My puppy Sidney has been fed on Wainrights since we got her 4 weeks ago, so far she has not had any 'human food' to present day. Should I incorporate left overs with her food? My husband thinks if she is fed our food it will lead to her begging? Any advice please
Juno is kibble fed and I don't add leftovers of our food. Kibble provides a balanced diet for a dog without anything else required. It is very easy for a dog to receive too much salt, or sugar etc by having our food which can lead to weight gain. I'm not sure whether feeding titbits will encourage begging although I suspect it doesn't help.
Hi Lynda. There is no reason why feeding human food should lead to begging, unless you start feeding her from your plates. Our two tend to come and have a sniff when we serve ourselves dinner, but then settle down onto their beds because they know that nothing is coming their way. I don't tend to give mine leftovers - there don't tend to be many in our household, since I had a dustbin for a husband! - but they do get "human food" such as sausages and cheese for training treats. They also get a good amount of raw meat. There is absolutely no need to feed them anything other than regular dog food if you don't want. And, on the other hand, you can if you want. Just be aware of the things that are poisonous for dogs (most notably grapes, chocolate, alcohol, xylitol, onions and green tomatoes) and also that some dogs have stomachs that are sensitive to new foods, so you may find you have to deal with a dodgy tummy if you feed something new. If you do add extras to his diet, remember to reduce the amount of regular food he has accordingly, as otherwise you'll end up with an overweight dog. Also, watch the amount of salt intake, which is clearly bad for them.
No, feeding human food doesn't lead to begging. Rewarding begging with any kind of food will result in begging. My dog gets fed kibble, and he gets a huge range of high value treats during training. He is a somewhat challenging dog, in that he gets distracted extremely easily, and so I use higher value treats than most people would find necessary. Every thing from roast beef to king prawns. I'm happy with this arrangement, my dog gets the pleasure of eating really, really tasty things without me just dumping it in a bowl and giving it away for free, and I get to feed kibble (which is what I want to feed).
We have always given our dogs human food, it doesn't lead to begging. We never feed from the table. Our two sniff around while I am dishing up just in case anything is dropped. . But then the go and lay down until we are finished. any left over meat or veg are seen as big treats.
Mine always get something. The wait and are good. I make sure it healthy for them. If I say kitchen they sprint into the kitchen and wait its a realy useful thing. And if i say hoover they come rushing over too and the spilled food is gone
Totally agree with all above. It's not WHAT you feed when talking about human food, but WHEN. Straight off of your plates is bound to instill begging. At my house I have observed a unique phenomenon. When the OH is away I eat my meals all alone, no dog hanging around, no cats. I actually get a bit lonely. However, the minute he sits down with a plate of food or a snack there's a canine and feline audience. Obviously someone is not observing my rule of no feeding from the plate or dinner table.
