Sharing your meals with your beloved canine companion might seem like a heartwarming gesture, an extension of family inclusion, but it can lead to a cascade of negative consequences for their physical health, behavior, and overall well-being. While the occasional tidbit from your plate might not seem immediately harmful, a consistent habit of feeding table food can slowly inflict damage in ways you might not expect.
Behavioral Repercussions: The Art of Training Your Human
It’s a surprising truth: pets often train their humans more effectively than we train them. We respond to their nudges with pets, their barks with outdoor access, and their whines with treats. When we introduce feeding from our plates, counters, or any place other than their designated food bowl, or when we offer them anything other than their regular dog food, we are inadvertently fostering problematic habits that become incredibly difficult to unlearn.
Dogs learn to beg persistently while we eat, cook, or even just snack. This can happen at any time, particularly when they witness us holding or consuming food. They may whine, stare intently, jump up, or circle around us, all in an effort to gain our attention and hopefully elicit a dropped morsel. In an attempt to quell these behaviors, we might even give in and share our food, which paradoxically reinforces their demanding actions.
Similar to how children learn to associate specific actions with rewards, dogs understand that if they perform certain behaviors (whining, crying, begging), humans will respond in kind (feeding them, dropping food). Breaking this learned behavior is exceptionally challenging and time-consuming, making it far more advisable to prevent it from developing in the first place.
Health Hazards: More Than Just Extra Calories
Beyond setting the stage for problematic behaviors, feeding table scraps introduces the significant risk of exposing your dog to toxic foods and significantly increasing their daily caloric intake.
Generally, dogs that consume only their designated dog food tend to exhibit better body condition scores and maintain a weight more appropriate for their size, age, and breed. Maintaining an optimal weight is crucial, as it significantly reduces the likelihood of developing joint, bone, ligament, or mobility issues. Furthermore, it lowers the risk of heart disease, breathing difficulties, impaired liver function, and a host of other health complications. Just as in humans, a healthy weight is fundamental to a dog’s overall health and longevity.
Dogs that are not accustomed to receiving human food are also less likely to ingest toxic substances. While concrete scientific data is limited, years of veterinary expertise and hands-on experience suggest this strong correlation.
Consider a couple whose dog was a persistent beggar at the table, morning, noon, and night. They found the attention-seeking behavior endearing. During a party one evening, their guests, charmed by the dog’s antics, began offering grapes as treats. This unfortunately led to a dangerous situation, as grapes are highly toxic to dogs, with unpredictable effects. Thankfully, the dog received immediate veterinary treatment, resulting in a positive outcome. This incident highlights the severe risks associated with feeding dogs human food without full knowledge of its potential toxicity.
The Picky Eater Predicament
Indulging your dog with too many of your delicious human foods can inadvertently turn them into a picky eater, reluctant to consume their own food. This is especially true if they anticipate the possibility of something more palatable being offered if they hold out long enough. This scenario is all too common, with owners contacting veterinary offices because their dog refuses their kibble but readily devours chicken, beef, eggs, or any other food presented from the human menu.
Following a thorough physical examination, veterinarians often find no underlying medical reason for the dog’s refusal of kibble. The likely cause is typically revealed when the owners admit to feeding their dog from their own plates, indicating that Fido has simply decided he prefers the “good food” over his standard kibble.
This ingrained behavior is notoriously difficult to correct and can lead to adverse physical effects if the dog endures prolonged periods without eating or fails to receive adequate nutrition.
In conclusion, while an occasional human food treat might not be catastrophic for your dog, it is best to maintain a strict diet of dog food to proactively avoid a host of potential problems, ensuring their long-term health and well-being. For more insights into canine nutrition and feeding strategies, consider exploring resources on what should I feed my picky dog.
