The holidays are all about food, family and fun. But how do you stop an avid “table scraper” from feeding your dog after you’ve said “No?” The Hairy Dogfathers have a few ideas to put an end to messy situation.
Dear Hairy Dogfathers,
With the holidays coming up, my sister and her husband will be staying over-night at our place. My brother-in-law is not what you would call a “good listener.” We have told him flat out, that we don’t feed our dogs from the table… which he has done and continues to do, every meal. Our dog is a bit of a chow hound, with a sensitive stomach. Needless to say, the results of her being fed from the table are rather… messy.
-Signed, Tired of cleaning up other people’s messes.
Related:Can You Feed Your Dog Table Scraps?
Dear Tired,
Cleaning up other people’s messes is never fun. The way I see it is that you have two options here. You can lay down the house rules with your brother-in-law – although based on your previous experience it’s not likely to work, unless you feel that you may not have been crystal clear in the past. Your second option is to control the situation. This may not be fair to your hound, but you could consider putting her away at meal times. That way your brother-in-law won’t even have the opportunity to instigate an unpleasant upheaval. If you don’t want this to seem like a punishment for your pooch, consider putting her in another room with one of her favorite toys or treats.
Happy Holidays!
Related:How A Furry Thief Gobbled Our Thanksgiving Turkey And Started A New Tradition
Dear Tired,
Oh, that’s a real pet peeve of mine! Is this man just stupid? I am sorry to say, but you can’t fix stupid! However, you can kennel your dog! During the visit, why not get out of the house for a nice, long walk? That way you and your dog will get some alone time, and when you come back, your dog will be rested and happy to hang out in the kennel during dinner time. If your dog is in the kennel, your brother in-law can’t feed him!
If that doesn’t work out, seriously consider asking your sister to kennel her husband.
