Doggy Table Manners

[poodlefan]

For those of you that let your dogs lick your plates - do you ever tell your visitors that you do this?? I can't imagine any visitor would be too happy to enjoy a meal if they knew a dog was once licking it, regardless if it's been washed..

My visitors let their dogs lick their plates too :D

It is extremely rare for me to 'entertain' and even rarer to have non-doggy people over for a meal. But, if they didn't ask I wouldn't tell. If they asked, I'd be honest. The dogs are healthy and regularly wormed, and the dishes are put through the dishwasher, even if they look clean after the doggy wash

How is a dog licking a plate any worse than a human's fork going from mouth to plate? At least most dogs are wormed.

From memory you're far more likely to get a serious infection from a human bite than a dog one. The bacterial transfer from human saliva is probably worse than a canine's.

If people want to worry about bacteria getting on plates, buy a decent dishwasher.

And people wonder how kids fail to develop properly functioning immune systems these days. They're probably at less risk of disease sharing food with a dog than another child.

Edited January 27, 2011 by poodlefan

[silentchild]

How is a dog licking a plate any worse than a human's fork going from mouth to plate? At least most dogs are wormed.

From memory you're far more likely to get a serious infection from a human bite than a dog one. The bacterial transfer from human saliva is probably worse than a canine's.

I personally have no problem with dogs licking human's plates, as long as they are washed after.

However the reason people have given me as to why it squicks them out is because some dogs lick their own genitals, some dogs eat their own poop - basically you never know where a dog's mouth has been! I say fair enough in that retrospect - if I was a visitor to someone's home I wouldn't have a clue whether their dog had been hoovering up possum poo in the backyard and then been allowed to lick my plate! Of course Emma doesn't do anything of the sort, but I wouldn't expect a visitor to know that.

[Staranais]

For those of you that let your dogs lick your plates - do you ever tell your visitors that you do this?? I can't imagine any visitor would be too happy to enjoy a meal if they knew a dog was once licking it, regardless if it's been washed..

I don't tell people that my dog sometimes gets to eat scraps off the plates after dinner. But, if they come into the kitchen to help do the dishes, they'll see it for themselves!

I guess my dog does lick her own genitalia, but I've seen guys scratch their balls before dinner too, and god knows what horrible things most kids put in their mouths.

[Christina]

Angie has great table manners. When I put food or a drink on the table & say get down she jumps off the table

I can't stop her no matter what, the kitchen table is her favourite resting place.

All the dogs crowd around & look at me with those eyes that say please feed me I am starved when I am about to eat.

I just say move, no & off they go. Not far though & are on the lookout for any tiny dropped piece.

I sometimes give them scraps when finished, like fat off the meat but if there aren't any I just show my hands & say all gone.

They get it & wander off. I put them in another room if I am feeding guests.

[wuffles]

They're not allowed to stare at us eating.

How do you teach and reinforce this? I love the concept as a staring dog is very unsettling when eating.

Mine get sent to their beds if they beg/stare. We have an "on your bed" command and an "out" command (eg. get out of the kitchen while I'm preparing food). If they can't do that, they get put outside until we're done! They seemed to learn pretty quickly...

[erinonthefarm]

Sniper goes in his crate, as a 4 month old puppy who is quite big already we have had a few "jumping in dinner plate" episodes. If anyone goes into the kitchen he stands around waiting for things to fall off the bench or lies on the ground yipping, groaning and rolling around, generally making sure he is being noticed .

I am not adverse to doggie dish washers, but OH thinks its gross! I wash up to a higher standard than him though.

[Kelly_Louise]

And people wonder how kids fail to develop properly functioning immune systems these days.

Couldn't agree more!!!

We used to play with the dogs in the dirt, be covered in dog slobber, then go in and eat without washing our hands when we were kids - we crawled and frolicked around on the floor with the dog hair - we ate with the same hands that were feeding hungry dogs under the table... never hurt us any.

[poodlefan]

How is a dog licking a plate any worse than a human's fork going from mouth to plate? At least most dogs are wormed.

From memory you're far more likely to get a serious infection from a human bite than a dog one. The bacterial transfer from human saliva is probably worse than a canine's.

I personally have no problem with dogs licking human's plates, as long as they are washed after.

However the reason people have given me as to why it squicks them out is because some dogs lick their own genitals, some dogs eat their own poop - basically you never know where a dog's mouth has been! I say fair enough in that retrospect - if I was a visitor to someone's home I wouldn't have a clue whether their dog had been hoovering up possum poo in the backyard and then been allowed to lick my plate! Of course Emma doesn't do anything of the sort, but I wouldn't expect a visitor to know that.

