Problems Feeding "People Food?"

[Traci -Bexter & Maggie]

After being on DK constantly & reading all the wonderful people food everyone is feeding their doodles (carrots, ground beef, broiled chicken, rice, pumpkin, yogurt, fruit of all types - even in BED, green beans, sweet potatoes...) I have a question.  I have never fed Bexter anything but his dry kibble (with the exception of a carrot after reading on DK about it).  It never occurred to me to feed him anything else.  I was always worried about that.  Do any of you have the following problems with this?:

1.  What if they like the other food so well they stop eating their kibble?

2.  Doesn't this teach them to beg at the table?

[Cindy M, Zachary & the Frenchies]

My dogs are currently transitioning to raw - so they are viewing human food differently -  but that is for another group. Regarding the begging. I have always given them occasional human food. NEVER from my plate and NEVER when I am eating. They don't even approach me when I am eating - they know it is hopeless. Sometimes they will look hopefully at guests who have to be informed to just ignore them and if it goes on for more than a few minutes I send them (the dogs, not the guests) out of the room. It is another story when I am preparing food in the kitchen, because they know that they might get a treat, but for the most part, they wait - hover sometimes, but wait for what is offered.

[J and Riley (and Luna)]

I second those "never"s :p

 

Luna is NEVER fed when we are eating, and she only gets things that are prepared for her separately from the meal.  The only exception is that sometimes if I am chopping veggies or fruit and she is minding her own business, I reward her with a small piece for being nonchalant and not begging.

 

In other news, I have some tomato plants that are maturing... and I swear Luna is sniffing the green tomatoes every day, checking to see if they are ripe. 

[Laurie, Fudge, and Vern]

Traci, I had a dog that begged. Yes, it was our fault for allowing it, but it was long before DK and I guess we were stupid. I vowed never to have another dog that begged. I rarely feed my dogs anything but Fromm. I mix up the formulas to add some spice to their life. I did not want to start people food for much the same reasons you mentioned, and for my dogs, they are not really interested in anything else. I did try green beans, which Fudge liked for a short time and Vern hated. Bananas scare our Vern a little and he seems not to know what to do with it. I have given them carrots for out in the yard and I do use peanut butter when we are leaving. My dogs do not beg and I decided if and when they start they are going in the crate. So far, so good. IMO, if you pick a great food, you do not have to necessarily worry about all the rest. I am sure others feel differently, but that is how we do it. I do give marrow bones and bones stuffed with goodies for them to chew on. Good luck!

 

[F, Calla & Luca]

There is no problem with feeding only good kibble. I do usually add tiny bits of my lunch/dinner to their kibble but they eat kibble alone if that's all that's available. I don't ever feed my dogs from the table and they do not beg. I do occasionally give them something I'm cutting on the counter and they do sit around looking to see if that may happen : )

[Gayle Miller]

Hi Traci!  I, too, have learned so much here at Doodle Kisses.  And I guess it's wonderful that you can feed your dog such a variety of foods.  But now that I have Jackson, keeping him on the high quality kibble that my breeder started him on (Acana - wild prarie - all stages), when I saw he was not eating all of the 1/2 cup portions 3 x's a day, my breeder suggested to throw in boiled chicken breast and white rice.  I also sprinkle with something I purchased at my holistic vet last week who said it's a vitamin source ground with all kinds of healthy things and dogs love it.  He chows down each and every meal...even wimpers impatiently while I'm getting his bowl!  (Which I intend to stop and teach him "wait" before eating in a week or so)..and his poops are firm and regular.  So I am sticking with this and not going much beyond. With the exception of training treats.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Traci, we have lots of discussions about this in the past. To answer the question about begging, you never, ever give them any "people" food anywhere except in their own bowl, in it's usual place. (Never mind Allyson with her fruit plates in bed, lol. Those are older, well-trained dogs) You do not let the dog see the food being placed in his bowl from the work area of the kitchen or from the table, you bring the food to the bowl.

Fresh foods can also be used as training treats, but they should be reserved as "high value" rewards and not used for something like going potty.

With a puppy, I would wait until they are on a regular eating pattern and doing well with their kibble before starting to add fresh foods. After that, it's up to you.

Sometimes people are adding fresh foods because their dogs have some digestive issues. Pumpkin, yogurt, sweet potatoes, chicken or ground beef with rice, are all used to help with digestive issues. Green beans help with weight issues, fiber supplementation, and dogs who are big "chowhounds". So not everyone is giving these foods to be nice, lol.

 But it is very beneficial for a dog to have variety in his diet, and also to get fresh "real" foods in his diet. Again, I would not start adding anything until you have a puppy who is eating his meals regularly and not showing any digestive issues or "picky" tendencies.

It's also very important that everyone in the house understand that the dog is never to be given any fresh food anywhere except in his bowl at his regular mealtimes. And if you have children, (or even if you don't) you need to be aware of the foods that are poisonous to dogs. Please check the Danger Group for this. Onions, raisins, grapes, and chocolate are some of the things you must avoid. Also anything with artificial sweeteners.

[J and Riley (and Luna)]

I've seen people praising green beans so many times here that I bought Luna some canned ones (she has previously turned down fresh - maybe too hard for her).  I opened her up a can and she looked at me after sniffing them like "You are SERIOUSLY trying to feed me THAT!?"  It was pretty funny!

 

Luna LOVES veggies and fruits of almost every type (especially bananas, cucumbers and melons), so I was surprised when she refused them so definitively.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

If you really needed her to eat them, you could try heating frozen green beans. When you gave her the fresh ones, were they cooked?

[J and Riley (and Luna)]

No they were raw, I haven't tried cooked. I think she just has such a soft mouth that she doesn't like to eat anything with a tougher skin - she likes the flavor of peppers but tries to just eat the meat and ignore the skin.

 

She doesn't really need them - it's more that she likes veggies so they are a nice midday snack/treat.  I do want to expose her to lots of different things while she's young too though to try to avoid a picky eater later ;)  I don't know if that even works with dogs, but it's just healthy stuff.

[Ozzy Bob and Leanna]

I was kinda scared that my doodle might quit- eating his kibble, but he's a little pig and eats everything I feed him plus his dry "grain-free" kibble.  He eats, apples, oranges, watermelon, cantlelope, yogurt, all veggies and meats.  If I eat it, he'll eat it and still emptys his food bowl! ha   I don't fix food especially for him, he just eats when we eat!  Didn't think I'd ever feed a pet from the table, but I've broken all rules with this precious pup!  He's almost human to me! ha   My husband says to just set him a plate at the table! ha   We're empty-nesters so Ozzy is totally spoiled rotten!

[Linda, Charlie Brown and Beau]

Leanna, I love this.  Your Ozzy and our Charlie are very lucky little doggies.

[Ozzy Bob and Leanna]

I just read everyone's post and feel like a total failure for feeding Ozzy from our table!  Guess I'd better learn how to break this habit, huh?