This article was co-authored by Nicole Larocco-Skeehan. Nicole Larocco-Skeehan is a Dog Trainer and the Owner of Philly Unleashed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Nicole has over 25 years of experience working with animals and currently specializes in group and private dog training and behavior modification. Nicole’s business has been named the "Best of Philadelphia" and she is the author of “The Teaching Dog: Partnering with Dogs for Instruction, Socialization, and Demonstration in Your Training Practice.” She was also on the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers Board of Directors. Nicole holds a Bachelor of Science in Marketing and Advertising from Robert Morris University.
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When your family sits down to eat, does one of your relatives slip your dog some table food? Even though your dog may love that tasty morsel, feeding a dog table food is not a good idea. That food could be high in fat and upset your dog’s digestive system.[1] If your relative has made of a habit of feeding your dog table food, make notes about the behavior and then have a talk with your relative.
Steps
Documenting the Behavior
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1Record what your relative feeds your dog. Before talking with your relative, write down what types of food they give your dog. They may forget what food they gave your dog, but it will be important for you to know. Examples of table food to watch out for are:[2]
- Bits of meat
- Leftover bones
- Junk food, like fries or potato chips
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2Observe how often your relative feeds the table food. Your relative may think that feeding your dog table food only occasionally won’t do any harm. Even if your dog doesn’t get sick from the occasional morsel of table food, it will encourage the dog to beg for table food.
- When you write down what table food your relative gave your dog, record how often they gave it (for example, once a day or at each meal).
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3Monitor your dog’s overall health. Because table food is richer in flavor than your dog’s regular food, it can upset your dog’s digestive system and cause diarrhea and vomiting.[3] Write down if your dog becomes sick after your relative gives it table food.
Talking with Your Relative
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1Find a good time to talk. You may be very unhappy with your relative feeding your dog table food; however, you should not talk with your relative when you’re feeling upset. Your emotions could get the best of you and the conversation could turn into an argument.
- Talk with your relative when you feel calm and your emotions are under control.
- Find a time when you and your relative can talk in private, rather than when other people are around.
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2Plan what you are going to say. Your relative may not understand that table food can make your dog sick. Also, they may not realize you have a rule against feeding your dog table food. To get your relative to stop feeding your dog table food, you will need to clearly explain why they should stop doing it. Plan out the conversation by thinking about these points:
- The importance of keeping your dog healthy
- What can happen (or does happen) when your dog eats table food
- Your ‘no table food’ rule
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3Start the conversation. When you feel confident and calm, let your relative know you’d like to speak with them. To start the conversation, explain why you want to talk your relative. Some possible conversation starters are:
- "Do you have some time to talk? I'm concerned about my dog eating table food."
- "It looks like my dog loves getting table food from you; however, that food can make him sick. Can we talk one-on-one about this?"
- "My vet said that table food isn't good for dogs. Can you and I talk about not feeding my dog table food anymore?"
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4Continue the conversation. Once you have your relative's attention, continue talking about the problem of feeding your dog table food. Discuss what table food can do to your dog's health:
- "Although table food tastes really good to my dog, it can upset his stomach and cause him to throw up or have diarrhea. That's such a mess to clean up!"
- "Table food can make a dog gain weight and possibly become obese. I don't feed my dog table food because I want him to stay at a healthy weight."
- "Dogs that eat a lot of table food can become so sick that they need to be treated by a vet. I don't want my dog getting that sick."
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5Let your relative say their point of view. Don't do all of the talking during the conversation. Allow your relative some time to say why they feed your dog table food. They may something like:
- "It's really hard to ignore your dog when he's begging at the table. I give him food to keep him quiet."
- "I didn't know table food was so bad for dogs. Thanks for letting me know."
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6Ask your relative to stop feeding the table food. After your relative has said what they want to say about the problem, ask them to stop feeding the table food. Here are a few ways to be direct, yet polite, with your request:
- "If my dog is begging you for table food, simply ignore him and continue eating. You don't even have to feel guilty about it."
- "Cleaning up after my dog when he gets sick from eating table food is no fun. I'd appreciate if you could stop feeding him table food."
- "My dog will be just fine without eating table food. Please stop feeding from your plate."
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7Watch your relative’s behavior afterwards. Ideally, your relative will no longer give your dog table food. The next time you are all at the table, watch their behavior. If they give in to your dog’s begging, you may need to talk with them again.
Expert Q&A
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QuestionMy mom keeps feeding my dog table food. What should I do?
Nicole Larocco-SkeehanNicole Larocco-Skeehan is a Dog Trainer and the Owner of Philly Unleashed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Nicole has over 25 years of experience working with animals and currently specializes in group and private dog training and behavior modification. Nicole’s business has been named the "Best of Philadelphia" and she is the author of “The Teaching Dog: Partnering with Dogs for Instruction, Socialization, and Demonstration in Your Training Practice.” She was also on the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers Board of Directors. Nicole holds a Bachelor of Science in Marketing and Advertising from Robert Morris University.
Dog TrainerRemind her to ignore your dog if they beg. If she isn't able to follow your rules, consider training your dog to lay quietly somewhere else with a chew toy (or send them to their crate so they aren't nearby).
Warnings
- Feeding your dog raw meat is also unhealthy, as it risks infecting the dog with parasites or bacteria.⧼thumbs_response⧽
- Some table foods are toxic to dogs. Toxic table foods include grapes, raisins, onions and garlic.[4]⧼thumbs_response⧽
References
About This Article
If you have a relative who keeps feeding your dog table food, make sure to monitor what your dog is eating and how they are reacting to it. Plan what you want to say to your relative, then find a good time to chat with them. You should explain to them clearly and calmly that a lot of the food that humans eat isn't good for dogs by saying something like, "Although table food tastes really good to my dog, it makes him throw up and have diarrhea." Allow your relative to explain their point of view, so they don't feel cornered, then make sure to ask them firmly to stop feeding your dog food from the table. For more advice from our Veterinary co-author, including how to start a conversation with a relative who keeps feeding your dog table food, scroll down!
