We've lost control of the dogs.

I have heard about using Tobasco to discourage the dogs from begging at the table. When they come for scraps, put a little on your finger and let them lick it off... It sounds to me like you need to reestablish your authority in your home. You need to reiterate to people that these are YOUR pets and YOU are the one responsible ultimately for their health. You wouldn't let someone else make your choices concerning your children, so they shouldn't overstep those boundaries with your pets.

My parents have a 230 pound drooling mastiff with this problem. They just put him in another room or in his crate while they are eating.

i agree with ariane, since it's the PEOPLE you seem to be having a problem controlling, LOL, i would remove the dogs from any areas that you all are eating in. either lock them in another room, or in their crates. if the humans complain, tell them that this is what you have to do to ensure that your dogs don't get fed people food, and that you have spent LOTS of $$ on them, regarding this, and not to mention how much stress you were put through, not knowing if they would make it. then maybe they will "get it", and if not, then it's less they get to see your doggies, sorry bout their luck. ;o)

Hmmm.. well with Mo we just used the squirt bottle. It's the only thing that does work with him.

The barking of the dogs in another room is like going to the pound and listening to the choir. Maggie will scratch at the door and dig at the carpet to try to get out. If she's crated she bloodies her nose trying to escape. We can't even stand up in the kitchen to boil water without the dogs there begging and barking.

You poor thing! It's hard enough to train dogs, but I've never had any luck training people! This must be so frustrating. I'm not sure what you can do because even if you don't feed them, you still have your family doing it.

I suppose you could try the squirt bottle on the people...I truly don't mean to be flippant because I know this is a serious issue, and it has gotten out of control. Maybe if you fed your niece something completely forbidden your sister would see how important this is to you. It's not only unhealthy for the dogs, it's disrespectful of you and Brian. Is it possible to put the girls on leashes and keep them near you to correct them when people are over? I would seriously consider not leaving the dogs alone with any of the people you can't trust since they refuse to respect your sensible and necessary rules. Remove the bell if it has become more of a negative reinforcer than a positive one. If they already perceive you as a control freak, which I disagree with, what do you have to lose by being one? It's your house, they are your dogs, they have serious health concerns that have dietary constraints involved. If this is a deal breaker for your family, besides your dad who lives with you, then they will just have to see you outside of your home. I imagine the stress you are feeling is crushing you, and it's all because of inconsiderate people who are supposed to love you, not laugh at your house rules. I wouldn't want them in my home if they are that cavalier about the situation. I know that is easier said than done, but I am behind you 100%.

Ditto to the above......It's just like when Grandma fills the kids with candy and then you have to deal with the consequences. I have had that happen with a few of my friends....they "sneak" the girls something that I don't want them to have, and it just makes my blood boil sometimes. They DO mean well, but they don't understand that these are your kids and you live with them 24/7. Wish we could train our friends and family like we train our pets :).....Hang in there and hold your ground. You certainly have our support.

My dad and I had a big argument about what he could and couldn't feed Sheila (she has food allergies). He really didn't like the discussion, and was pretty unhappy with me. After reminding him that he wasn't punishing me by ignoring Sheila, he realized he wasn't being very grown-up about the situation. He now asks before he gives anything to my dogs. Now - I just have to get my sister-in-law trained!

Well it is hard to train a dog.
It is hard to train people.
It hard to break a bad habit once learned by the pet.
It is hard to eat a meal with a begging pet.
CHOSE YOUR HARD.

Poor you! I would be totally irritated too, and quite ticked off! If they can't follow YOUR rules in YOUR home - like Mama Muttblood said, they will have to see you outside your home. I also agree, it is very disrespectful.

I totally understand! I gave up on my mom years ago. She pretty much does what she wants. To this day she refuses to leash walk Tyler because "most" of the time he stays with her. And every time I take him to her house the first thing that happens is that she gives him 5 different treats! Its frustrating and you are not wrong for wanting to regain control of your furkids and to ask that your family and friend respect your rules! You'd do the same for them

As with everyone else you have my sympathy!!! And I really hope you can get control of the situation. It sounds like you just have to constantly enforce your new diet rules. If people dont listen to you, don't let them interact with the dogs. I think Momma Muttblood had the best idea of leaving them on leashes when people are over so you can stop their begging. Try to redirect the dogs's attention- is there any thing other than human food that they really like, like a special toy or even a bone that they can have that will keep them distracted when people are over?

You've lost control of the dogs...I've lost control over everything (feels like it anyway!).

Back to your situation....it's frustrating when people who don't understand that our furkids are like their human kids and that we expect them to respect the rules we've put in place. Training is hard work and the good things we teach our furkids can quickly be undone by the actions of others. It never fails to amaze me how hard it is to train a dog (or a child for that matter) to be obedient, respectful and such, but it takes such a small amount of time for that hard work to be destroyed. All of that to say, I know what you're saying and I feel your pain.

