Do you let your pet eat off your plate

What do you let your pet eat off your plate? I sometimes give my cat cream cheese and yougurt, but I don't let her literally eat off my plate. My dogs don't get any people food, even though they beg at every meal.

Oh, I am ashamed to admit that both my animals will on occasion eat right off my plate!!
Of course I only let them when no one is arround.
Yes they are spoiled rotten :-)

We do and we don't. After we have ice cream
I let them have a tiny bit off the spoon and scoop it out of the plate for them. They sit and each takes a turn. I don't want them to have very much, so they each get a couple of turns on the spoon for the taste and then the spoon goes into the dishwasher.

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I have to admit I have let Bella lick my bowl after ice cream and she also licks the insides of my yogurt cup (if Trevor isn't around... http://PetoftheDay.com/talk/smile.gif He has ALWAYS had first lick of the inside of the yogurt cup!). If hubby saw Bella licking my bowl he wouldn't be happy, but I figure that's what dishwashers are for! http://PetoftheDay.com/talk/smile.gif

Okay, I confess. And I know it's bad for them... but you have no idea how tough it is to say no to big droopy Basset eyes! Daisy licks my plates clean, despite the disgusted glances my family throws me. But she's such a big help when I don't like the food and don't want to hurt my mom's feelings http://PetoftheDay.com/talk/smile.gif I just slip it under the table (where she always waits... that's a bad habit I have started: begging) and then compliment my mom on her fine cooking, showing off my clean plate! And I will confess that I occasionally share my fork/spoon with her too. I know, I know! I'm a bad Mommy! I can't help it, honestly! YOU sit with those eyes staring up at you and try to say no http://PetoftheDay.com/talk/smile.gif

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P.S. This is my first attempt at putting a picture on here from my webshots album... please tell me if it worked http://PetoftheDay.com/talk/smile.gif


[This message has been edited by Daisy's Mom (edited May 29, 2001).]

[This message has been edited by Daisy's Mom (edited May 29, 2001).]

I did it!!! Thanks Spencer!!! http://PetoftheDay.com/talk/smile.gif

My babies never eat off my plates. Being diabetic, they are never interested in my fruits and veggies. When I do eat something they like, after I'm done I'll let them have a little off my fingers.

I never let them lick directly off my dishes because as much as I hate it, my mother's voice is always ringing through my head! http://PetoftheDay.com/talk/eek.gif I can't get it out. I need an exorcist. http://PetoftheDay.com/talk/biggrin.gif

Oh My Gosh Daisy you are soooo adorable, I have been waiting to see a pic of you ! It was well worth the wait http://PetoftheDay.com/talk/smile.gif What a sweet face.

I to can't resist the hound dog please can I have some look, Hannah gets to lick my plates and bowls after Im done eating and she always gets bites of my crackers and veggies.

Copper gets all my scraps, I know they aren't suppose to eat them but he is an outside dog and he doesn't get to like my plate so I give him scraps (NO BONES )

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~~ My House Is Not A Home Without A Hound ~~

I have no problem with Freckles (the cat) licking up the milk left in my cereal bowl when I'm finished with it, because I wash the dish afterwards.

What turns me off is seeing pets licking faces. It's too late to wash the face after!

The operative word here is "let". Hannah, as small as she is, can be a real contortionist when it comes to reaching the table. I occasionally have my breakfast cereal on a table in the bedroom. As I go about morning duties I hear the clang of the spoon against the dish as she licks out any remaining milk.

I love my Charlie to pieces; he's my little bit of sunshine, but no, we don't eat out of the same dish.

Hehe Freckles, I'm the opposite. I let any and every animal lick my face but not eat out of the same dishes!

Sophie eats whatever I eat and she gets her own plate! Is she spoiled? Sure she is. I do, however, have good reason to not feed her "dog food."

The first of these is that there are ingredients in even the most premium of dog foods that are not approved by the FDA for human consumption. Why is this the case? Because it is not healthy for us to eat. If it is not healthy enough for us to eat, it certainly is not healthy enough for my dog to eat!

The second reason for my shunning of dog food is the old-age thing. The longest lived dogs I have met have nearly always subsisted mostly or entirely on people food. There have been exceptions to this, of course, but the trend seems to be that dogs who eat dog food generally live shorter lives. I have made it a point when I meet older dogs to ask the parents what the dogs eat and when I hear about "young" deaths, I do the same. Here is be the breakdown of what I have found:

• Longest life: People food or primarily people food
• Medium life: Premium dog food
• Shortest life: Super premium dog food, "special blend" dog food from private companies, cheap dog food.

*NOTE*:Longest life means the dog consistently lives more than two years past expected life for the breed, medium life means expected life span, shortest life means less than expected life span for the breed.


The final reason I don't feed dog food is because of evolution. We created the dog from wolves etc. and the relationship is one that goes back some fifteen thousand years. Up until the creation of dog food around seventy years ago, dogs ate our table scraps. We had been cooking our food long before the advent of the dog, so I am a bit skeptical about raw food diets as well. The solution?: I feed my dog what I eat to keep the natural balance of things.

Food for thought?

The topic of dog food seems to be a never ending debate among dog lovers. I think we can all agree that grocery store brands are YUCK. Beyond that, there is much controversy. I know people that feed the BARF diet with much success and I know people who strongly oppose the BARF diet. I think there are several good brands of premium dog food that dogs can live long lives on. I personally would not feed Reece everything I eat because I'd be afraid of giving him something thats bad (like onions) without realizing it. I am not opposed to a strictly human food diet as long as it is researched extensively. I personally see the same success with BARF diets and premium dog foods as I do with stricly people food diets.

