Question:

I was told that we should not feed our dog human food because it will teach our dog to beg for food. Is that true, and should we never feed our dog human food?

The Trainer Answers:

Whether or not your dog should eat “human food” really depends on which human food it is. Unhealthy, processed foods are definitely best avoided. We should avoid them too! Using healthy, natural, whole food, such as unprocessed meats, cheese, fruits or vegetables can make better treats for your dog than some of the dog treats you find in stores.

Just because treats are made and marketed for dogs, it does not mean they are healthy, appropriate treats for your dog. Treats that contain such ingredients as meat by-products, sugar, salt, artificial colorings and flavors are best avoided. “Human food” such as chicken from the deli or baby carrots would be a better choice.

There are plenty of very good, healthy choices in dog treats, but you don’t need to rule out other choices simply because they are considered “human food”. If you are unsure of what is a healthy choice for your dog, do some research and consider talking to someone well-versed in canine nutrition.

The true answer to your question has very little, if anything, to do with human food vs. dog food. It has to do with the situation in which you are feeding your dog. If you are giving your dog any kind of food – human or dog – what really matters is what the dog did right before you gave him the food. If he was barking at you, pawing at you, or otherwise actively seeking your attention, then you are rewarding him for “begging” and it doesn’t matter what food you are using.

The question as to whether feeding a dog human food causes begging depends upon how and when you are feeding your dog. What causes begging behavior is more dependent upon the method, not the actual food you are feeding. For example, you are sitting at the dining room table eating dinner with your family. You dog approaches, and barks or paws at you. You take a piece of food off your plate and give it to him. In this scenario, you are rewarding your dog for begging or attention-seeking behavior while you are at the table eating your meal.

Now, let’s take the exact same scenario, but this time, instead of taking food from your plate, you give your dog a dog treat that you have sitting in a jar on the table next to you. In this scenario, you are also teaching your dog to beg at the table. It has less to do with what you are giving him as the situation in which you are giving it.

Take the same two food options – human food and dog treats – and put them in a different context. I ask my dog to go lie down on his bed, and give him a reward for doing so. It does not matter which type of food I am giving him, what matters is what he is doing at the time I am giving the food. In this case, I am rewarding him for lying down on his bed. Even if I am rewarding him with “human food” it will not cause begging behavior because I am reinforcing a different behavior – one that I like and want to encourage!

However, the dog’s behavior will be affected by how much the dog likes what he’s getting – so if you have some really tasty, smelly food, then your dog will be far more likely to beg to get more of it than some boring mediocre food that isn’t nearly as exciting. Whether it is tasty human food or tasty dog treats does not matter, but the value to the dog will matter.

I encourage you to use healthy treat choices, whether they are marketed as dog treats or human food. Just be sure to only give them to your dog when he is performing a behavior you like and want to encourage!

Our goal is to positively impact the lives of as many dogs and their families as we can, in part through our extensive library of video, infographics and text articles. If you like our work, please consider supporting us through a donation!