As long as your dog does not have kidney disease or some other illness that necessitates strict control on nutrients such as sodium or protein, his nutritional world won’t come to an end if you occasionally let him have table scraps as treats. But dinner as you have come to enjoy it might. It takes no time at all to inadvertently train a dog to come to the table and drool while he looks beseechingly at you throughout your entire meal. But it can be exceedingly difficult to untrain him. So unless you’re okay with your pet hounding you for some of your food every single time you sit down to it, don’t get him started by sharing with him at your table.
If you’re determined to give him some scraps from your plate, it would be better to garnish his dog food with a few morsels of your own once you’re done eating. That way he will know not to join you at the dining room or kitchen table. But you don’t want to risk creating a finicky eater by consistently sprinkling his meals with little pieces of your own leftover ham or ground beef, for instance. He will all too quickly get the message that his own food without any “topping” is not acceptable.
Owners of toy dogs are the ones who sometimes inadvertently create picky eaters. The very small amounts of food those dogs require frightens some owners, which leads them to feed their pets various “delicacies” in the hope of getting them to eat more.
If you do decide to feed table scraps in any way, shape, or form, be sure not to feed any dish made with onions or garlic, which can cause serious harm to your dog’s health.
