Most professional dog trainers and behaviorists frown on feeding dogs table straps, but still many folks do. Here are a few basics if you are going to feed them scraps anyways:
First things first, lay down some basic ground rules:
- No feet on the table
- No sitting at the table
- No licking a plate that is on the table
- No eating when I am still eating
These rules are basics for feeding your dog at the table.
First of all, you do not want feet at the table or sitting at the table. In a dog pack the leader will eat and take the space of the carcass first, then the rest of the pack. You do not want the dog eating off the plate you are or at the same time as you because you don’t want your dog to become entitled and fight you for the “top dog” position.
When you go to give them scraps, we usually suggest putting it in a container, like a plate or in their dog bowl, before placing it on the floor and “abandoning” it. This lets them know that you, the leader, are satisfied and now it is his turn to feed.
There are also foods you should avoid when feeding any dog. The following are a few key foods to avoid, but bear in mind that this list is not exhaustive, and you should double-check before feeding anything to your dog.
- Grapes and raisins
- High sugar food
- Highly processed foods
- Soda
- Potatoes
- Seafood
- Softer bones that may damage a dog’s organs, such as chicken and fish bones