It sounds to me like you know what you need to do... If you're really concerned for their health crate them in a separate room. Let the barking/destructive behavior go eventually they'll tire themselves out. They only keep it up so long because it's worked in the past. That's what my parents did to me and it took me less than a week to get the point.

I agree with the earlier comments regarding the PEOPLE PROBLEM. Sometimes as the parent you have to take the unpopular position in order to help your kids, furry and otherwise. My niece would live off of candy if we let her and my Carolina would live at the dining room table if we let her. We used to have a black lab who gained a great deal of weight from begging & getting older & having arthritis. He would actually open the gate and go to the little old lady next door to beg for food (shamelessly acting ravenous as if we never fed him). Of course, given his girth, no one was fooled, but no one could turn him down. We had to put him on a diet and eliminate all people food. And we had to re-educate our family and friends and the little old lady next door (and put a lock on the gate), letting them know how much we regretted having to be so strict, but that we were acting in the best interest of our dogs. Thankfully, my family knows what a total banshee I can become if someone steps out of line...just kidding. People know I am very passionate about the welfare of animals and now will always ask before giving anything to my dogs. Good luck with your people problem!

Thanks guys. I think my husband is going to start the banshee movement. He was quite agitated when he proofread this post; I guess this put things in perspective. It's going to be difficult to explain it all to my dad as he is the main source of food when hubby and I are at work. In the spirit of Mi Casa Es Su Casa, he receives visits from my sisters when hubby and I aren't home, so we can't physically control the people food binges. BLARGGGHHH! Okay...anal retentive hypochondriac signing off going to count to ten now...

Boy, can I TOTALLY relate. Kirby whines incessantly when my parents are visiting. My dad is notorious for "dropping" things from the table. Kirby expects it and demands it whether we are at home or at their house. Hoover and Lola do not beg, but Kirby does enough for the both of them! He has been put upstairs becuase of this. Dinner can be awful.... I've asked my dad and brother to not feed them table food, it gives them the poops. My dad says, "Oh, it's not going to hurt them." OK! Then YOU can clean up their poop!!! Especially with Freckles and Maggie having medical issues, you'd think they'd be more understanding and considerate. *sigh*....have you tried clicker training on them?

well, i can see where the problem is lying, but you and hubby are just gonna have to plead to your families that if they continue doing this, it could cost you your dogs life. you don't WANT to have to lock the dogs up, but also, some barking for a few minutes is not as bad as the alternative of what can happen if they eat table food.they need to respect that this is YOUR home, YOUR dogs, and YOU pay the vet bills, as well as the other bills around there. tell them that you would never disrespect them like this in their home, and you really would appreciate it if they would show you more respect. my mother in law used to be like that, every time they came to our home, they wanted to feed jasper table food, or call him onto the couch, or just get him to do things that WE did not allow. we explained that we worked really hard to train him to be a good dog (which they agreed, he IS) and to let him do what they are asking him to do, will just undo all the hard work we have put forth. we spent a lot of time and money on obedience classes, and worked on behavior problems.they finally gave in. maybe you could add up what you have paid on vet costs for both dogs, and show it to them...maybe it would make an impression on them then? other than separating them from the area the people are in, or keeping them near you on leashes, i don't really know what else to tell you, except don't let them come over anymore. (but i know that really isn't the problem, as your dad lives with you) let us know how this turns out, ok?

Brian the Banshee has a nice ring to it.

Boy, this sure makes me grateful that our families abide by our rules. Although my mother-in-law would LOVE to give them all the people food she could, she respects our wishes and always asks before giving our dogs anything. It also helps to have MULTIPLE BIG dogs...too many mouths to feed.lol

I'm sorry your family doesn't respect your wishes, but I agree with lots of the advise you already gotten. Explain that these are your kids and all the people food really IS hurting them. Put in terms of constantly feeding human kids a constant diet of candy, maybe that will help them "get it". Otherwise, I like the banshee idea.hehehe

The Banshee here...I also like the way that sounds. I just found out that overnight, the dogs went out to potty and the dad-in-law was up, so he let them out and afterward there was that familiar ring of treats in the food bowl. Does this qualify for a Banshee siting?

What's a Banshee?

ban·shee (in Irish folklore) a spirit in the form of a wailing woman who appears to or is heard by members of a family as a sign that one of them is about to die.

I belong to the "Screaming" variety of banshees rather than the "Wailing" variety, nevertheless, the family does realize I'm about to kill somebody.

Huh...I've heard people use that word but I never knew what it was. I figured I was not with it and I'd be embarrassed if I asked. See how comfortable I am with you guys? :)

I've been called a banshee on more than a few occassions :)