Table Manners - Page 2 | Dog & Cat Health, Wellness, Products and Breed Information

Table Manners - Page 2
| Print | By | February 29, 2008 9:02 AM

According to the Animal Poison Control Center (APCC), pepper "contains an irritant substance know as capsaicin, which can be irritating to the skin, eyes, nose, and gastrointestinal tract." Some breeds cannot tolerate too much protein, while some have specific allergies. Just as with people, each animal has individual dietary needs, and speaking with a veterinarian will help establish what those are.

Take care not to treat your pet as a garbage disposal for leftovers; appropriate portions for your pet may vary depending on their size, weight and age, but generally just one or two bit-size pieces are adequate and will not reduce their appetite for regular meals. Also, if you are (wisely) trimming the fat from your steak, do the same for your pet.

Besides being an important component in health, food is a major motivator for animals. Sharon Mear, Certified Canine Behavior Counselor and instructor and trainer through www.TrainingCatsandDogs.com in New York, stresses that food - whether it's a small treat or a regular meal - should be used as a reward, not a bribe. Begging, Mear explains, "is learned behavior. If you don't reward begging with food, your dog won't learn to beg." Animals, Mear says, "are far more patient than their owners, who expect immediate gratification. Animals in the wild sometimes have to wait days for their prey."

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