Please don’t feed my dog without asking

Thanks for the sweet thought and your generosity, leading you to want to offer a treat or table morsel to my dog. But, please, no.

Don’t do it!

My dog is adorable and sweet, and I want her to stay that way.

She doesn’t nip or beg. She doesn’t eat people food. She’s on a regular schedule for meals and potty breaks. And she eats a special and extra-healthy canine diet. We’ve tried other dog foods, and the result is not pretty. (Trust me on this one. You don’t wanna know.)

Sure, sometimes I will use treats to reward my dog for tricks and training successes. But I choose these morsels carefully. And she has to earn them.

Freebies, even offered with the best of intentions, can dilute the importance of these rewards.

People who do not have dogs (or people who have outside-only dogs) perhaps don’t understand the importance of this.

When someone gives another person’s dog a handout, it may be intended as a kind gesture. And maybe it is. But it can upset a dog’s diet, digestive system, demeanor, and daily habits.

And God forbid a pet has some sort of food allergies or sensitivities.

I don’t want my dog to learn to beg or nip. I don’t want her to start having accidents in the house, simply because her system has forgotten when mealtimes and walk times occur.

So, please. Don’t feed my dog anything without asking me first.

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