DogBoy's Dog Blog

We’ve all had this problem before. Your dog gets a wiff of some tasty human food, and now they’re glued next to the table at dinner time. Whether their begging is cute or not, the table scraps your dog wants are often unhealthy and possibly dangerous for them to eat.

Here’s how you can protect your dog from dangerous people food and get them to quit begging once and for all (even if it’s adorable).

# 1 - Don’t Ever Give Your Dog "Table Scraps"...Period.

The best way to stop your dog from begging is to never give them a reason to beg in the first place. Any time you feed your dog from the table, couch, counter, or wherever you prepare and eat your meals, you increase the likelihood of begging in the future. If you don’t ever feed them scraps from your plate, they’re less likely to think they can beg for food at all.

If your dog has started begging regardless of being fed from the table, the best thing to do is ignore them. It may seem cold or mean, but if you give your dog attention then you’re reinforcing the begging behavior. Moreover, if you continuously give in to their begging, they see the food as a reward for the behavior you don't want.

The better option is to just ignore them, and realize that it's better for you and your dog to not give in. Eventually, your dog will understand that the cold shoulder means no food and no attention. Then they will quit begging.

But, what should you do with the leftovers?

As responsible dog owners, it is crucial to pay attention to what we can and can’t give our dogs. Some of this information you might already know, and some of it may serve as a necessary reminder. The foods listed in this article can cause anything from just a little vomiting or diarrhea, to liver or kidney failure!

Here’s the five foods that you should never share with your dog, and a helpful diet guide so you can remember what you should be feeding your dog.

#1 Xylitol

Xylitol is an artificial sweetener found in chewing gums and some peanut butter brands, and it’s deadlier than chocolate. While Xylitol is great for human teeth, it causes vomiting, seizures, and liver failure in dogs.

Make sure you check the ingredient list of certain foods and dental products to see if Xylitol has been added. Some products that commonly include Xylitol are:

• Toothpaste
• Vitamins
• Mouthwash
• Chewing Gum
• Peanut Butter
• Breath Mints

It takes as little as one pack of sugarless gum to kill your dog. Make sure you hide anything with Xylitol as far away from your pooch as possible.

Figuring out how much to feed your dog is something that many dog owners struggle with. Dogs are great at convincing us that they are starving to death using those big puppy eyes. It’s very tempting to cave in and give them more food. But, you have to be careful about how much you feed your dog, and be vigilant with their portion sizes.

Approximately 58% of dogs in the United States are overweight or obese. Obesity causes tons of problems in our dogs, ranging from health-related joint issues, diabetes, and even behavioral issues.

OK, So How Much Should I Feed My Dog?

Unfortunately this question is completely subjective. The easy approach is to follow the guidelines printed on whichever bag of food you buy. Be careful that you feed the recommended amount for your dog's ideal weight, not their current weight.

The higher quality food you buy, the less you need to feed. Higher quality foods are more nutrient-dense and have less filler in them, therefore your dog needs less in order to get their required nutrition.

It’s Between You and Your Dog

Deciding what to feed your dog is a very personal decision. At DogBoys, we see everything from people cooking every meal for their dog, to dogs that are on a raw food diet, or even dogs that eat some bottom of the barrel brand their whole life and nothing else.