Your dog: the original party animal. The lifelong question dog owners have is what their pets do when they aren’t home. Some people set up cameras and confine their dogs in spaces so they can continuously check up on them. But I can save you the time and answer your question right now: they are raiding the pantry and throwing wild parties.
When dogs are unsupervised, they are eating all the good food we haven’t been mixing in their dinner bowls and feeding them under the table. And it’s not surprising — they have to eat dog food every night while we eat streak, fries, pizza and everything buttered and salty.
My dog, Cooper, is an avid supporter of cheese, pizza crust, sandwiches and bread with butter mixed in with his food for dinner. If possible, he would probably throw a party at Jimmy John’s, or gladly just take over my spot at the dinner table each night.
So, I asked my dog owner friends what human foods their dogs like to eat. Here’s what food they would serve at their parties:
Throwing the party at McDonald’s
A friend of mine, Teagan, drinks McDonald’s sweet iced tea and her dog often finds her way to the cup and licks the lid clean. It is safe to say that Roxi would throw her birthday party at McDonald’s with Mini Bites Blueberry Muffin treats in the gift bags!
What dog would pass up the offer to order a juicy Big Mac, chicken nuggets and fries with a large drink? Don’t forget the play place!
Papa John’s Pizza Party
Another friend of mine makes her dog happy by feeding her some junk food now and again. It’s what us loving parents do. Often her dog Annie is the culprit of the missing Papa John’s pizza.
Annie would either throw her party at a pizza place or in a park with a cake made completely of bacon. A pizza place is basically puppy heaven. Papa John would make a fortune if he could sell to people and puppies!
Even though we want to treat our dogs — probably more than we should — there are certain foods that can be dangerous for their bodies.
Cooper is a pretty picky dog, just like a lot of humans. He likes the carbs and begs for sandwiches and foods slathered in butter, but turns his nose up to vegetables and fruit. Unlike humans, it is heathy for dogs not to eat fruits and vegetables (sigh, I know this is just another reason we all wish we were dogs). This is good news for the dogs, because what dog would want to serve vegetables at a party? They want the meat lovers pizza, please!
Wine and Cheese Party
If Cooper were to throw a party, he would travel to the land of cheese, Wisconsin, and throw his party at a cheese shop. It would be the classy wine and cheese platter party, but minus the wine because dogs can’t drink alcoholic beverages.
Yeast is particularly dangerous for dogs, so that option is out. It could lead to pain in the abdomen as well as alcohol poisoning. Sadly, they don’t develop a tolerance. The dogs can stick to the cheese and the adults drink the wine.
Remember that dogs can’t serve chocolate cake at their parties, despite all the puppy dog eyes they might give you. When Cooper was a puppy, he consumed a bag full of fudge that my family left on the floor of a closed door that cooper mysteriously found his way into. He would love to serve fudge at his party, but chocolate is toxic to dogs. Stimulants like that can cause major metabolic problems, sorry pup.
If you are ever letting your dog plan your party, they will probably do a pretty good job. Meat platters, cheese platters, pizza and some cake for dessert… count me in.
#SpoonTip: Always put peanut butter on their nose though, and watch them lick it off. That’s safe and funny.