I dont understand the argument about not feeding your dog table scraps?

My dog is a malamute wolf and she can grab a mouse or other thing and eat it before i tug on her leash but am told that table scraps are bad for dogs.





What about the dog food we buy? Most have terrible ingredients, and I know what a dog should not have, choch, raisins, grapes and apricot pits. I just want to know why not table scraps if most food contains corn, etc.

I dont understand the argument about not feeding your dog table scraps?
The seasonings that we put on our food can be quite rough on their little tummies. I had the hardest time getting my parents to understand that. The last straw was they gave him some roast. He thought it was super yummy and gobbled it all up! They didn't tell me.How did I find out? He puked in my bed that night. That was the last straw, had to tell them, if they fed him again, I'd be bringing him and my puky sheets back in the middle of hte night, and let them clean it up, and deal with his sickness.





Do I give him "people" food at all? All the time, but I seperate the dogs portion out of ours and cook it bland. No seasonings or sauces. They get chicken, turkey, beef, ham, scrambled eggs, you name it. And in smaller portions appropriate to their size. It's not a daily thing, but an occassional treat.
Reply:I understand what you mean.


Table scraps as a whole might be unhealthy as they contain large amounts of salt etc.





On the other hand. Pasta, rice, vegtables, meat and small amounts of gravey and fish are infact the oposite to harmful.


Many people now cook their own diet for the dogs because it is healthier than dog food. I see what you mean about not understanding. The problem is tomato ketchup, soya sauce, salt, bones (fish and chicken mainly), are not so good. too much gravey is too rich too and might give them diarrohea.





If they are given it in there bowl after th meal has finished it is not such a big thing provided you reduce the dog food they eat to balance this extra food out too otherwise they may get fat or have too much giving them an upset tummy.





Hope this helps. I am all for fresh food being fed to animals provided you know how.
Reply:Because many table scraps are incrediably fattening and can cause a dog to begin begging (or start to reject their own doggie food).





I personally will feed my dog selected table scraps AFTER everyone else has finished eating and cleared the table.
Reply:Two things:





1. Bad habits: Most people are annoyed by dogs who beg for people food. If you aren't and you don't care about how your guests feel, then don't worry about it.





2. Processed foods are terrible for dogs: Dogs cannot tolerate the chemicals in our modern human diet. This includes processed foods, sugars, carbohydrates, etc. Dogs' bodies evolved to enjoy a diet rich in protein. Carbs will definitely hurt your dog in the long run.
Reply:Mostly it’s because a lot of food that we take for granted is not good for dogs. Onion garlic, chocolate.





Not that a little bit of any of these is going to hurt a dog as big as a Mal. The prevailing idea is that it’s just not a good thing to start. Some things that can’t hurt humans may build up in a dogs system over time and cause serious damage.





And even if you don’t season your meat the whole “table scraps” mentality is that you’re feeding the dog all the stuff that you cut off the meat because it’s bad for you. Well if all that fat on the edge of the steak is bad for you it’s just as bad for the dog.
Reply:I'm not sure about an argument, but I can answer for my dog. I have a retired racing greyhound. Greyhounds have really sensitive tummies and can get "the runs" or really bad gas from just about any change in their diet. For our girl we feed her a high protein dry dog food and lots of fresh clean water with the occasional tablespoon of plain yogurt. When she needs to take pills we give them to her in small pieces of peanut butter and bread. We stay away from treats and only give her rawhide chew bones once in a while. When we first got her she would manage to sneak (or hijack) tablefood...and it was never a good experience for any of us!
Reply:The cheap foods # 1 ingredient is corn...if you buy a good quality food you will find that the # 1 ingredient is chicken or lamb depending on the type of food. Good dog foods are nutritionally balanced for dogs so they get the nutrients they need. I don't think it's bad to feed table scraps as a treat now and then but not as their primary source of food. Also dogs and cats need hard food to keep their teeth and gums healthy. If you only feed canned or soft foods their teeth will not stay heathy.
Reply:It's not the table scraps per se that are bad. It's the bad habits giving table scraps can promote. Besides the fact that too many table scraps can upset the balance of nutrients if you are feeding a good quality dog food. That said, mine get a table treat now and then.
Reply:It can make them quite fat, and it's more of a behavior thing. If you feed them table scraps, they'll think, "Oh, I get food at the table if I beg," which is not good at all.
Reply:I think it's okay to feed your dog table scraps as long as the dog is getting the right diet.





I mean, obviously you shouldn't be feeding them the same portions you eat, and everything else like greasy french fries and chocloate cake.








But if you're giving them healthy food... then it's not harmful at all!
Reply:a lot more than the list you have mentioned above are deadly to dogs. If you are willing to take the risk of feeding your dogs something that is indigestable or deadly to them fine. Also, it teaches them to beg at the table and steal your food - again if you are okay with that that is fine. So if you don't mind your dog begging and know exactly which foods are toxic to dogs (or just don't care about that) then i guess you can say the argument against table scraps doesn't apply to you. Feed away.
Reply:My dogs eat table scraps, but not from the table. I always put them in their bowls, and then the dogs do not beg at mealtimes, which is just irritating.


Most table scraps won't harm dogs, but be sensible and don't give them loads of fat or things they can't digest. My dogs are healthy and good mannered and never beg.


