Be careful but include pooch in feast

CMI Columnist

Slivers of turkey covered in gravy, potatoes, green beans, corn, bread, cranberry sauce and much, much more — it’s almost here.

It takes time and effort to get through the planning, shopping, preparation, cooking and presentation, but when the forks are in hand and the signal is given to chow, time is going to fly.

How could it not, especially when there is a year’s wait from one gorge-fest to the next and no shortage of hype leading up to Thanksgiving — most people even get the day off to concentrate on stuffing their faces with friends and family.

For the most part the fare is actually pretty healthy and it’s a safe bet there will be more food groups represented on tables than any other day of the year — meats, cheeses, veggies, nuts, grains, fruits, you name it — though of course the desserts are a purely decadent, albeit gratifying, bonus.

In all reality, the most dangerous thing about Thanksgiving is all the stuffing.

No, not the scrumptious in-the-bird kind, but, rather, the verb kind.

Yep, it’s the repetitious act of lifting fork after fork to one’s mouth from plate after plate of generously piled grub that transforms even the most healthy, balanced meal into a not-so-healthy one.

Put simply, knowing when to stop eating goes a long way and on turkey day, it can be a real challenge.

But after all is said and done and the guilt hits about the time that top button pops, instead of wallowing inself hatred, go find the dog because no one understands what you’re going through better — after all, it’s that one day when you probably have the most in common.

Dogs tend to eat without thinking too much about it and have an aversion to leaving food in their bowl. What that means is whatever’s in front of them needs to be devoured whether there is room or not, and it’s a compulsion that typically leads to distended stomachs and lolling about in discomfort.

Perhaps the belief that dogs can’t eat the same things as their humans stems from this tendency to devour everything in sight with little to no discretion, or maybe it’s more about creating a clear division of “our food/ Fido’s food” but the truth is, the term “people food” is actually quite narrow.

Sure, there are things a dog shouldn’t have — chocolate, raisins, grapes and bread dough to name a few — but as sometimes-omnivores, dogs can actually eat most everything we can.

Most pooches enjoy veggies, some have a soft spot for fruits such as apples, and grains and dairy have their place. And yes, even a little turkey or ham is OK too.

When it comes down to it, the concept of people food vs. dog food is purely human, and, more than anything, a matter of personal preference.

Understandably, for some, feeding the pooch nothing but kibble is a matter of creating boundaries and avoiding having a staring, drooling dog beside the table at mealtime.

But there is also no rule that says the pooch can’t have a modest share in the turkey day feast if one is so inclined, as long as attention is paid to foods on the no-dogs list and it’s understood extra trips to the yard may be needed if the pup isn’t used to change.

link Sharna Johnson

Otherwise, don’t worry too much about it, because as long as the dog isn’t seated at the dinner table and the humans don’t inhale everything in front of them, the line between man and beast should remain safely intact.

Sharna Johnson is a writer who is always searching for ponies. You can reach her at:

[email protected]