Healthy Human Meals for Your Dog

There are many reasons you may want to feed your dog people food. Maybe you ran out of dog food and don't get paid for a couple days. Maybe you have a finicky pooch. Maybe you just want to know what it is that is going into your dog's body. Most folks tell you not to feed your dogs people food, which, in general, is wise advice. Dogs can have allergies and sensitivities to some people foods. Also, feeding them bad foods, like fatty foods and junk foods, can aid them in putting on excess weight, which is bad for their health. If a food is considered bad for you then it is definitely bad for your dog. This means to avoid feeding them snacks, fast foods, pizza, sugar foods and fried foods.

The first thing to keep in mind when getting ready to prepare a meal for your dog is that they are not you. Don't add a bunch of spices for flavor. Your dog will be much happier with the natural meat flavor that they get without the added salt and pepper. Also, some dogs can have an allergic reaction to things like onion and garlic, so it is wise to just avoid adding them. Instead, pick a grain, a meat and a vegetable. We have a special needs dog in our house who can not have wheat and corn, but rice doesn't seem to bother him. So rice is our 2^nd ingredient, following the meat of choice, when it comes to cooking him a people meal.

I only use lean meats when I feed my dog. Lean cuts of steak, chicken and he also loves fish. Fish is good for your dog, the oils in it help their skin stay healthy and their coat stay shiny. Cook the meats as you would for yourself, just minus the spices. Chop it up into bite size pieces and mix it in with your rice, or whatever bulk you are using. I sometimes use potatoes for a bulk in Gunner's meals.

Lastly you will pick a vegetable. Gunner's favorite is green beans. You can use corn, carrots and even peas. You can use more than one too. For extra flavor use any juices you might have left from cooking the meat or sprinkle a little bit of shredded cheese on the top (but not too much).

I don't recommend feeding your dog a human food diet as their regular diet. Dog foods are made specifically with ingredients that dog's need to be healthy. Sure, they wouldn't have that food in the wild, but then again they aren't wild dogs. Domesticated dogs are far removed from their ancestors, so treat them like they should be. Dogs need to eat crunchy foods, like dog food, to keep their teeth strong, healthy and clean too. Don't use food to show your dog love; show them love by playing fetch with them and taking them for a walk, so they can stay healthy and fit.