We treat dogs as family members, and it's understandable that we don't want to leave them out of our Christmas dinner tradition, but we shouldn't share our food with them, so what should we give them?
Christmas is certainly a holiday of feasts. We spare no expense on a variety of cookies, canapes and open sandwiches; in short, our tables are covered with food. Seeing our dog's sad eyes begging for at least a tiny bit of that goodness may make it harder for us to enjoy the abundance. We start to feel guilty and we want to give our dog something,
But as we know, human food does not belong in a dog's stomach. So what should we do? Deny ourselves the goodies, or hide somewhere in the corner to eat in secret? How about preparing our dogs their own goodies that won't hurt their belly and that they are sure to enjoy?
An alternative to Christmas dinner is simple. Your pets can have the same as you, only in a modified form. Whether you're having fish or schnitzel, separate a portion for your dog (or even your cat) before cooking, don't salt it or pepper it (and don't bread it) and cook it in water or steam rather than frying it. Be sure to debone the fish thoroughly, or blend it up.
You can also prepare a dog version of potato salad. Just leave out the mayonnaise, onion and pickle. You should also reduce the amount of potatoes, or use sweet potatoes instead. You can add more vegetables such as tomato, carrot and peas. That would make it more like a shopska salad, wouldn't it? Instead of a salad you can also serve dried vegetables.
Instead of getting into production, as there is enough work to do on Christmas Eve, I would rather give my dog or cat a high-quality can of food. This year I chose one with a side dish, but last year it was a meat monoprotein can with added fresh vegetables.
You can also make your pets happy with their own cookies. To learn how, read the article Making homemade treats from canned meat. However, the healthiest and easiest option is buying healthy and even functional treats. If you want to indulge your dog and give him a good amount, choose a light version.
If you give your dogs their own menu, you will also eliminate their desire to steal goodies from your table at an unguarded moment. Of course, some dogs still won't be deterred, so better keep food out of their reach. Especially nuts, chocolate, cocoa, coffee and sugar are dangerous to dogs. They should also avoid salty snacks.
How do you celebrate Christmas Eve? Do you include your dogs in the celebration, do you cook them special food, or do you just buy them gifts?
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