Should You Feed Your Dog off Your Plate? A Vet and a Dog Trainer Settle the Debate

Many people think one of the biggest rules of having well-behaved dogs is not to feed them off your plate. As a dog trainer, I have a different take. I find that with thought and moderation, there isn’t a problem with sharing (some) snacks with my dogs, and, in fact, it can even help improve behavior. To see if my findings were accurate, I also spoke with veterinarian Jolee Stegemoller, D.V.M., about the debate around sharing food with dogs: Is it ever OK to feed your pets off your plate?

One of the main reasons many people are hesitant to share “people food” with their dogs is the idea that if they share food off their plate, it will encourage dogs to start begging. While begging is annoying, it’s also a natural response to dogs smelling something delicious. I find when it comes to training dogs, what and how much you share is far more important than having an “I never share food off my plate” boundary. In fact, I actually find it beneficial to use mealtime as an opportunity to use the foods I’m preparing to train my dogs.

Dr. Stegemoller approaches training with safe food similarly. “I freely reward and share vegetables and fruits,” Dr. Stegemoller explained. “While I'm preparing food that is OK to share, I take that moment to connect and let my dog investigate what I'm doing. If he likes it, I might toss some to his place mat and file the knowledge away for later that it may have value in future fun with training or rewarding.”

I’m the same way, and will set aside fruit and vegetables for the dogs while I’m meal prepping. When I’m cooking, I like my dogs safely out from underfoot, so they have a bed in the kitchen. I will toss bits of dog treats or vegetables that I’m cutting up to my dogs as they are on their bed. This allows me to use the high-value “people food” as a reward to teach my dog what I want them to do (go to their bed) while I’m cooking, instead of being underfoot and begging. In this way, I find that sharing food actually cuts down on begging behavior rather than encouraging it.

Before sharing any food with your dog, it’s important to make sure that it is safe for dogs to consume. Chocolate, garlic, the artificial sweetener xylitol, and alcohol are just a few of the foods we consume that are toxic to dogs. The ASPCA’s Animal Poison Control Center is an excellent resource for checking if a particular food (when fed in moderation) is safe for sharing with dogs. Also avoid sharp bones that can cause obstructions and bowel perforations.

Beyond the risk of toxic food items, foods that are technically safe for dogs to consume can still make them sick. One of the biggest issues is obesity. “So many pets suffer from being overweight and it is detrimental to their body as a whole. Besides making mobility more difficult, overweight pets are more predisposed to endocrine disease and many other things.” Pancreatitis, vomiting, and diarrhea are other consequences of too much “people food.”

Being thoughtful about how much you share off your plate is just as important as what you share with your dog. “For the most part, I think most people do not understand how many calories they are feeding to their dogs when they are using “people food!” A small piece of cheese can be like giving multiple cheeseburgers to your small dog,” cautions Dr. Stegemoller. “I wouldn't share the bacon grease after breakfast, but I might add a little scrambled egg to a Kong for an extra special treat.”

Though she and I both share calorie-dense “people” treats like cheese sparingly, we both routinely share vegetables and fruits with our dogs from our plates.

My youngest dog loves all fruits and vegetables so much that apples and berries are her highest-value training reward at home and for dog sport training. If you haven’t yet tried sharing fruit and vegetables with your dog, next time you’re prepping a snack, cut some extra to share with them. Your dog might surprise you with how much they enjoy the fresh treat.

Just like at my house, for Dr. Stegemoller’s dogs, the sounds of vegetables being prepped are a cue to pay attention. “I take time chopping up veggies for salads and snack trays and use these as fun refreshing rewards,” she says.

The smell and sound of these healthy treats being cut are likely to get your dog’s attention, making them a great healthy reward for practicing obedience cues and tricks, or for tossing them onto your dog’s bed to reinforce your dog going there as you cook.

Dr. Stegemoller notes that an added benefit of sharing vegetables with your dog is that unlike bones and other hard chews, “there aren't really risks of fracturing teeth on vegetables.”

Sharing food with your dogs is a personal decision. For some dog guardians it feels weird, and that’s OK. For others of us, sharing food with our dogs in safe moderation feels like just another way to share life with our dogs.