[Brock]

How do I stop my dog from begging? He doesn't really beg when we eat at the table, but if we are eating on the couch he begs really bad. He isn't whining or anything but will put his face right in your food & paws at you. I gently push him away & tell him no & try to give him one of his toys or one of his bones to eat but that doesn't work.
Any advice?

 

[SnackRat]

Take a look at this thread: http://www.dogforum.com/training-behavior-stickies/impulse-control-calmness-168218/

The first video, the It's Yer Choice game, is really useful for teaching dogs to have better self-control around food (or other temptations).

 

[mathilda]

being able to reliably send your dog to one designed place (blanket, crate, dogbed) and a reliable stay-command can help with that.
build up the commands possitively so that he likes that place.
during your meal time, send him to your place and he has to stay there, afterwards he can get a treat.

 

[Grabby]

Make staying on his bed or a mat, better than begging. Feed the position. This means when he's where you want him, reinforce with food. This might mean you have to get up a lot during meals to give him food on his mat. Be consistent and keep the rate of reinforcement high. Give him high value food but not the food you're eating.

My dogs plant themselves in their respective places during mealtime. They've been reinforced for being there and I still reinforce them with food because I want to keep that behavior strong.

 

[Trailgirl]

How do I stop my dog from begging? He doesn't really beg when we eat at the table, but if we are eating on the couch he begs really bad. He isn't whining or anything but will put his face right in your food & paws at you. I gently push him away & tell him no & try to give him one of his toys or one of his bones to eat but that doesn't work.
Any advice?

Dogs do not beg, people do. If no one threw coins and dollars in the cup, would there be cups held out?

 

[natenqen]

I agree with what was mentioned about sending your pup to a designated spot. Kuma our rescue, I taught him 'go to bed'. The go to bed is only used when we want him to basically leave us alone. (He is very needy and wants to be petted all the damn time.) Or when we are eating.

His gotten so good that when he sees we are setting up dinner and setting down to eat, he will automatically go to his bed and sleep. Then, when he hears noise and see's me give him really yummy treats, he knows he can get up and sniff around where we eat.

I used to teach him Go to Matt, but since he doesn't zoom out the moment the door is open, we hardly every use it. (Now he will go to the open door peer outside and come back in.) However if he see's someone walking out by the road, he will run and bark at them. (He's recall is really good here.)

So, just teach him go to bed or maybe even go to kennel.