There's probably a greater risk of e-coli contamination from processed meats and on salad vegetables than a dog licking its bum can transmit. I wonder if these people ever kiss anyone?

Seriously people need to get a grip. You're probably in greater danger of food poisoning at a take away than in any family home that has dogs.

My guess is these people eat takeaway and in restaurants never giving a thought to whether the workers have washed their hands after going to the loo. Funny how they'd worry more in a private home. ;)

In case you're wondering, I dont' have a lot of time for the "dogs are filthy" brigade. Decent husbandry and a half way decent household cleaning regime will manage any issues.

Edited January 27, 2011 by poodlefan

[dunnwarren]

My dogs don't really beg but when my daughter comes to visit with her kids it's a different thing. My grandson is in a wheelchair and his food is put straight on the tray (no plate to throw lol), dogs don't beg from him, they just stare intently at the floor for bits of food to fall off. Amazing how fast they learnt that, funny to watch 3 dogs sitting there staring at the floor.

[poodlefan]

My dogs don't really beg but when my daughter comes to visit with her kids it's a different thing. My grandson is in a wheelchair and his food is put straight on the tray (no plate to throw lol), dogs don't beg from him, they just stare intently at the floor for bits of food to fall off. Amazing how fast they learnt that, funny to watch 3 dogs sitting there staring at the floor.

My guess is dogs have been doing it since we first allowed them by the campfire.

[Monah]

I usually have one with his head on my knee drooling, another sitting intently looking at me, another in a dog bed watching me. They usually all get a bit of what I'm eating and they get to lick the plates Oh the horror

If we're at my folks place they are supposed to stay on the carpeted area in the lounge, the dining area has floorboards. We've pretty much given up trying to get my old boy to do that now and even there he's usually under the table with his head on my knee. My parents will even feed them from the table now and let them lick the plates, although that's usually out in the kitchen....

;) Snap!!!

We tell ours, GO! or ON YOUR RUG!

if it gets too uncomfortable for us humans seeing the pain on the dog's faces...

I'm afraid we have even had the cats eat on the table, we cut up bits of our tea for them..

I and my kids have shared food, crockery etc. with dogs since birth.

None of us have ever suffered any ill effects at all.

animals are wormed etc.

we are well behaved when we have visitors and the dogs have to be good, stay on the rug. I do understand our way is not for everyone..

It saves rinsing the plates before they go in the dishwasher, so saves water..

shock horror , my facebook pic shows Monah and I xmas day, she has her tongue down my throat.. ;) I'm still standing ;) :D

[jacqui835]

The way I see it is that if it were possible for me to get ill from my dog, it would have happened already. I can't resist kissing him, and if I'm about to have a shower, I sometimes really give him a good cuddle, and this can then on occasion lead to him licking me and when I know it's about to be cleaned off, I love it.

He doesn't even seem to notice when we're eating our dinner, I can eat on the floor and even leave my plate to go get a drink or something and he won't even get up. Should you call him over though he jumps up and is at your side amazingly quickly, so obviously he is very aware, he just knows it's completely futile to beg. I have never fed him whilst he's looking at the food, only once he's relaxed and doing something else or sleeping, so now he hardly looks at our plates.

He doesn't lick the plates not because I think it's a hygiene issue but because the plates are ours and I don't want him to ever think he can take food off one. So we hand feed any scraps or scrape it into his bowl if there's a lot. One of his favourite foods though is yogurt, and he will watch us eat yogurt for the reason that he knows he will always get to lick the container once we're done. He gives us lots of space though, and will just sit or lie watching us eat until we call him over.

The one problem is guests. He's very good at sensing weak people, and he's all too happy to take advantage of them. Back when I lived in Sydney with a housemate, I once came into the loungeroom to find my poor housemate trying to eat his dinner on the couch, and the dog resting his head on his lap, inches from his dinner. At the dog park, he will sniff out treats and listens for all the key signs - he knows about 100 different words for treat and will respond instantly to all of them. Once he has detected treats, he will go and sit in front of the person and wait. Unfortunately, because people keep feeding him, he keeps doing this and I think it's pretty deeply engraved now. A lot of people seem to like feeding him though because he never jumps, doesn't try to steal other dogs' food and takes food very gently, and the good thing is if I shoo him away from a person once, he won't bother them again so it's quite manageable.

