Dogs eating junk/stealing food

Dogs are known to pilfer and eat some funky food and often genuine junk, that’s not even food. They’ve consumed beer, cannabis, chocolate, raisins and roast beast because, well, it’s there. They’re not adventurers or petty shop lifters out for a cheap thrill. They gorge because they are sure that whatever they find may be their last meal. There is no rehab for this. It’s who they are.

Dogs devour indiscriminately for somewhat different reasons than humans. There is no guarantee of survival in the wild. Genetically wired to live by their wits, they sniff out their snacks. Our pet pupsters share that programming. The great famine may be only minutes away. Well-nourished house dogs may steal and even fight for any tidbit, constantly scanning for that next opportunity.

Remember Daffy Duck? I can hear him now. “Why, that’s ridiculous.” Food is abundant at your house. Meals are delivered on time –with a flourish. Surely your dog knows she’ll never go hungry. Actually, no, she doesn’t. She’s an inveterate counter surfer.

Dogs have been our best friends for only about 27,000 – 40,000 years. Only??? In the span of evolution that’s the blink of an eye. The grey wolves of yesteryear, who showed less fear of cave people who tossed them scraps, were purposely bred for their human-trusting character and, viola, the new species of canis familiaris (domestic dogs) branched off. All in the space of several generations.

A lot of canine garbage guts can ingest astonishing amounts of rotting refuse with impunity. But it’s not all fun and games. Tearing into sacks of pet food or raiding the trash risks intestinal blockage or perforation and, if not treated quickly, even death. I’ve retrieved enough bones, in my career to assemble a couple of skeletons. They never learn. It’s the pet parent’s job to dog-proof.

Willy Sutton, the famed robber of the 1920’s and 30’s, stole from banks because, “That’s where the money is.” Any self-respecting canine thief will pillage unguarded dinner tables and kitchen counters without compunction. Never help a good dog go bad. Don’t leave out food, don’t feed from the table, and don’t punish an innate behavior.

If you don’t yell or swat, what CAN you do?

You want to end your dog’s incessant food filching fast.  I get it. Your first impulse may be to scream, swat, squirt or even shock the perpetrator. But punishment can only diminish a behavior if it’s applied with sufficient strength, immediately following the event, and – here’s the essential and impossible requirement – every single time.

Do you really want to lurk behind cabinets and doors so you can bust sweet Mopsy for doing what comes naturally to her? Not me. I have two problems with aversive punishment for pets and children: It damages a cherished relationship and I would hate doing it. And one more fly in the ointment – there is nothing about punishment that teaches the student what you want her to do instead. Losing your @#$% at a dog who steals won’t help anybody. Fuhgeddaboudit.

There is a simple solution but sadly, it requires self-discipline. Willy Sutton would never bother robbing a bank that had no money. Don’t help your good dog go bad. Eliminate temptation by putting her elsewhere when you cook and eat. Stash your dishes immediately. Leave nothing on your table or counter. All new dogs, starting on day one, should only be fed from their bowl, unless you’re rewarding a good deed like obedience. (Praise is a great reinforcer; petting is even better.)

Dog’s and humans have a lot in common. That’s why they’re man’s and woman’s best friends. We’re all operant learners, meaning that we only go to a job that pays. What’s different about dogs is that they believe they must earn everything from us, including any attention, however subtle. If you respond to thievery, with a touch or a spoken word (even a threat or reprimand), your dog will be certain he’s earned it. And what gets rewarded gets repeated.

If you feed a dog from the table, he’ll catch on quickly and keep showing up at your fast food drive thru. When you’re not doling out fistfuls of fries, he’ll launch a reconnaissance mission, like the scavenger he legitimately is, sniffing around the kitchen and pantry and maybe jumping on counters, ready to grab and run.

When food stealing isn’t behavioral

Eating is a self-rewarding behavior, making food stealing difficult to control. Your dog’s counter surfing needs to stop, for sure, but simple prevention may not be the best remedy. If those raids on your kitchen are happening more often they may be driven by a worsening internal disorder. That rapscallion of yours needs a medical evaluation.

Make it clear to the doctor that the rapacious foraging is relatively new. Diagnostic testing for Cushing’s disease (excessive cortisol from the adrenal glands), diabetes, low pancreatic enzymes, or an intestinal disorder may turn out to be life-saving. All of these are treatable but potentially fatal if overlooked. A recent study showed that 78% of dogs with behavior complaints have another medical issue.

Binging and gorging is good fun, in the moment, but devouring a Thanksgiving turkey in just a few bites is dangerous. Poultry bones are thin-walled, ground up into small shards by the molars, and swallowed. Even if fragments don’t get lodged, they irritate the bowel and sometimes form concrete-like blockages in the rectum, causing a dog pain and embarrassment as he strains to defecate. Nobody’s happy including the veterinarian. Removing fecal impactions, much harder in small dogs, has been among my least favorite procedures.

Mammal bones, like pork and beef, are a lot riskier. Chewing with intensity, some dogs fracture their teeth. Others have swallowed chunks of bone that have lodged in their intestines. Sudden onset of lethargy and loss of appetite, with or without vomiting, are serious red flags. Get that pupster to the nearest veterinary clinic fast.

Chewing gum, candy, peanut butter, toothpaste and lots of other prepared products contain a sugar substitute called xylitol. Fine for humans, this ingredient causes a dog’s blood sugar to plunge rapidly while damaging its liver. And don’t leave out raisins or grapes; your dog or cat can suffer severe kidney damage. And don’t offer your dog beer or anything from your liquor cabinet. He may provide tipsy entertainment but alcohol toxicosis can kill. Be especially careful with chocolate, a common cause of seizures and liver damage. Macadamia nuts aren’t your dog’s friend either. Never wait-and-see. Know the location of the nearest emergency veterinary facility.

What people food can a dog have?

Beer is a common canine dietary indiscretion. I’ve been asked, more than a few times, whether to allow a nonhuman BFF an occasional brewski. Who’s asking? Beer loving dogs are asking their beer loving people, who know their dogs are beer lovers because they’ve already served their underage pupsters, although no one admits it. There are risks. Will he be driving? Does his girlfriend object? Besides having no idea of the amount of pot, beer, or magic mushrooms a dog of any size can safely manage, none of this is fair to a creature who can’t understand why he’s lost control of his brain. I’ve seen fear in the eyes of pets on a bad trip. They’re our best friends. We should never betray their trust.

You can safely share some of your groceries to help fill a tummy and reduce hunger while managing your dog’s weight. Raw fibrous vegetables like carrots, celery and lettuce require lots of calories to digest. But if these handouts come from your dinner plate you’d be encouraging pestering and pillaging. Put healthy snacks in your dog’s bowl so you can both munch in peace. The bulk of their diets should be, you guessed it, a complete and balanced dog food.

Skin cancer is common in people. A frequently prescribed topical cream, 5-fluorouracil, is dangerous for cats and dogs. If a pet rubs against a treated lesion they’ll get it on their fur and then self-groom. Dogs are known to lick it off a family member or even bite into the tube. Small amounts have killed.

Be careful what you leave on your bedside table. Cats love the taste of the antidepressant Effexor (venlafaxine). They’ve chewed through plastic pill vials to gobble the tablets. Most don’t die from it but they get mighty sick and need in-hospital supportive care in order to survive. Other frequently stolen snacks include cannabis gummies and even the weed itself. Keep drugs locked up.

Garbage seems to get more attractive as it ripens. In multi-dog homes, one resident may be the thief whose enjoyment is rudely interrupted by a canine housemate with FOMO. Food-related aggression can result in severe injuries. Avoid the pain; pet-proof your house.