I have to weigh in on what Sophie's Daddy said - when I was growing up, my family had a 3/4 Great DAne, 1/4 Lab mix. Basically, she was a Great Dane, size and build-wise with a Lab-ish face. Sweet as can be, I have often told Gracie stories here on Pet Talk. Gracie lived on dry dog food (kibble) of what brand I cannot remember, but not any "specialty" brand, and it was always supplemented with a little bit of canned food stirred in to make it "tasty." She also got table scraps, dog treats, etc. Great Danes have an average life-span of Great Danes is usually 7-9 years from what we were told, so we were a little sad when she started to grow grey at 5 or so. She lived to be an amazing (to the vet, his staff, etc.) 14 1/2 years old. To what did the vet attribute this? She's spoiled rotten and loved too much! http://PetoftheDay.com/talk/smile.gif http://PetoftheDay.com/talk/smile.gif http://PetoftheDay.com/talk/smile.gif

The dog that was a big part of my childhood (got him when I was 10 and he lived 15 years) was fed by my parents. He pretty much ate the same things as your dog, Karen.....dry food, mixed with canned occasionally for a treat and lots of table scraps. I can remember my mom scraping anything off our plates at dinner time that wasn't enough to save for a leftover. He wasn't overweight either, believe it or not!

Okay, now that I think about it, whenever we cook a tenderloin, Freddy and TJ get to take turns w/ the bone. We give it to Freddy first, because once TJ gets a hold of it, he goes and hids it. Then, a couple months later, he'll bring the rotten, dirt-covered thing into the house and give it back to me or Freddy. And, seeing that Fred's pure dog, he takes it back and enjoys it as if it were fresh out of the oven. http://PetoftheDay.com/talk/rolleyes.gif

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~~~A House Is Not a Home Without a Dog~~~

I let my puppy Lindy, lick my plate. It's what dogs are for, right? Living vacuum cleaners. http://PetoftheDay.com/talk/biggrin.gif

I wanted to give Graham the BARF diet, I have researched it quite a bit and it is what I would prefer to keep him on, however, it's so hard to travel with that kind of diet. I do some camping and general traveling and sometimes I am nowhere near a fridge to store the raw foods/meats, or if I happen to leave him with a friend to babysit it's alot to ask to prepare such an extensive food. The two only reasons I don't have Graham on the BARF diet is convienience, and I am not comfortable handling meats on a regular basis. I have not eaten/prepaired meat in almost 8 years and because of that I get rather grossed out at the way meat/blood feels, looks and smells. I will feed Graham some organic raw meats, including raw free-range chicken wings and raw beef covered bones on occation but my hubby can't stand having meats in the fridge so I always try not to keep any meats in the fridge. I will usually buy a bone or two every time I go to the whole foods store.

And the subject of animals eating off my plate: Sure, I have no problem with it, depending on what we are eating that night. I love spicy food and I like to make spicy dinners, and that's not something the animals should be eating (in my opinion). The dogs have shared steamed veggies, brown rices, legumes, vegetable salads (but only with light dressings),fruit salads (but not a favorite of theirs) and non spicy pastas but I strongly believe the dry food I buy them is way above average and the supplements I give them compensate for the lack of regular raw foods. Dog food debates will forever go on, but I have never felt this positive about the diet I have had my dogs on, and I have never had dogs with such perfect coats, and so free of health issues (well Graham is super healthy and sound, Cassie is not as healthy, but I think it may be a pug thing). Graham gets complements almost daily on how gorgous his coat is, and the vet is impressed with how fast he heals. The food that I keep Graham on is going to increase his life span, it has already done wonderful things for his overall health, energy level, coat, eyes, joints, teeth and so on.

I think once I get a house I am going to get my mom to start Cassie on California Natural, since it's supposed to be better for dogs with allergies, but Graham will always be on his Innova diet with supplements and an occational raw meat treat, and of course, he can share my vegetarian meals with me and he can eat them right off of my plate http://PetoftheDay.com/talk/smile.gif. Heck, I kiss his nose, I already have his cooties http://PetoftheDay.com/talk/smile.gif And becides, he will help wash off the dish before I put it in the dishwasher.

Leslie...I have heard the BARF diet mentioned before here on Pet Talk and I don't know what it is. Help! http://PetoftheDay.com/talk/redface.gif

[This message has been edited by Pam (edited June 05, 2001).]

Pam,

BARF stands for Bons And Raw Food. It consists of all things raw, meats, veggies and stuff. It's supposed to be wonderful for dogs, the best diet to keep them on but I am sure there are many who would debate it http://PetoftheDay.com/talk/smile.gif

Thanks for the tip. I learn so much here. http://PetoftheDay.com/talk/smile.gif

Since the discussion has migrated to how long dogs live and what they eat, I will mention Freckles. Freckles was one of my dog Bailey's seven puppies (a cockapoo mix). Her folks fed her Pedigree dog food (canned) and she lived 17 years, 84 days. She died yesterday.

Rachel I am sorry to hear about Freckles. At least she had a nice long life.

So sorry about Freckles!
Killian and Shiloh get leftovers every day. Well, most of the time they're not leftovers, we make extra for them! http://PetoftheDay.com/talk/biggrin.gif

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