feeding a dog table scraps

Should I Feed My Dog Table Scraps?

I’m not about to say that feeding your dog table scraps is a bad thing. In fact, dogs love to eat and table scraps are a great source of protein and can be mixed up with other things in your bowl to make a variety of treats for them. I’m just not going to go into the details here about the nutritional benefits of feeding your dog table scraps.

 

I’d like to take a moment to discuss your dog’s dietary needs. Dogs are not carnivores. In fact, they are omnivores. They eat meat, vegetables, fruits, eggs and dairy. While you shouldn’t totally eliminate table scraps from your dog’s diet, you need to give it some space. If you do, you’ll find that your dog will have a lot more problems with chronic diseases such as diabetes, cancer, heart disease and osteoporosis.

 

I would recommend that you don’t feed your dog table scraps only once or twice a day. Ideally, you should feed your dog two to three times a day so that their stomachs are able to handle a variety of nutrients. Don’t feed your dog meat and table scraps in the same meal.

 

Many people believe that dogs are clean animals. They just naturally want to get rid of the dirt on their paws and other body parts. This can be dangerous for your dog because dogs are actually very clean animals. So it’s important that you give table scraps to your dog very sparingly.

 

If you’re trying to figure out when your dog should be fed table scraps, you should keep in mind that puppies can be given table scraps up until eight weeks of age. However, younger dogs should not be given table scraps until twelve months of age. The reason that younger dogs shouldn’t be given table scraps is that they still lack the needed vitamins in their diet. Table scraps also encourage your dog to go for meals with you and to become familiar with your scent all throughout the day. However, older dogs can be fed table scraps just as long as they are given their regular ration.

 

Feeding table scraps to your dog should be done as a reward for good behavior. Don’t make this into a chore or something that makes them dread being with you. When you start to feed your dog scraps, they should immediately begin to look forward to it. If they’re not used to eating table scraps then you’ll have to work at getting them used to it. It can be quite difficult, but if you persist you will find that your dog will eat table scraps from now on!