Behavior:
Believe it or not, our pets have us trained pretty well. We pet them when they nudge us, take them out when they bark, and give them treats when they whine. When we start to feed our pets from our plate, counter, anywhere not in their own food bowl, or food that is anything other than their normal dog food, we start to introduce bad habits that can be difficult to break.
Dogs will begin to beg for food while we eat, cook, or snack. This can occur at all times, especially when they see YOU holding or eating food. They will whine, sit and stare, jump up, run around, anything to get your attention in hopes of getting you to drop a yummy morsel of food. At some point, you may even share food with them just to get them to stop these annoying behaviors. This will actually reinforce their bad behavior.
Dogs, like children, will realize that if they do X (whine, cry, beg), human will do Y (feed me, drop food, etc.). Breaking this behavior can be extremely difficult and time consuming; it is best to never start it in the first place.
Health problems:
Not only are we setting up our pets to behave badly, we are introducing the possibility of eating toxic foods, as well as an increase in daily calories.
Generally, the dogs I see at the veterinary office, or the dogs I pet-sit for, that eat only dog food tend to have better body condition scores and are at a more appropriate weight for their size, age, and/or breed. Dogs that are kept at an optimum weight are less likely to have joint, bone, ligament, or mobility issues, and are less likely to develop heart disease, breathing issues, decreased liver function, and many other health problems. Just like humans, maintaining a healthy weight helps ensure a dog’s overall health and longevity.
Dogs that are not fed people food are less likely to eat toxic foods. While I do not have any scientific evidence, I base this on the more than a decade of veterinary expertise and first-hand experience.
For example, I know a couple with a dog that begged at the table morning, noon, and night. They thought it was cute and loved seeing all the “tricks” their dog would do just for a little scrap of food. One evening they were hosting a party and the guests thought that it was adorable to watch the pup spin and hop and beg everyone for treats—that is, until the owners found out their guests were giving grapes to their dog as a treat! Grapes are highly toxic and their toxicity in a dog can be unpredictable. Fortunately, they were able to get the dog immediate treatment and there was a happy ending.
Can Dogs Eat Grapes & Raisins?
Grapes and raisins can cause kidney failure in dogs. Even a small amount can make a dog ill. Vomiting is an early symptom followed by depression and low energy. We’ve heard stories of dogs dying from only a handful of grapes, so do not feed your pup this potentially toxic food.
Human Foods that Are Actually Good for Dogs
Who can resist those big brown eyes and cute doggie grin? Can a little reward from the table or getting into Mom or Dadâs stuff really hurt your dog? Well, that depends on what it is and whats in it. If it contains the sweetener xylitol, it can cause your dog some real problems. In fact, thereâs a lot of people food your dog should never eat. And, itâs not just because of weight. Some foods are downright dangerous for dogs — and some of these common foods may surprise you.
Candy, gum, toothpaste, baked goods, and some diet foods are sweetened with xylitol. It can cause your dogs blood sugar to drop and can also cause liver failure. Early symptoms include vomiting, lethargy, and coordination problems. Eventually, your dog may have seizures. Liver failure can happen within just a few days.
Is a treat from the table OK for your dog? That depends on what it is. Avocados, for example, have something called persin. Itâs fine for people who arent allergic to it. But too much might cause vomiting or diarrhea in dogs. If you grow avocados at home, keep your dog away from the plants. Persin is in the leaves, seed, and bark, as well as the fruit. Also, the avocado seed can become stuck in the intestines or stomach, and obstruction could be fatal.
Alcohol has the same effect on a dogâs liver and brain that it has on people. But it takes a lot less to hurt your dog. Just a little beer, liquor, wine, or food with alcohol can be bad. It can cause vomiting, diarrhea, coordination problems, breathing problems, coma, even death. And the smaller your dog, the worse it can be.
Keep onions and garlic — powdered, raw, cooked, or dehydrated — away from your dog. They can kill their red blood cells, causing anemia. Thats even the onion powder in some baby food. Eating a lot just once can cause poisoning. Look for signs like weakness, vomiting, and breathing problems.
Give your dog toys if you want them to be perky. Caffeine can be fatal. Watch out for coffee and tea, even the beans and the grounds. Keep your dog away from cocoa, chocolate, colas, and energy drinks. Caffeine is also in some cold medicines and pain killers. Think your dog had caffeine? Get your dog to the vet as soon as possible.
There are better treats to give your dog. Grapes and raisins can cause kidney failure in dogs. And just a small amount can make a dog sick. Vomiting over and over is an early sign. Within a day, your dog will get sluggish and depressed.
On a hot day, it may be tempting to share your ice cream with your dog. Instead, give them some cold water. Milk and milk-based products can cause diarrhea and other digestive problems for your pup. They can also trigger food allergies, which can cause them to itch.
Keep your dog away from macadamia nuts and foods that have macadamia nuts in them. Just six raw or roasted macadamia nuts can make a dog sick. Look for symptoms like muscle shakes, vomiting, high temperature, and weakness in their back legs. Eating chocolate with the nuts will make symptoms worse, maybe even leading to death.
Most people know that chocolate is bad for dogs. The problem in chocolate is theobromine. Its in all kinds of chocolate, even white chocolate. The most dangerous types are dark chocolate and unsweetened baking chocolate. Chocolate can cause a dog to vomit and have diarrhea. It can also cause heart problems, tremors, seizures, and death.
Fat trimmed from meat, both cooked and uncooked, can cause pancreatitis in dogs. And, even though it seems natural to give a dog a bone, they can choke on it. Bones can also splinter and block or cause cuts in your dogs digestive system.
The problem with these fruits is the seeds or pits. Seeds from persimmons can cause problems in a dogs small intestine. They can also block their intestines. That can also happen if a dog eats the pit from a peach or plum. Peach and plum pits also have cyanide, which is poisonous to people and dogs. People know not to eat them. Dogs dont.
Some people feed their dogs a “raw diet” that includes uncooked eggs. But the major veterinary medical associations dont think thats a good idea. Theres the chance of food poisoning from bacteria like salmonella or E. coli. Talk to your vet if you have questions.
Like raw eggs, raw meat and fish can have bacteria that causes food poisoning. Some fish such as salmon, trout, shad, or sturgeon can also have a parasite that causes “fish disease” or “salmon poisoning disease.” Its treatable, but get help right away. The first signs are vomiting, fever, and big lymph nodes. Fully cook the fish to kill the parasite.
Itâs not a good idea to share salty foods like chips or pretzels with your dog. Eating too much salt can make your dog seriously thirsty. That means a lot of trips to the fire hydrant and it could  lead to sodium ion poisoning. Symptoms of too much salt include vomiting, diarrhea, depression, tremors, high temperature, and seizures. It may even cause death.
Too much sugar can do the same thing to dogs that it does to people. It can make your dog overweight and cause problems with their teeth. It can even lead to diabetes.
Before itâs baked, bread dough needs to rise. And, thatâs exactly what it would do in your dogâs stomach if they ate it. As it swells inside, the dough can stretch your dogâs abdomen and cause a lot of pain. Also, when the yeast ferments the dough to make it rise, it makes alcohol that can lead to alcohol poisoning.
Dogs shouldnt take people medicine. It can make them very sick. Just as you do for your kids, keep all medicines out of your dogâs reach. And, never give your dog any over-the-counter medicine unless your vet tells you to. Ingredients such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen are common in pain relievers and cold medicine. And, they can be deadly for your dog.