Before having a dog, my wife and I would look at leftovers and say, “Can’t wait to have a dog so we can give them those bones or fatty meat we didn’t eat.” Then we got a dog and realized most of that stuff was bad for them.
Similarly to food, there are a couple of things that pop culture taught us that are wrong about dogs.
Dogs Can Eat Our Food
It's very tempting to share your food with your dog, because sharing is nice but also because you feel like you're treating them. But the reality is that dogs have a diet that is quite different from ours. While there is some overlap between your diet and your dog's diet, you should always be asking yourself "can my dog eat this?". There’s an extensive list of things that can kill them (onions, garlic, chocolate, caffeine, macadamia nuts, grapes, xylitol...) and there’s also a bunch of stuff that is just not healthy for them, such as salt, high-fat foods, sugar, avocado, etc. So next time you have some leftover cooked bones, fried chicken, pizza crusts, or ice cream, please finish them yourself or put them in the bin.
Bones Are a Classic Treat
Also food, but I thought it deserved its own section. Hard bones are a classic for dogs, and if you don’t know dogs you might think this is their default treat because you’ve seen it everywhere. But bones are usually not recommended.
Cooked bones are dangerous because cooking makes them brittle, which, when chewed, can turn into sharp pieces that can cut their mouth, throat, or stomach.
Raw bones are better... under supervision. Dogs can crack their teeth (especially the back ones) by chewing hard bones. As a rule of thumb, do not give them things that are too hard (food or toys), as, given enough time, they will crack their teeth on them. The vet-recommended guideline is, “If it would hurt to knock on your kneecap, it’s too hard.”
Sticks Are Safe Toys
Why buy toys for your dog when you can throw them a wooden stick, right?
Although it’s what movies taught us, sticks are not recommended because the chance of them getting hurt is surprisingly high.
Dogs will run with a stick and puncture their mouth, throat, or even their lungs, or they will just chew them and get splinters stuck in their gums. I know personally of at least three dogs that had incidents with sticks in a one-year time span, including mine.
So while this is very tempting and feels “just natural,” please do not let them play with sticks, or you’ll be rolling the dice for a trip to the ER.