Do what you think is right for your pet, and if you have any concerns ask your vet.


xx
Reply:This is a very wide spread, opinionated subject. Some folks believe that table scraps are bad for the dog, they will create medical problems for the dog. In my experience, what I have found is that dogs who are fed table scraps have 2 tendencies - they no longer eat dog food because table scraps taste better, and they also tend to put on weight. Also, many folks who feed table scraps don't always think about what they are eating and how it can create an unbalanced diet for the dogs.





On the flip side, if a person eats a healthy diet, with vegies, etc., then table scraps for the dog are not as detrimental.








The only thing I will say for certain, do not feed the dog table scraps from the table. This will create a dog who is constantly under foot while you are cooking, and will be begging at the table all the time. While you may not care, there may be times you have company and don't want the dog in the room. If you do feed scraps, then wait until the end of the meal, and put the scraps in the dog's normal food dish. This also reinforces you as the leader, as you decide when and where the dog eats.
Reply:Most of the things we humans are aren't good for dogs. Dogs should not have greasy foods, sweets, etc. (some of humans favorite foods!).





I do occasionally give my dog snacks that are some foods that humans also eat, such as carrots, green beans, sardines, meat, etc. These aren't particularly "human foods" (i.e. junk foods), just plain "food".





I don't see any harm in occasional table scraps. It shouldn't be the dog's main diet, but small amounts once in a while is okay. Table scraps are in the same category as dog treats, they should not make up more than 10% of a dog's diet.





Never feed a dog from the table, it teaches the dog to beg. Everything the dog gets should be either in the form of a training treat, or put into the dog's food bowl.





--- ---





By the way, I will not buy dog food that contains corn. That fits under the category 'most dog foods have terrible ingredients'.





Here are some GOOD dog foods (no corn, no wheat, no byproducts, no nasty preservatives, etc.)


* Artemis


* Blue Buffalo


* California Natural


* Canidae


* Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover's Soul


* Eagle Pack Holistic Selects


* EVO


* Fromm


* Innova


* Merrick


* Nature's Variety


* Orijen


* Solid Gold


* Taste of the Wild


* Timberwolf Organics


* Wellness


* ZiwiPeak


.
Reply:Ask a vet about how many cases of pancreatitis and other digestive problems they see around the holidays, because people "treat" their dogs with ham or other fatty people foods.
Reply:"Most" dog foods don't have terrible ingredients, and even if they did, you have control over what kind you buy, so what's the issue? Don't feed him food with corn and other unhealthy fillers, and that's that.





There's a lot of people foods dogs shouldn't have, like garlic and onion, which are in a lot of table foods. One of the main reasons a dog shouldn't have table scraps is because these potentially poisonous foods are in a form that the dog finds appealing. A dog would never munch on a raw bulb of garlic growing in your garden, but he'd probably lap up all the garlicky spaghetti sauce you offer him.
Reply:If you select good table scraps for your dog I really don't see a problem. I've been giving my dogs table scraps for years and they haven't suffered in any way...but I do mix it with dry dog food so they don't reject it totally(the dog food).
Reply:I've also heard from a dog trainer, that the risk of them biting goes up when fed human food...example she gave me was a small child walking around eating a hot dog...dog might try to grab and bite??
Reply:The foods we eat have a lot of seasonings and ingredients that are not good for dogs. Just like chocolate. We can eat it fine, but it can be deadly for dogs.
Reply:You have a good point, people get literally fanatic about what they feed dogs, it's almost a cult thing at times.


Dogs are omnivores, same as humans. The raw meat "in the wild" diet makes about as much sense as saying humans can only eat that way - both dogs and humans have changed quite a bit in the years we all came inside and stopped living by hunting. I'm not saying dogs can't do well on a raw meat diet = but how many of us have time or inclination to make sure our dogs have all the nutrition they need that way.





There's not a reason in the world not to add healthy table scraps to your dog's food, bearing in mind that small dogs cannot eat fatty foods, acidic things like tomatoes, and a few other things like the ones you list, but lean meat, rice, carrots, pumpkin, string beans, peas, low fat cheese, etc. are just fine mixed in, they augment a good dry kibble and provide added nutrition and bulk.


Just be sure the dry kibble is a good one, no supermarket junk, with meat listed as the first ingredient and no corn meal fillers or artificial ingredients.





Common sense will tell you not to feed twinkies or chips to your pooch, you shouldn't eat that yourself on a regular basis - but as to lean meat and healthy vegetables, dogs thrive on it. I've been mixing Canidae with lean meat and rice for my 5, and they are doing great on it - even the 3 older dogs I have.





Use sense - feed good food, no junk food, in dog food and human food.
Reply:You need to google foods bad for dogs. Check out the list at the ASPCA website on this.





Much of our foods contain spices and seasonings that really shouldn't be fed to dogs, but the big offenders in the do not feed list are the onions and garlic that you didn't list along with the ones you already do know about. Also sugar is not a good idea for dogs.





Also, it's a dangerous habit... to feed dogs at the table encourages them to beg. And dogs are dogs and should be fed dog type foods. Their nutrient needs are different than ours, so our food is not the best for them. If you have meat and want to feed them the fatty pieces you don't eat as a treat, that's great.





Of course, cooked bones are a no-no for dogs.





So that's part of why table food is not good for dogs as a general rule.
Reply:Yeah, that one has always puzzled me, too. I mean why would table scraps be harmful to a critter that licks its own butt? In the end I just accepted the rule as one of those rules created by controlling, obsessive compulsive who need to make rules for everyone and everything. What's the rationale? If you feed your dog table scraps. Will it die early? Will it have bad manners? I feed my dog table scraps and he seems to enjoy my camaraderie.