anything for begging. By giving in and given him what he wants, you're reinforcing the behavior and actually making it worse. Milo knows now that all he has to do is whine for long enough and you will eventually give in and give him what he wants.
Do you see how he has taken control of the situation? He knows he can control the resources (ie. your coffee, hot chocolate, etc.), so he will start to view himself and being higher in the pack hierarchy than you. And that means his behavior will only get worse.
You need to take back control. From now on, you and everyone in your household must ignore Milo completely whenever he begs for something, whether it's food or attention. It doesn't matter if he whines for half an hour - ignore him. As soon as he starts to realize that the behavior won't be rewarded, he will stop.
Jacks aren't silly - they only do whatever gets the result they desire. You have to use that natural cleverness to your advantage. Set up a training routine so that good behavior on his part is in both your best interests. I've just put together a 7 day course that shows you how to do this: you can sign up by clicking here. It should help you out.
