Our most-watched Short is basically ten seconds of Dash reacting to the word "no" like it is a personal tragedy. If you share your home with a Pug Weenie, you have seen this performance. Here is why Pug Weenies beg so much, and the approach that keeps Dash happy without letting treats take over his diet.
It is in the genes
Dachshunds are scent hounds bred to track by nose, and pugs were bred to be companions who stay close to their people. Put those together and you get a dog with an excellent sense of smell and a strong instinct to hang around the person holding the food. Many Pug Weenies are also very food-motivated, which makes training easy — and makes saying no very hard.
Begging is learned, too
Every time a begging stare earns a bite of toast, the dog learns that staring works. It does not have to happen often. Dogs are excellent at noticing what pays off, and an occasional reward can actually make a behavior stronger than a regular one. That is how a polite sit-and-stare turns into the dramatic sighs, paw taps and wounded eyes you see in Dash's videos.
What we changed
- No feeding from the table. Everyone in the house follows the same rule, because one soft touch undoes the whole thing.
- A "place" during meals. Dash gets a bed near the table, and calmly lying there is what earns a reward after the meal.
- Treats count as food. Many vets suggest treats should be only a small share of a dog's daily calories. We take that into account in his meal portions.
- Better treats, smaller pieces. A tiny piece of something he loves works just as well for training as a big biscuit.
Choosing treats for an older dog
Since Dash is ten, we look for treats with simple ingredients we can recognize, a texture that is easy on older teeth, and a size we can break into small pieces. Homemade-style baked treats have become a favorite because we know exactly what goes into them. Whatever you choose, introduce new treats slowly, watch for any stomach upset, and avoid foods that are toxic to dogs such as grapes, raisins, chocolate, onions, xylitol and macadamia nuts.
Does the begging ever stop?
Honestly, not completely. A Pug Weenie will always believe that your food would taste better in his mouth. But with consistent rules, the begging gets calmer and shorter. Dash still gives us the look — we just do not reward it anymore, and he has accepted (mostly) that his treat comes later, on his bed, for being a good boy.
Watch Dash
🐾 Dash's Favorite Things
The feeder, treats, calming help and sitter service we actually use.
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