[MyPemCharlie]

Is Bella trained on "Sit", "Down", "Wait"? I find that mealtimes are the perfect opportunity for a few minutes of training. I have also taught Charlie "Speak" which gives him permission to bark.

I feed Charlie outside on the patio and he doesn't actually see me prepare his food. I take his food outside, then take him outside. We have a routine now. "Sit!" He sits and gets hand-fed a piece of kibble out of his bowl. Same with "Down", then "Sit", then "Speak" then "Down", then "Wait". He gets hand-fed kibble for each command he does. Just after "Wait", I put his food bowl down on the ground and he has to stay Down a few seconds. When I say "Free! Good Boy!" he's allowed to come eat.

I think if you get into a short training routine before mealtimes, he'll be more interested in "pleasing you" for his dinner than he is in barking at you for dinner.