# table food vs. pet food



## Guest (Feb 2, 2006)

Hi there!! Very informative site, this is the first post for me....I come here often and read. My maltese eats very, very well!! I give her dog food, wet and dry, I give her air popped popcorn, she loves that!!! Green beans, cucumbers, but mostly dog food. If I start giving her more people food like chicken or things like that, will she still eat dog food? Or will it have to always be people food after that? What do you think? She seems pretty versatile and is a good eater......I dont want to be feeding her bad food and I wont, but I would like to give her people food that is good for her IN ADDITION to dog food....any ideas, opinions..???


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## Gemma (Jan 19, 2006)

Hi and welcome to SM.
















Well it depends which dog food you are giving her. If it's a good one I would continue what you are doing and don't add human food. I know with my dog once we give him something from our plate he would not eat his food. Even if he smells what we are cooking he wants to wait to get some of that. unfortunatley I can't control my husband so what I do I give him his food before we start cooking. then for desert he gets a little something but very small.

They really don't need anything else if you are giving her a good dog food and she eats it. You have to do some research on the dog food though. I use Natural Balance.


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## MalteseJane (Nov 21, 2004)

> Even if he smells what we are cooking he wants to wait to get some of that. unfortunatley I can't control my husband so what I do I give him his food before we start cooking. then for desert he gets a little something but very small.[/B]

















Alex gets ONLY people food, I cook for him and make little pots that I freeze and take out as needed. And he still waits to see if he gets something from what I am cooking before he will eat his. I guess he knows the difference between warmed up food and fresh cooked food







My husband tricks him ; he mixes a little of the fresh cooked food with his warmed up food because if he is not hungry enough he will not touch it.


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## Gemma (Jan 19, 2006)

> My husband tricks him ; he mixes a little of the fresh cooked food with his warmed up food because if he is not hungry enough he will not touch it.[/B]


That's exactly what my husband do too. They are all tricky aren't they? Mine will go as far as pretending that he is eating Sparkey's food and I swear he can fool me too. It really looks like he is eating the dog food. but it works , then Sparkey get's worried and jumps at him and then he will eat it.


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## Sylphide and Shrek's Mom (Dec 4, 2004)

Mine get a combination of fresh chicken with Chicken Soup for the Dog Lover's Soul dry food at every meal. They love both, and eat both. Shrek actually prefers the kibble to the fresh chicken. Sylphide prefers the fresh chicken, but also eats her kibble. Feeding them fresh chicken, or fresh chicken livers on a daily basis has never stopped them from eating their dog food, as well. They get human type snacks, such as cheese, veggie chips, and veggies, and that has never stopped them from eating their dog food, either. 

The fresh chicken is served, of course, in their dishes, mixed with the kibble. We do give them the occasional snack from our plate, but not often. When I give them cheese treats, for example, I take them into the kitchen and have them sit or lay down for the treats. We avoid giving them beef or other meats, and anything that might upset their digestion.


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## Carla (Aug 30, 2005)

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## ddsumm (Jan 26, 2006)

> QUOTE





> Even if he smells what we are cooking he wants to wait to get some of that. unfortunatley I can't control my husband so what I do I give him his food before we start cooking. then for desert he gets a little something but very small.[/B]

















Alex gets ONLY people food, I cook for him and make little pots that I freeze and take out as needed. And he still waits to see if he gets something from what I am cooking before he will eat his. I guess he knows the difference between warmed up food and fresh cooked food







My husband tricks him ; he mixes a little of the fresh cooked food with his warmed up food because if he is not hungry enough he will not touch it.
[/B][/QUOTE]

Chloe only has human food. I always cook up chicken, rice, pasta, grilled lamb chops, mince (I think you call it ground beef??) vegetables and then freeze them up into little tupperware boxes. 

She ALWAYS gets fed at 4.30pm. She eats before we do. Not that that stops her from getting stuff that 'accidentally' falls from the table. I always 'warm' her food up in the microwave for 25 seconds. She knows when the microwave goes, beep beep beep beep beep, (5 times) that her tea is ready. She also has some doggy biscuits with it. Plus she gets a little bit of charcoal biscuits. These are very good for their breath and teeth.

I have never ever fed my dogs tin food. I dont know about america, but my vet said that they put so much 'rubbish' into them here that you are likely to get a hyper active dog. Plus it has got so many additives and stuff like that, I rather put my own things in.

Oh yeah, she also gets 4 drops of baby liquid vitamins with her dinner too. She also gets a bit of chicken broth/gravey with her tea.

Now after all this, it doesnt mean she still wont beg. I mean she will try anything! to get more food! LOLOLO



































I mean the way she acts sometimes, you would think that she never gets fed!

Anyway, hope this helps.

Dede and Chloe from down under


~FOOD; did someone mention FOOD???? where??? ~ Chloe


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## Theresa (Mar 10, 2005)

Summer get kibbles Innova and 1 egg and 1 tsp cottage cheese in the morning and some kind on meat and kibbles at night chicken turkey etc.. she seems to eat her kibbles better if I mix something with it lol of course who whats old dog food when you can have the real thing


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## Guest (Feb 3, 2006)

> Hi and welcome to SM.
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Thanks for the reply.....I give her really good dog food, but she does the same like you said waiting while I cook etc.......I just thought that maybe lean chicken or tuna would be good for her on occasion you know?? But I am afraid once I start she will want that all the time.....thanks for the feedback AND BY THE WAY------your dog is the absolute cutest little guy !!! I am in love with him LOL....(my dog is just a teeny bit cuter hahahahhaa) I have to say that......Sparkey is a doll !!!!!!!!!

