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?

[Traci -Bexter & Maggie]

Karen,

Your points are excellent.  This is the exact reason why I didn't want to start this habit with Bexter.  It is annoying to visit people's homes & this to happen, especially with kids involved.  I have get-togethers and family over for holidays and there is NO WAY I want these behaviors.  I want a dog with really good manners when there is company.  My old dog "got away with murder" and I don't want to repeat ANY of the mistakes I made with her (which there were tons)... He is doing great on his kibble, so I will stick with that with possibly an occasional carrot treat!  For those people who do feed their dogs their table scraps...I guess when company comes, you could always crate them if begging is an issue, but that to me is a bummer, not to be able to "show off" the doggie!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Well, I can tell you that Jackdoodle gets "people food" just about every day, and I can have any kind of food on the ottomans I use as coffeee tables when company is over without JD even thinking about begging or trying to take something. Ditto when people are seated at the dinner table having a meal. My grandson and his friends sit on the sofa with bowls of popcorn in their laps and Jack lying next to them, with no problem and no begging. And he is a very large dog. So again, it's not about what you give them, it's when and how you do it. If a dog knows there is no hope of getting something, he won't even try.

 

[Gayle Miller]

I LIKE this input, Karen!!

[Adina P]

I was quite impressed with his lack of interest in the snacks you gave us Karen!

[Allyson, Peri & Taquito]

My dogs only get human food AWAY from the table and they must sit for it or do a trick of some sort. Well, Tacky doesn't do much of anything except "lick his lips" when I tell him too...ha!

I do not feed from the table.

They might get some fresh fruit or veggies on their food every once in a while. But they do know that they get little pieces of my fruit that I am snacking on if they come and sit nicely for me.  I am usually on the couch or standing in kitchen cooking in these situations. Like I make a salad and give them some pieces of the carrots.

My situation is that the chihuahua cannot have ANY treats with salt.  So I don't buy many treats anymore at all because it is not fair for Peri to have yummy liver treats and T. to have nothing. Plus treats are expensive and I always have fruits and veggies around and vet has okayed them for T's kidneys.  I figure if a fruit is chocked full of antioxidants and we are supposed to eat them, how in the world can they hurt the dogs?

I agree with Karen about waiting until your puppy gets used to his new food....

[Adina P]

Can't answer the question about giving up on kibble....BUT I don't think dogs learn to beg at the table unless they get food at the table.  I think if you just plop stuff in their bowl apart from your eating times they probably won't beg.

[Traci -Bexter & Maggie]

Gayle - you are showing your age!  And the only reason why I know that is because I am too!  I love Lucy & Ethel as well.  I wonder if anyone has a dog named Fonzie?  Wouldn't that be cute?  What about Lavern?

[Traci -Bexter & Maggie]

This is a little off topic (I should have started a discussion about dogs & guests...) Anyway - I am practicing with Bexter that when the doorbell rings I just say "Go to your Greet Spot."  He sits on the carpeted area right next to the entryway.  Then, I answer the door & have the person (nice volunteers who are doing it over & over for me...I know I will need to do it FOR REAL) come on in the door & I talk to them a little.  All the while Bexter is in a sit stay next to the entryway.  Then I go over & give him a treat & release him.  He is sitting nicely to be petted when the person comes in too since I already calmed him down with the sit stay.  It went VERY WELL today & I'm sooo excited!  It always annoys me (and I am a dog lover) when I am coming up to a door of a dog I don't know & it either tries to bolt out the door as they are letting me in OR it is jumping all over me when I don't even know the dog.  I don't want to make any person who comes to my door feel that way.  I am very excited about this progress! 

[Melody & Bruin]

wow!  I'm impressed. I want to do this as well.  I made SO many mistakes with my last dog, and really want to do it right this time...all of it.

[Gayle Miller]

Traci, this is awesome!!!  You mean Bexter already knows "stay" and can contain himself to do so!!  Please tell me when you started some of the commands, "sit", stay, wait, (before eating). At 10 weeks old, I keep thinking Jackson is still a bit too young?  Am I wrong?

[Adina P]

NICE work!