How would you suggest I get my grandparents to stop giving my pup table food?
 

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.

I went through the same thing with my BF...but I have harped on him so much that he wont do it at all anymore..or id have to kill him :)

Dawn

just be straight ! It's your dog and you call the shots - you don't have to be rude or mean - just tell them if they love you they'll respect your wishes.

Got my dh to quit giving table food to my furbabies by telling him that fatty table food can give such tiny dogs pancreatitis. And that would cost around $1,000 or more to take care of. (At least that is what I heard.) Then it might be a life long struggle. Mentioning money got his attention.:D No more table scraps.:thumbup:

I think it'll be a life-long struggle - no matter what I say, my parents will give Milo table food. they simply can't resist those tiny begging eyes.
Good luck, anyway!

First of all I agree that it would be better for Oliver to eat a good high quality puppy kibble OR a "puppy friendly" home cooked meal as opposed to what we humans normally eat.

Looking at the situation from a different perspective, if you are living in someone else's house where they pay all the bills, it is hard to put yourself in a position of control. If my adult sons (who live at home rent free) were to buy a dog and bring it into OUR home where their dad and I are paying all the bills, then their dogs would have to follow the house rules. I would not change my lifestyle to accomodate their dog(s). However, I our dogs live a pretty healthy lifestyle and I do make sure that everyone's nutritional needs are met -- from yorkie puppies to Boo the elderly Boxer.

I would suggest that you keep gently and lovingly reminding your grandparents that Oliver needs his puppy kibble. You can generally get people to work with you if you are kind and loving then if you are harsh. Maybe even work with them as far as making available some good nutritious "people food" that they can "slip" Oliver during meal-times.

chattiesmom----forgot about that good suggestion.:thumbup: I suggested frozen green beans to dh if he just couldn't resist the begging eyes. He agreed.:D

Way to go! You found a compromise where everyone could win. You won, your husband won and most importantly the furbutts won big time.

Normally I would agree with you there, being that I am in their house. But I don't think that applies when it comes to feeding my puppy food that could be potentially harmful to him. The food we eat for dinner is not dog friendly in the least. It's always seasoned with who knows what, and when reading a list of foods dogs shouldn't eat, most of it is quite familiar as our dinner ingredients.

If it would be a struggle for them to go into my room and put food in his bowl, I would be a little more understanding. But, his food is already constantly laid out for him so that has never been an issue.

Plus my grandparents bred yorkies for a long time before I was born, so they feel that they know what they're doing.

I have the same problem when my grandma comes to visit. Her dogs are obese because of this. She has Joes brother, and he is probably 5 lbs more than him, at the same height, which is major for a Shih Tzu. I got really upset last time because she gave Cleo a ton of ham :mad: Cleo had a bad tummy ache for 2 days.
Its very hard with older people who are very set in their ways, esp when they think that stuffing dogs full of food is healthy. :rolleyes: She thinks fat=healthy in dogs and kids.

ugh, that's another thing that's bothering me so bad. i gave him some chicken myself about a week ago just as a treat, and he had very messy poop after, and that continued. now that he's been back on nothing but his puppy food for two or three days now (because i've been home during dinner) he has normal poop again. i mentioned that to my grandma and she says it has nothing to do with it, but it's a little too coincidental for me to believe.

lol he's still having accidents in the house sometimes, it's so much easier to pick up normal poop than messy poop.

What about showing your grandparents a post on here about pancreatus and how dogs can get that from eating human fatty foods