Dr. Karen Becker Reveals the Truth About Table Food and Dogs

by Mike Sagman
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Many vets and animal nutritionists recommend pet owners avoid feeding table food to their dogs. Yet others insist “people food” can be an excellent source of nutrition for our four-legged friends.

In this video, Dr. Karen Becker reveals the surprising truth about dogs and table food.

Got your own opinion about dogs and table food? Or maybe your own favorite recipe?

Just leave a comment below. Or be sure to check back for some ideas from some of our other readers.

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  • http://dogcareland.com/ dog care tips

    Dogs are intelligent animals and can be easily trained for table manners and other habits.

  • Kevin

    Is honey ok for dogs to have.  If so how much?  What are the benefits? 

  • kevin

    I just looked up on amazon to see if you had a book out. The video was great. Yes you do. I ordered it. Thanks

  • Pingback: Chula Loves to Eat! What English Bulldog doesn’t… « CHULA'S WORLD!

  • Kate

    THANK YOU FOR THIS VIDEO. I love the “meal replacement shake” analogy! I am a dog trainer and a firm believer in home cooked or raw food for our pets, and now I know how to explain it to my pet parents!

  • R.Hankins

    I would LOVE to see a list of safe foods to feed. It would be even better if the list referance amounts based on the weight of the dog. For example something like 2 almonds per day for a 8-10 lb dog. of normal wieght..or what ever is considered acceptable.

  • ShamelessRawFoodie

    Adele – Jonathan’ message wasn’t about LENGTH of life; it was about quality of life (healthfulness). THRIVE vs SURVIVE.
    Jonathan wrote this “We can see how the creation of kibble has decreased the health of our canine partners over the last 70 years just as we can see how grain farming has decrease our health in the last 10,000 years.”
    Yes, modern medicine has extend lifespan, but often at the expense of ‘quality’ of life.

    Adele – You also write “modern farming techniques, . . . have caused the earth’s population to grow into the billions”. True, and an interesting perspective explained by author Daniel Quinn in ISHMAEL. http://www.ishmael.org/welcome.cfm
    Quinn provides undeniable details of how overpopulation wouldn’t continue if the food supply (even inferior) didn’t keep increasing.

  • Adele

    Jonathan- you really should check statistics about mankind’s INCREASE in lifespan over the past 10,000 years. Homo Sapien was lucky to make it into their 30′s before the advent of modern medicine. While there may be some undesirable aspects of modern farming techniques, those techniques have caused the earth’s population to grow into the billions. Although I am a “tree hugger” as well as an “organic pet feeder,” it is important to be able to “see the forest for the trees.”

  • Gordon

    Hi Sheila – All’s well in Aussie land. At least, as well as the rich and politicians allow it to be. Sounds like your dog gets a good variety of human foods that you share with it. That’s a good thing for your dog.

    About the honey thing. I know they say honey or peanut butter goes into Kongs so that treats are harder for the dog to get out, but isn’t peanuts not a good thing for dogs? That’s one thing I’ve never given much thought on as I don’t give my dogs Kong toys because I prefer the use of Buster Cubes. Almonds and walnuts as well as Brazilian nuts are my favourite nuts for human use and that’s one thing I personally never thought to give my dogs (Didn’t know I could give the first 2 mentioned to my dogs), but now I do thanks to Dr. Becker’s advice. Yes even I don’t know everything, lol (Not that I ever claimed to, haha).

    Because I eat raw almonds and Brazilian nuts (Not so much walnuts), I’ll now give my dogs some almonds. All 3 of these nuts mentioned are the 3 most potent carriers of selenium in the nut world (Strong anti-cancer mineral/agent), or so a Nutritionist once told me.

