Summary:
Dogs are highly successful beggars, and countless pooches have found themselves on the receiving end of a table scrap or two. While an occasional treat will not harm your dog, it may be best to cut down on the amount of people food they eat.

Details or Sample:
Every dog owner knows the feeling. That guilty feeling you feel when you are sitting at the table enjoying a delicious dinner and your dog is looking up at you from the floor with those big wet eyes. All too often we are tempted to give in to that look, and all too often Fido ends up setting a place for himself at the dinner table.

While an occasional piece of chicken or beef will not harm your dog, too much of a good thing can be downright dangerous. In general feeding your dog or cat table scraps is a bad idea, and one that can lead to many bad behaviors. Feeding table scraps will lead to more and more aggressive begging, whining, barking and other undesirable behaviors.

Feeding the dog table scraps can also work against effective training. Dogs are pack animals, and in the pack hierarchy a dominant dog would never willingly give up food to a lower member of the pack. Since the dog owner should be the pack leader, this type of hand feeding can undermine the establishment of the leader/pack hierarchy.

In addition to these problems, feeding a dog or cat table scraps can be dangerous. While humans are true omnivores, and for the most part can eat just about anything, the same is not true of dogs and cats. There are some very common foods, such as chocolate, garlic and onions, that dogs and cats should never ingest. It is best to err on the side of caution and avoid giving those table scraps in the first place.

If all this were not enough, feeding your dog, cat and other pets table scraps can also lead to problems with obesity. As the obesity epidemic has grown in the human population it has also grown with our animal friends. Obesity causes the same problems with dogs and cats as it does in humans, including diabetes, heart disease and other serious diseases. In addition, the food we humans eat tends to be much richer than what dogs and cats need for optimal nutrition, and this imbalance can increase your pet’s chances of developing obesity and obesity related health problems.

Those who simply must include their dogs and cats at dinner time have a number of healthy alternatives to consider. One of the easiest is simply to stock a number of bite sized dog or cat treats and feed them to Fluffy or Fido. The best practice, however, is to treat your own mealtime as yours alone and feed your pets at other times.

Commercially produced cat and dog treats are a good alternative to feeding table scraps, and there are many excellent brands on the market. The same shopping tips apply to both treats and commercial food – and it is important to read the ingredient list carefully to make sure that the treats are really providing the best nutrition for your dog or cat.

It is also important to look for treats that are low in fat and calories, especially if you tend to go overboard when giving treats. The idea behind treats is that they should be an occasional snack, not a regular occurrence. Treats work great as training rewards and as positive reinforcements, but it is important to keep in mind that they can be quite fattening. Even low calorie dog and cat treats should be used in moderation.

Another fun alternative to both table scraps and commercially produced treats is to make your own fun dog and cat treats at home. Many pet parents have discovered the fun of making their own special treats for their pets, and some have even turned this hobby into a lucrative business. There are many great recipes for dog and cat treats available on the internet, in special cookbooks and elsewhere, and many pet owners love to experiment with different flavors and textures for the animals in their lives.

So whether you choose to make your own pet treats or buy them from your local pet store, you can find some great alternatives to feeding your dog and cat table scraps. So the next time your pet gives you those big eyes at the table, keep in mind that the food you eat has not been formulated to meet the nutritional requirements of your pet. Commercial and home baked pet treats, on the other hand, have been specifically designed with your pet in mind, so why not give them a treat you will feel good about instead?

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Written by: beconrad
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