[WreckitWhippet]

Mine are allowed to eat off my fork.

Sessy drinks the milo left overs out of the glass and licks the bottom of bowls that have had milk or yogurt in them.

I'm not fussed

[FHRP]

Mine are allowed to eat off my fork.

Sessy drinks the milo left overs out of the glass and licks the bottom of bowls that have had milk or yogurt in them.

I'm not fussed

My boys are curently going through a container of ice cream that I decided wasn't to my taste. They are fed it each evening from a spoon They are fed from forks often when I don't want to give the food out by hand because it's too messy. I've also been known to give out chicken with tongs! Yes, the same tongs I use with my food ;) They learn how to 'use' utensils pretty quick

The milk from my breakfast cereal is shared every morning, straight from the bowl. They all know the drill and learn very quickly the sound of that last mouthful of cereal being scooped up

I must admit though that I don't eat from the fork/spoon/bowl/plate until after it's been through the dishwasher if it's been used by the dogs.

[dee lee]

Honey is usually under the table looking for dropped food (courtesy of the kids of course ;) ) but isn't allowed to bother anyone for food. She's pretty good, on the odd occasion she appears at someones elbow hopefully she responds to go away.

We don't accept dogs begging or guests hand feeding dogs.

I'll admit I have let Honey lick a bowl once or twice but it does gross me out a little.

I'm by no means a clean freak but I have never liked dogs licking my face (or in my mouth - MONAHHHHH!!! !), it just makes me want to gag.

[wuffles]

I have fond memories growing up of Pokey the CKCS sitting at the spare seat at the dining table, and Beau the cockatiel wandering around stealing mashed potato off our plates. It would all accumulate on his beak like a beard, then he'd shake it off and half would land back on our plates (the other half in our hair)...

[Monah]

My girls both wait for their caffeine fix...

Monah likes coffee, Roisin tea!

Just dont ever say 'cup of tea' in her hearing..

[corvus]

If people want to worry about bacteria getting on plates, buy a decent dishwasher.

And people wonder how kids fail to develop properly functioning immune systems these days. They're probably at less risk of disease sharing food with a dog than another child.

Well said!

It's like the objection to drinking recycled water. I'm like, what do you think happens in your tap water before it gets to you?? I've seen it in its natural state. It has fish fornicating in it, frogs with diseases peeing in it, kangaroos standing in it, mangey foxes pooping in it... I'll take the recycled water, thanks. It's more stringently filtered and cleaned than water collected from the environment.

Sorry, water rant over. I am profoundly aware of what goes on my hands before I put them in my mouth. Sometimes it's *gasp* poopy. Thankfully, we have this little thing called antibacterial handwash and if you wash for a full ten seconds and scrub around your nails and hand creases, you should get most of the nasties off. If you don't wash for that long or scrub, then you may as well kiss the dog's butt, frankly. Thank heavens most of us have a half-decent immune system. Don't give me this rubbish about dogs licking their butts and then licking a plate you will presumably wash in hot, soapy water afterwards being a health concern. If anyone comes into my house thinking that, they will leave with a more solid education in what contaminants they encounter in their daily lives without dogs.

[Kelly_Louise]

I have fond memories growing up of Pokey the CKCS sitting at the spare seat at the dining table, and Beau the cockatiel wandering around stealing mashed potato off our plates. It would all accumulate on his beak like a beard, then he'd shake it off and half would land back on our plates (the other half in our hair)...

That's half the fun of being a kid isn't it???

If my Mum had been a germaphobe, our childhood wouldn't have been nearly as fun!!!

Edited January 28, 2011 by Kelly_Louise

[Remarkabull]

I usually have one with his head on my knee drooling, another sitting intently looking at me, another in a dog bed watching me. They usually all get a bit of what I'm eating and they get to lick the plates ;) Oh the horror

If we're at my folks place they are supposed to stay on the carpeted area in the lounge, the dining area has floorboards. We've pretty much given up trying to get my old boy to do that now and even there he's usually under the table with his head on my knee. My parents will even feed them from the table now and let them lick the plates, although that's usually out in the kitchen....

I haven't read all the responses but this is like my house. Mine all hang around the table watching and waiting for something to 'fall' onto the floor. My Dobe will often put his chin on my arm, just to let me know he is there! If we have people over then I will put some or all of the dogs outside but seeing as our dining table is right next to the glass sliding doors that lead to the back yard then we still have an audience but they can't touch anyone.

Oh, and we also let them lick the plates, saves rinsing before going into the dishwasher!