[Bizzymammabee]

Originally Posted by ashleylewis

The dogs in my family have always been given table food, pretty much. We had a doberman when I was very young and he's the only dog they ever fed dog food to, and he ended up having a heart attack at five years old. They blame the dog food because we also have a pekingese who will be fourteen in September and he's been fed table food exclusively throughout his life.

I'm not always home when my grandparents are eating dinner and feeding our other two dogs, those being the pekingese and a larger mutt we found, though I'm not sure what she is. They've been feeding my puppy, Oliver, table food along with the other dogs and I'd really prefer they didn't.

I bought Oliver, he is my dog. I'm nineteen right now but when I move out in a few years after finishing college, he'll be coming with me. I feel that I have the right to say what he does and does not eat, given the circumstances and the fact that I buy his food.

The main concerns I have about this issue are that when I do move out, I'd like to continue giving him dog food without him scoffing at it, and our other two dogs, as well as my old yorkie who lives with my mother, are all overweight. I want my puppy to be healthy, not obese.

Plus, there's also the fact that he's a puppy, and while the table food might be fine for the older dogs, I feel like I'm being a better puppy parent by giving him food specifically for his age group. I wouldn't give an infant food meant for an adult, so isn't dog food basically the same?

When I ask my grandmother not to feed him table food, she either rolls her eyes or gives me a half-hearted ok, meaning she'll say ok now but when dinner time comes, she's going to give him table food regardless of my permission.

Just to clarify, he's well fed. I have a bowl of puppy food out for him 24 hours a day and he eats when he pleases. He isn't starving and there's absolutely no logical reason why he can't be put back in my room for feeding, considering he has to be held while the other dogs eat anyway to prevent fighting.

Oy Vey..I suggest telling them straight out and nicely that yorkies suffer from several health issues that can materialize due to feeding table food. That might guilt them into listening. I have the same problem when I go to my dads. He feeds his dog things that he cooks in addition to his kibble. It's such an akward thing.