Ok, I could do with a bit of advice from you lovely, helpful people

At meal times Nikita can be a complete pain up the butt sometimes, here's my problem...

When we all sit down at the table for our evening meal she is completely fine, she will lay quietly under or next to the dining table on the floor, waiting until we finish to see if there are any little scraps coming her way...I don't mind that as long as she behaves while we eat.

However, sometimes the girls sleep at their dad's or their nan and grandads house so when this happens the OH and I tend to chill on the sofa with our food watching a film but Nikita goes mad with us!
She's doesn't try to jump up or get to our plates or anything but she does stand in front of us barking and jumping about, not in a very angry growling way...more an excited "I want some, give me some, give meeeeeeeee some!!" ranting way, she is a very vocal little girl and certainly makes it clear that she is not happy about the fact that we're eating and she isn't getting any of it!

It is so annoying!...anybody have any ideas how I should handle this one?
Its strange that she only gets like this when we're chilling on the sofa with food and not when we're sat at the table.

Edit : Sorry I just realised I've put this in the wrong section, I meant to put it in Training and Behaviour....please could a mod move it for me?

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Lisa x

Mummy to : Leila, Sophie and also Nikita the Siberian Husky.

RIP - Koda-Bear the Bernese Mountain Dog (my best furry friend and canine soulmate), Scott the Newfoundland (miss ya big guy) , also Fliss, Tara, Sophie, Ben, Poppy and Scamp.

This is who I really am - 30 Seconds to Mars (The Kill)
I am not afraid…I was born to do this - Joan of Arc
Love is being stupid together - Paul Valery

Are you crating her? If you do, it might be worth putting her in there while you eat for some peace and quiet.

Alternatively, you could teach her a "Go to your mat" command whenever you eat, so that she knows not to bother you.

Otherwise, I haven't a clue

I tried crating her but unfortunatly the crate is next to the sofa ...she just gets frustrated at being locked in and it makes her worse.

I do keep telling her "No...go to your bed" but she takes zero notice of me!, in fact she seems to get more hyper because she's getting a reaction out of me....she is only little so I think its maybe just one of those things we'll have to put up with until she gets a bit calmer...or just eat at the table all the time.

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Lisa x

Mummy to : Leila, Sophie and also Nikita the Siberian Husky.

RIP - Koda-Bear the Bernese Mountain Dog (my best furry friend and canine soulmate), Scott the Newfoundland (miss ya big guy) , also Fliss, Tara, Sophie, Ben, Poppy and Scamp.

This is who I really am - 30 Seconds to Mars (The Kill)
I am not afraid…I was born to do this - Joan of Arc
Love is being stupid together - Paul Valery

When you know you're going to eat on the sofa, have her lead on. Then when she starts barking, just pick up the lead, remove her from the room (say nothing, hence the lead). Your OH can hold your plate. Then you go back in, shut the door with her on the other side and finish your meal in peace. If you live open-plan, find any door in the house for her to be on the other side of. If she has a crate, you could use that but it should be so she can't see you.

It should only take a few times for her to learn that her behaviour means removal, and she should stop. When she starts not hassleing you for food when you're eating on the sofa, praise her but DO NOT reward her with food from your plates!

Putting your dog in a crate is only environmental management, it teaches the dog nothing and certainly not what IS appropriate.
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Dogs do what works, this behaviour works as you have reacted to her behaviour by verbal contact.

Ignore, say nothing (even if she is interrupting your programme) so better practice when you do not want to watch anything.

When she EVENTUALLY gives up, lies quietly, preferably on her bed, reinforce with throwing her some of her OWN food.

Alternatively give her something she ONLY gets when you are on the sofa eg a stuffed kong.

Thank you Burrowzig...I'll give that a try

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Lisa x

Mummy to : Leila, Sophie and also Nikita the Siberian Husky.

RIP - Koda-Bear the Bernese Mountain Dog (my best furry friend and canine soulmate), Scott the Newfoundland (miss ya big guy) , also Fliss, Tara, Sophie, Ben, Poppy and Scamp.

This is who I really am - 30 Seconds to Mars (The Kill)
I am not afraid…I was born to do this - Joan of Arc
Love is being stupid together - Paul Valery

I completely agree, so we have tried completely ignoring her too so that she isn't getting any reaction out of me at all but she just continues barking at us.

I gave her a stuffed kong too and she ignores it...she just wants what we have.

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Lisa x

Mummy to : Leila, Sophie and also Nikita the Siberian Husky.

RIP - Koda-Bear the Bernese Mountain Dog (my best furry friend and canine soulmate), Scott the Newfoundland (miss ya big guy) , also Fliss, Tara, Sophie, Ben, Poppy and Scamp.

This is who I really am - 30 Seconds to Mars (The Kill)
I am not afraid…I was born to do this - Joan of Arc
Love is being stupid together - Paul Valery

You will get an extinction burst when you change YOUR behaviour.

That is because the dog will do it MORE because what it was doing got a reaction in the past.

This is when owners say "I tried this but it did not work"

That is just normal (like keep on hitting the lift buttons when it does not move), perfectly normal, you just have to demonstrate that actually even if the dog does it harder, longer, louder, it will not work

regards

Thank you for your help...I'll get a plan and stick to it, I think you're right and she is reacting to the change in my behaviour, like all puppy naughtiness...it takes time and patience.

As annoying as it is when you're trying to watch the tv...it is actually quite amusing too and we have to stop ourselves laughing at her rant!

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Lisa x

Mummy to : Leila, Sophie and also Nikita the Siberian Husky.

RIP - Koda-Bear the Bernese Mountain Dog (my best furry friend and canine soulmate), Scott the Newfoundland (miss ya big guy) , also Fliss, Tara, Sophie, Ben, Poppy and Scamp.

This is who I really am - 30 Seconds to Mars (The Kill)
I am not afraid…I was born to do this - Joan of Arc
Love is being stupid together - Paul Valery

I do pretty much what smokey bear advised, at first kiva would have her nose in my plate trying to share so ignored her, lift my plate so she cant reach or turned away from her, and as soon as she turned away from me and my food I praised her. It seems to of worked as now *most* of the time I can sit next to her on the couch with my food she doesn't bat an eyelid I said mostly though, she is only 7 months old after all and hooman food smells sooooo good if she does try sharing and doesn't get the hint when I ignore her, she goes in the kitchen behind the baby gate.

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