Stealing food from table!

[SandyT]

Help!  My nearly 6-month-old cocker spaniel has started stealing food from the table - I caught her on the table last night eating an entire piece of Millionaire shortbread cheesecake   
This morning she pinched a croissant off the table, it had only been sitting there a few moments.  I am trying to teach our 8 year old (human) not to leave food unattended on the table, but this is a behaviour I need to stop as soon as possible!
The cheesecake resulted in diarrhia on the carpet last night to make matters worse 

Any suggestions??  Everytime she puts her paws up on the table we say "NO!" but she doesn't seem to be learning!

[Joules]

Don't leave stuff anywhere she can get to it. 

Some dogs can be trained to leave food alone when it is within their reach, but many (including mine  ) will NEVER be trustworthy around food, so the only solution is to stop her getting to it.     Coco is nearly 12 now and will do ANYTHING to get hold of food, including mugging small children feeding ducks in the park, swiping stuff off the table or worktop if she can, raiding peoples' cars for sandwiches etc, pinching stuff out of the hands of babies passing by in pushchairs, nicking stuff off stalls in the market, swiping someone's sausage sandwich from under the table when I was paying for admission to a show..... you get the picture  I have to be constantly on guard.  For us it is a question of managing her behaviour rather than stopping it ie stopping her from succeeding!

Use a crate or baby gate to keep her away from the table when you are eating or put a mat away from the table for her to sit on while you are eating.  When she puts her paws on the table, distract her away from it.   Coco has now learned not to pester when I am eating because I will give her a reward when I have finished.  I would still never, ever trust her around food whether it is attended or not. The more she manages to get food from the table, she more she will do it as it quickly becomes self rewarding - the answer is to ensure that she never succeeds - not easy I know. 

Good luck 

[Londongirl]

You have to keep food out of reach and the 8 year-old will have to learn. Dogs are natural scavengers and it's going to be really hard to teach them to get off (which is just a negative) when the temptation of food is there (a huge positive).

I can remember being appalled the first time Henry stole some food from the table, and like you thought I could teach him not to. And you certainly can reinforce and praise an 'off' when discouraging counter and table surfing.

But every time pup gets treasure from the table, the behaviour is reinforced. It's become second nature to us now to put food in the middle of the table, or not put it on the table at all unless there is someone there to guard. Likewise when I am prepping food, I push it to the back of the counter if it's going to be unguarded.

Henry's constant surfing and begging for food has diminished dramatically with age and by (almost!) never getting the chance to have the behaviour rewarded. Believe me, I've been exactly where you've been and in the mindset of trying to change a really ingrained canine behaviour without realising that it will make it easier if you also change your own.

And the eight year-old will learn, you'll be amazed how quickly!

[Finvarra]

Exactly as above! You can't really change their behaviour when presented with a massive temptation, it's a bit like going round the supermarket and seeing your favourite chocs on offer. - do you walk on by  .

We had a low level grill, and Milo nicked raw sausages sitting on the flap waiting to go under, and Dylan recently pinched a chicken leg off the carcass cos I'd left it near the edge of the counter while my back was turned. It's a case of removing the opportunities for theft, it becomes second nature 

Lesley and Dylan

[bizzylizzy]

Absolutely agree with LG, we've warned all our family, friends and guests that they risk banishment if they're caught feeding the dog from the table!  , !! Humphrey will lie near or under the table now but doesn't bother to beg or try to get anything because he's learned it won't work.  We  stopped the snatching of food off people with a version of the leave command. I held a treat in the palm of my hand and as soon as Humphrey went to snatch it, I said "ah ah" and closed my hand, when he's sitting still I'll say "OK" and he can take it.
It probably isn't the solution to all stealing and I do agree with the previous comments but it all helps to drive home that they can't just take what they want. Humphrey never gets any treats or food, including dinner, unless he sits and waits and then he gets the OK.
If all else fails, it might be an idea to not allow him in the room while you're eating but TBH if you can get it under control now, that probably won't be necessary. 

[SandyT]

Thank you so much everyone for all the good advice.  We will all do our best to keep food out of reach- with the cheesecake it was actually in the middle of the table but our cheeky girl used a chair to jump on top of the table and get it anyway 
Our last dog (a border collie) somehow learned early on she wasn't allowed to take food and it was never an issue, so this is something new for me.

[Londongirl]

There's another thing to add to the list - push the chairs in. Henry is such a numbskull, he still hasn't worked out that he use the chairs for a boost.

[ips]

Ha, this is so much like eze.
She lies or sits on her mat at the side of the dining table, she knows she will get a treat a bit of carrot or sometimes whatever I am eating but only if she sits patiently.with hindsight I would have trained her to sit on her mat and not get anything but its too late now. In the plus side she wont take food unless I give it to her.

[Gazrob]

If my Marley touched my food I'd tell him no. I can leave my food on the floor and leave the room and I know he won't touch it because he knows It is mine. I never feed him scraps from my plate. If I give him anything I will put it in his own bowl.

[sodpot2000]

When you have a powerful nose and an instinct to hunt ... what's a doggie to do? And if its just lying there..!

Hence, a friend found that one of her elegantly prepared starters was minus its smoked salmon after a covert op by my black cocker.