Is it really bad to feed your dog table scraps (or "people food")?

Question

I've heard a lot of mixed stuff about this. I've read it can make them sick and I know somethings can like chocolate, alchohol, and a lot of other stuff but I also found something, Vets, that say otherwise like here

http://www.yourpurebredpuppy.com/health/common/feeding.html

Answer 1

Well, it depends on what it is and how it is cooked.
People on the Atkins diet would be ideal to feed their dogs table scraps. Meat, green veggies and berries. Most high quality dog food has this in it. Not a lot of high-starch foods like potatoes, corn, bread-filler or a lot of the other junk they put in cheap dog food.

As for this "raw" food diet that some claim to give their dogs of fresh food, just as there is a vet saying you should do it, there is another one saying you should not.

And mistresscris did a good job of explaining another difference between table scraps and this raw diet. But there is one more: do you want your dogs face in your plate every time you're eating?? Do you want him thinking that every time you eat, he's supposed to get some of it and sittting there with his head in your lap?? I sure don't!

Oh... and if you've watched any of the shows on animal planet you'd see that certain amounts of caffeine can also be lethal for a dog. So you really shouldn't just feed your dog anything but dog food or lean meat.

Answer 2

IF your dog has had table scraps before, and you know from those experiences that they do NOT have an overly-sensitive digestive system, then it is FINE. A few exceptions, however...if meat and bone are the scrap, watch him / her until finished. Leaving a dog with a bone leaves the potential for them getting it stuck in their jaw or throat, which is obviously not good. Good common sense should take care of you.

Other tips...keep things in moderation. Of course we all love our dogs, and they are hardly resistable. You want nothing more than to spoil your dog rotten, which is easy. Be careful though, spoiling them too much will spoil them to an early grave. Be mindful of their weight and activity level.

Additionally...whe feeding them table scraps, treat the experience like you would a reward for something. To keep them from begging, do NOT feed them from the table OR the plate. When don, it goes to their bowl. That is where they eat...ALWAYS. If they are coming to the table and begging, that is a learned behavior...shame, shame. If they are begging, no food. They need to hang out by their bowl or somewhere other than your lap, or worse yet, your guest's lap. Know what I mean!?

The chocolate bit...it is true that BAKERS chocolate can kill them. White chocolate is fine for dogs, as is milk chocolate within moderation. I had a lab for 15 years that shared a hershey kiss with me very often, especially after or during a hike.

There is much more, but I think this should get you on the right path. Everyone has heir own story, good and bad on the topic. I'm sure you have heard them. My input comes from direct experience. That is the best I can do.

Answer 3

Do not feed your dog table scraps. The site you're redirecting people to is an example of a raw diet for your dog which is not the same thing as "table scraps". Table food is too fatty for the digestive systems of most animals and can lead to severe stomach upsets, occasionally triggering possibly fatal pancreatic inflammation.

Answer 4

Most of the stuff we eat isn't healthy for US - so it's REALLY not good for our dogs! But - if you want to give your dog a treat try a vrey small amount of chicken breast meat that has been boiled with a little white rice - very mild and their tummy will be able to handle it.

ALSO - dogs are pack animals. To keep the harmony and to reinforce their understanding that WE - people are the leaders of the pack NEVER feed your dogs scraps while you are eating. Give them a small amount in their bowl AFTER you have finish your meal!

Answer 5

Yeah vets keep saying that and for sure I hear chocolate is bad. But, when I went to visit my cousins on the farm they had dogs and were fed nothing but table scraps, nothing happened to them! They lived normal and healthy lives!

Answer 6

well, im not a vet yet.... but ill answer any way. Yes and no, for one it can spoil your dog, feed them the food at there bowl or another area but the table also if you give him to much he can get over weight or decide he dosnt want to eat his food. Certian foods are bad like alcahol, chocolate, chicken bones. But no i if you gave your dog leftover chicken and bread it would not hurt it. Actually, for instince if your dog has a protein problem you could fix him an egg a day and that deffienatly wouldnt hurt him

Answer 7

My dogs eat dog food, dry and wet. They also eat table food. Whatever we eat they eat too. They do not beg at the table for food. They know they get their bowls while we eat and they understand that. I feel our food is a supplement for their dog food. If we have popcorn they get a few pieces too. If we have crackers and cheese, so do they.

But I believe in treating your dogs as you would a member of the family living in your home. They are very good because they know what is expected of them. They are healthy and not overweight.

Answer 8

a treat now and then isn't going to hurt,,, stay away from onions, chocolate and the basic bad for dog stuff. just make sure your dog is getting his nutrition from a premium dog kibble - and not fillling up on table scraps

Answer 9

I never gave my dog table food and he was always the perfect weight... and we didn't have to deal with him begging for our food when we were eating because he didn't know the difference. Although now that he is living with my mom now and gets a couple of table scraps not much he has started begging a little bit. My expereince with table food is they tend to gain more weight and they will beg for your food.

Answer 10

Yeah i think its fine BUT be very careful what you are giving your dog because it could lead to an upset stomach! Or it could get your dog fat lol.