  • Sheila

    Hi All,( Gordon, How are things in Aussie land?)
    Just my two cents worth. My Norwich eats mainly HK now (rotation of various ones). To that she gets organic Cottage Cheese 1%, watermelon, cantalope, pears, loves Mango, cooked white chicken, cooked beef , small pieces, turnips, bok choy,red pepper,banana,left over breakfast porridge,
    cauliflower, salmon, trout. All of these in small amounts when I have them for meals. This is of course not all at once, but whenever there are good leftovers. With her we have to watch weight, so it’s not alot at one time. So far I haven’t poisened her, although as Gordon well nows I worry alot.
    Also every evening when we settle down to watch TV, I have 6-8 Almonds, she gets about 4 halves. and yes Honey is excellent in moderation, has theraputic benefits, it’s in some of the dehydrated and raw foods. I don’t do much in the way of rice or grains per say, but she does like a few strands of Spagetti before sauce!
    SZ

  • Michelle

    mercy for animals- Why would you even watch slaughterhouse videos? I love meat, but if I had to watch or participate in the slaughter of the animals, I would probably, very quickly, become a vegetarian. LOL

  • Gordon

    sandy – In addition to that ehow link, I place a big emphasis on avocado being toxic to dogs, and support this as fact as well, since I also own parrots and am into Ornithology, avocado is even more toxic for parrots than it is for dogs and will basically give a pet parrot a painful poisonous death. I add this info for those that may also own pet parrots and many not be aware of this fact.

  • http://brotherscomplete.com Richard Darlington

    Sandy

    Thought I’d post the part on potato’s from your link to save some time:

    While the flesh of a cooked potato can be harmless, the skin, leaves and stems can be poisonous to dogs. These parts of the potato contain oxalates, which can affect the nervous and digestive systems. Any part of the potato that is green is especially toxic, whether cooked or uncooked. The green parts in the flesh of a potato, usually found just under the skin, contain solanine, a natural poison. When solanine is consumed by dogs, it can cause diarrhea, vomiting, dizziness and irregular heartbeats.

    Read more: What Human Foods Can Hurt Dogs? | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/about_5068377_human-foods-can-hurt-dogs.html#ixzz1TtL6WxyQ

  • http://brotherscomplete.com Richard Darlington

    Sandy

    Very interesting link. Links are the thing at the moment. I’ve been wondering what could possibly explain why potato has caused numerous problems in dogs – it would actually be more accurate to say, why I’ve seen improvements or elimination of numerous problems in dogs when potato is removed from their diet. This is the first time I’ve seen any plausible explaination as to a mechanism that might at least explain some possible correlation between potato and health problems in dogs (usually skin issues). I did once have a micro biologist say there was definitely something in potato that would cause a dog problems but I never got a more detailed explanation. I’ve been hypothesizeing that it might have something to do with white potato’s extremely high glycemic index (80 to 100 depending on how it’s cooked – white sugar is about 65) but have not felt completely comfortable with that as an all inclusive answer.

    Perhaps this is another key to the puzzle, if it’s a valid argument, but I’d like to know why it doesn’t seem affect humans the same way. Heaven knows I’ve eaten my share of potato skins and other than a few skin rashes, some hot spots, a desire to gnaw on my fingers, and a habit of scratching myself incessantly…I’m a pretty normal guy and fairly healthy most of the time….well, OK…at least I’m fairly healthy anyway…one out of two isn’t so bad.

  • Gordon

    Interesting link Jonathan

  • Gordon

    Great seminar Dr. Becker. Once again, great advice. It’s as I always say, just “common sense”. I like how she said that it’s a “paradigm” re conventional Vet advice.

    sandy – That ehow link is reliable. However, would you believe, contrary to popular belief, chocolate in the smallest amount in a once in every blue moon event (if your dog craves it), will not harm a normally healthy dog.

    I disagree with it’s advice about no garlic. Garlic is actually beneficial in moderate amounts, just like it is for us humans. It’s packed with antioxidants, allicin antibiotics, and promotes healthy blood circulation, for both us and dogs. It’s onions that should not be given to dogs at all. Although we can safely eat more garlic than dogs. Dogs should not get more than say….a teaspoon of crushed garlic a day. In some dog foods that contain garlic, it’s in much lower doses than even a teaspoon. I’m stating this in case anyone who reads garlic in a dog food ingredients list and becomes reluctant about the particular brand because of this, shouldn’t be. Unless of course, their dog already suffers from red blood cell depletion.

