People Food

Isn’t it strange how dogs assume that they want anything you are eating?  Like they forgot about the 500 times they’ve spit something out that you gave them.  Most of the time when that happens, you knew they wouldn’t like before you gave it to them, but you did it anyway, just to see…

Nash is notorious for this.  I’m against giving dogs “people food” in general.  Nash knows that we don’t feed him from the table, so fortunatly he doesn’t sit there and beg.  He just hovers around, under the table, waiting for something to hit the floor.  I think of it as a free cleaning service.

Nash does the same thing while I’m preparing food in the kitchen.  I’m kinda messy about cooking, so his patience really pays off for him there.  Plus, I do sometimes give in and toss him something (don’t tell my husband, I don’t want him to think I’m a hypocrite).  I’m sure anyone with dogs knows what it’s like working in the kitchen, only to trip over your hopeful pet every time you try to take a step.

But Nash won’t simply scarf up the dropped food the moment it hits the floor.  No, no.  He must take it off to “his spot” to eat it.  “His spot” happens to be just outside of the kitchen entrance, in the middle of the carpet.  That means anything Nash gets a hold of gets taken out of the easily-cleaned, linoleum-floored kitchen and gets set upon my light-colored carpet.  No matter what I do, this area of carpet will remain stained and grungy looking forever more. 

Also, this is where I discover what I'm making for dinner that is not to Nash’s liking.  Any food item that hits the floor gets transported to "his spot" outside the kitchen.  That is where Nash must ultimately decide if he likes it enough to eat it.  If it is not appetizing enough, there it stays until someone says, “Why are there cucumber peels all over the carpet in the living room?”

What I don’t understand is why Nash doesn't realize he doesn’t want to eat it before he goes through all the trouble to pick it up and walk it out of the kitchen?  Better yet, why does everything need to be eaten at this exact spot?  He will even grab one mouthful of dog food at a time and take it to “his spot” before he actually consumes it.  If "his spot" wasn’t in the middle of the entry way from the living room to the kitchen, I’d consider moving his mat and food bowls there. 

I don’t have this trouble with my cats.  They don’t care for people food at all.  Okay, that’s a lie.  Chili thinks she should get raw chicken when I'm cutting it up and Spike tries to lick your ice cream and fudge pops.  But that’s it.