Thank you all for the ideas and feedback. I think I will try mixing a bit of this with kibble etc...like y'all said.
I am laughing reading all the replies at how we trick them etc. I have to admit, I do the "pretend I am eating her dog food" thing too LOL......The lengths we go to hmmm.......All of your Malts are sooooooo cute...this is my favorite breed of dog and I love them so much. ARE THEY CUTE OR WHAT??? thanks all for the ideas!


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## MalteseJane (Nov 21, 2004)

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## Puddles Mom (Jun 20, 2004)

Puddles only gets Innova dry food daily. 
Once a week he gets 2 tablespoons of can food mixed with some dry and a pinch of angel glow. 

Home cooked food....not....hubby don't even get home cooked.









Also puddles has put on weight, vet has him grounded from table foods and people treats.


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## fifi (Jan 26, 2006)

Malts are not only cute, they are also extremely smart...I laughed so hard while reading all the postings!! These dogs have us trained around their little paws







I do the same for my Fifi; I cook her food myself. And I catch my husband regularly trying to give her extra little things, because "she looks so sad" (that is what he says!!!). I have to say we have had many adopted dogs, as a foster family: dalmatian, Goldens, even border collies...none were as sharp as this one. If we mix diet food to her meal, she will not touch it. The Golden will just chow it down...I bet they understand a lot more than we think!!!


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## MalteseJane (Nov 21, 2004)

> Puddles only gets Innova dry food daily.
> Once a week he gets 2 tablespoons of can food mixed with some dry and a pinch of angel glow.
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> Home cooked food....not....hubby don't even get home cooked.
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If I understand your post right, Puddle does not get table food or people treats (for me that's home cooked). So what's the reasoning of your vet ? Apparently he did not put on weight from the people food !




> I bet they understand a lot more than we think!!![/B]


you got that right !


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## Teddyandme (Feb 6, 2005)

Sorry I have been out of touch for most of the week and I just saw your post on this. My Teddy actually gets "home cooking"...he gets such a wide array of things that all his nutritional needs seem to be being met as per the vet. But, I also just in case give a multivitamin once a day which my vet supplies me. 

When I first started to give Teddy natural food I was concerned that he would get all the nutrients that he needed so I kept down his dry food just in case he wanted it...and did research and then some more research and my conclusion was that anything that a "dog food company" could give to my little one...I could do better. By the time I was satisfied that I could give Teddy what he needed he no longer wanted the dry kibble either. 

I am a self admitted person who does not beleive that the companies putting kibble out for our little ones are all on the up and up....I believe the bottom line of making money comes over the best interest of our furry angels. There are a few companies out there that really do provide great food for our little ones but most really are more interested in making money. 

So, I guess with my reply to your question, I have one for you....why is it that you want your little one to keep eating the kibble...is it so he gets his nutritional balance that the companies all say you must give them or another reason. I believe that you are so much more able to make sure your little one gets what he needs. It is fun for every one I know who feeds their little ones naturally because our little angels love it....Teddy looks up adoringly every time I put food in front of him...I love that look.

Have fun


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## bellasmommy (May 8, 2005)

Mine eat dry dog food but I give them baked chicken and scrambled eggs occasionaly, and when I'm eating they get baby food because its so easy to prepare and they can have it even if I'm eating something they can't.


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## Michelle&Roxy (Mar 10, 2006)

Well for one: that picture on Bellasmommy's signature, with the cutey between... couch cushions is it? Is hilarious and adorable... I actually laughed out loud seeing that. Real cute stuff.









As for these maltese being very smart and having us wrapped around their little paws... I fully agree, my grandma had a maltese named Marocco, and she isnt a lady to easily persuade, but she loved him so much she'd boil chicken for him every single day. When he passed away due to ollllld age, she lost over 20 pounds being so depressed without him. Now, having a maltese of my own, I definately see what made her boil chicken everyday! And why she got so deeply depressed for such a long while. With any dog, of course it hurts, as it's a loss of your baby... but with maltese, it seems even worse because they're so smart, lovable, and adorable... they look like little marshmellows when they're pups, hehe. But back on subject of course, I ALWAYS get off track, I apologize... Roxy already has us feeding her table food, she eats what we eat- I'm pretty good at being the alpha to her, buuuut with table food, I cant help but give in to her cute little puppy eyes and maltese charm!








I know it's bad to feed them table food, but we try to eat pretty healthy anyway- though I do admit, junk food does come in contact with our mouths sometimes... I still lay out dog food for her as she does munch on it more like a snack, haha.


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## Gregswife (Mar 6, 2006)

Bucky gets fed 3 times a day. In the morning and afternoon, he gets only kibble. At night, he gets a mixture I cook for him. It has cut up chicken breast (I go the easy route and buy a 6 pack of large cans of chicken breast meat at Costco), cooked rice, cooked oatmeal, sweet potatoes, green beans, peas, carrots and boiled eggs in it. I make a huge batch and then put individual servings in the snack size baggies and freeze them. I made a batch yesterday and I came out with 61 baggies, so will not have to cook for him again for 2 months. In the morning, I take one out of the freezer and put it in the fridge to defrost and that night, I nuke it for 15-20 seconds and put it in his bowl. Sometimes, I mix a little fat free cottage cheese in with it. Even though he gets this every evening, he has no problem eating his kibble during the day.

Cheryl


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