    Otherwise, all else stated in that link, I agree with.

  • Jonathan

    Hey @mercy for animals, I know all those slaughterhouse videos can be disturbing and disgusting. But the evolutionary fact that we are omnivores remains. Your body is not optimised to use processed plant proteins or legumes, which are a fairly unnatural foodstuff and, in nature, are rare to come by. Plus, legumes and grains must be processed just to be edible and less toxic. In nature, for humans and dogs, there are very few calorically dense plant foods. Some root veggies are packed with calories, but they are few and far between in a normal ecosystem… ie one that is not farmed and forced to grown large amounts of one thing. As omnivores, our diet was a hunter/gatherer one. We ate leafy plants, root veggies when found, and seasonal fruit. But the caloric bulk of our diet, and the part of our diet that fueled our bigger brain to develop, was animal protein and fat. Now I know you are shaking your head because you have an emotional reason for not eating meat. But here’s the thing. Those meats from factory farms where they mistreat the animals and spray meat with ammonia and such? That meat ISN’T good for you. I know that. It’s meat that has been processed and the animals pumped full of hormones and fed huge amounts of corn that is bad for you. Grass-fed meats from local farms are very healthful for people and pets. Grass-fed meats have a natural omega-6 to 3 ratio of 1:1 to 1:2 depending on the animal. They are full of the vitamins they have received from eating the green grass. They are healthy because they are not being force-fed nutritionally worthless omega-6 heavy corn that they can’t digest right. And, they enjoy their pastured life and when they are slaughtered, it is done humanely.

    Have a look at this website where people are sharing their vegan turned paleo stories…

    http://paleohacks.com/questions/5720/how-many-people-here-started-as-vegetarian-vegans#axzz1TsDTSWBL

    There are plenty of ways to eat the evolutionary diet of human-kind without eating bad meats. Like Cathy says (sort of), and I’m paraphrasing and adding my own here…

    Know your farmer. Know your butcher. Eat local, fresh foods. Nutrition isn’t rocket science.

    If something must be processed (soybeans, wheat, corn…) just to become edible, then it’s not food. That’s where we got a little too clever at concocting foods before we understood why we shouldn’t. This all goes with dog food too. We can see how the creation of kibble has decreased the health of our canine partners over the last 70 years just as we can see how grain farming has decrease our health in the last 10,000 years.

  • sandy

    hi Kevin,

    here’s a link to start looking at. http://www.ehow.com/about_5068377_human-foods-can-hurt-dogs.html

  • Kevin

    Thanks Jill and Liam you helped alot. It was a great vidio. I am so glad for this website that we all care about our pets and can connect. Thanks again to you all.

  • Liam

    @ Kevin; I heard somewhere that you shouldn’t feed dogs walnuts, but we have fed our dog peanuts and she is fine with them; by the way I have heard that macadamia nuts are bad for them too! I am sure that honey is good for dogs because in some of the Kong stuffing ideas online they mention putting in a tablespoon of honey. I have drizzled some in her Kong before and she has been fine.

  • Jill Prescott

    I have been a culinary instructor for 27 years. I have been making special dinners for my terriers for years, I include, poached chicken, poached lamb, sweet potatoes, blueberries, , treats are fresh green beans, cantelope, watermelon, peaches apples, whatever is fresh. I use Orijen fish for a kibble and also give them Omega 3 oil. This isn’t whole diet but will give you an idea. I poach the 2 meats to remove excess fat and make certain IF the chicken contained salmonella it would be killed. They get some raw meats. They LOVE their homemade dinners. I wish this doctor was MY vet. Forward thinking, very smart. I always felt that my dog eating only kibbles was like my children eating only Kraft. Vets sell Science Diet…horrible food filled with corn.

  • Kevin

    But how about walnuts and honey? Can dogs have this?

  • http://DogFoodAdvisor.com Mike Sagman

    Hi Kevin… Great suggestion. I’m am planning to add an article about foods one should not feed a dog some time later this year. Thanks for the tip.

