Table Scraps

Lucky Lucy licking the measuring cup.
She always holds the pots between her paws,
relishing every morsel.

We let all our dogs lick our plates, pots and pans after we eat. I make sure Max and Willow only gets the juices and crumbs while the bigger dogs get the scraps.  I also make sure they can't get their noses stuck into something tight, like a yogurt cup.

Some people don't dare give their dogs table scraps, believing "commercially prepared dog food" is the only diet that dogs should eat. John and I reason that dogs evolved over centuries as scavengars, eating campfire scraps, that commercial dog food has only recently been invented and is mostly made up of the very same meats, grains, fruits and vegetables we eat.  And, we fervently believe, to deprive our dogs of the delectable treats we feed ourselves is to deprive them of the joy of living. Our dogs are a testament to that. They will lie still for an hour at our feet to be given our plates to lick, even if all that's on it is remnants of mashed potatoes, gravy, steak juice, ice cream, etc.

Not to mention, there would be an unbelievable amount of food waste if our dogs didn't eat the scraps.  We don't know what people without dogs do.  Guess they throw a lot of good food away.  You simply can't scrape all the gravy out of the pot with a spoon.  Nothing better than a dog's tongue and infinite patience to wipe the dishes clean.

On the other hand, I also know people who feed their dogs whatever is left over, which can sometimes be a cup of grits, half a hamburger sandwich, a huge pile of leftover french fries, etc.  Their dogs get so fat they can hardly function.  Surely, we don't do that. Everything in moderation, like my Grandma Tilley taught me!  If there is volume involved, I cut it up into tiny pieces, counter dry and use as treats, or refrigerate and incorporate a tablespoon or two into their evening meal.  I already wrote about this in my blog about Dog Treats.

Just so you know, in case you're coming to dinner, I am fastidious that whatever they lick clean, goes straight into the dishwasher for a thorough scouring.  Because when they get finished licking, you can't tell the difference between washed and licked clean.