  • Kevin

    So I know the basic stuff to feed a dog in human food. But do not give them dairy produts. Some cheese is ok. But can dogs have nuts, like walnuts, and how about honey. I did not see a list of do’s and dont’s on your web site. Could you have one some time? Thanks

  • John Huff

    Nicely done! Thank you for taking an honest and realistic approach to feeding our dogs. I also feed a 5 star kibble in a rather small (1/2 cup) serving to my 65 pound Golden Retriever. Next to that can be boiled chicken, sweet potato, pure pumpkin and other veggies and fruit. A poached egg or long cooked oatmeal is not uncommon for breakfast for her either. None of the non-metabolized foods are ever offered. Also very important: Brush those teeth!!!

  • Buck

    Very nice video and I agree with most of it, unfortunately like so many “holistic” people she seems to go from one extreme to the other: “All dog food is made from diseased tissues!” That’s as much a scare tactic as “Never feed your dog table food or they’ll get sick!” I also disagree with the “never feed your dog any grains like rice, wheat or corn.” Processed grains should be kept to a minimum but I think whole grains as a component (not the main source of nutrition) can be beneficial in animals as it is in humans.

    My dog gets a high quality kibble containing a small amount of whole grains with the addition of cooked shredded chicken, veggies, and/or fruits. She loves watermelon and carrots and a piece of watermelon is often her “dessert.”

  • Carol

    I too feed them a 4 star rated dehydrated raw food with a little bit of a 5 star canned food to go with. I am very happy with both.
    As for green living food, my dogs LOVE kale. Especially the stalk part – when I am preparing a salad, they sit and wait for me to give the stalks to them. I save the stalks and break them up on their food and they LOVE it!

  • Darlene

    i had a small mixed breed dog who lived for 17 years on human food alone. I am not making this up. He ate one bowl of dog food in his entire life. Someone offered him a hot dog…..and dog food became poison to him. Lol!
    I now have three dogs some 40 years later and I give them a good 4 star rated dry dog food and table scraps….but healthy ones. I do a lot of research on this matter. I keep a list on the fridge of foods NOT to feed a dog.
    All the dogs are healthy and happy. I see nothing wrong with human foods that have no preservatives in them being fed to dogs. I do not like the idea of feeding raw meat as some do. That is just my choice. I worry about the bacteria levels in raw meat.

  • Eunice Jolly

    Hi enjoyed, I have always been a firm believer that our dogs were way healther years ago,(70/80) than now,we never heard of a dog that died from cancer,bloat etc. so I feel that it is what we feed now.
    keep up the good work
    Jolleff Briards

  • Adele

    The concept that the ancestors of our modern breeds all descended from wild dogs who roamed the earth in search of food seems to be lost on today’s pet owner. Guess what the dogs ate before processed “pellets” and canned food were available? They ate what humans ate and before that they ate what grew, what was already dead or what they killed! …and the species survived.

  • Mercy for Animals

    Thank you for your sincere HONEST information. Many would fear to describe anything other than what is forced into their brain as a Vet/Professional.

    Thanks to Dog Food Advisor, I can look up ingredients that are healthy for my dog, and my friends.

    I love my Vegan diet, after watching slaughterhouse videos on Youtube, and reading information about “Rendering Plants” [search that on Google -- it will shock you pet owners!] it is obscene what is being fed to people’s pets in the name of Corporate profit, not good health.

    I watched the documentary video “Food, Inc.” several times on Netflix, and came out learning so much about the truth about our food. It is quite scary…

    Thank you for sharing your knowlege, I know enough after my own research to know you are telling the truth in a sincere manner to help pets, and owners. Stay the way you are. Great Video, definately Dr. Karen Becker and thank you so much Dog Food Advisor folks.

    ===================================

  • Adam Clive

    Yah somethin ive always known. I feed my dogs meats that I eat myself.

  • http://www.puptrition4dogs.com sheri

    Nicely done video, a human food for pets 101. We have been brainwashed to think human food is not appropriate for our pets. That is FAR from the truth. I hope we continue to see more info like this in the future.