My dogs eat table scraps whenever I can't manage to finish(which isn't very often). They will even eat off the fork after I'm done. They also lick all the plates and pans clean for me. I know none of this is recommended but it works for me. They do sit patiently next to me while I eat but no one else is bothered. I really don't mind them sitting next to me while I eat so I just go with it. Feel free to thrash me if you feel like it.....

oh yeah and you have a very pretty dog. Reminds me of my spaniel mix dog that died she was so crazy and would fight anything. She climbed 20 feet up into trees to make sure the squirrel stayed in the tree.

I'm in the same boat as you. I didnt want my pup being a table beggar or to steal my dinner if I stepped away. She sticks to her food and treats and thats it, and she couldn't be happy. Occasionally I'll throw a small piece of meat in with her food, but like you, not from the table.

As a pre-vet medicine student, I asked professors, the vets I worked for in HS and college about this very topic. My parents raised papered and pedigree German Shepherds for as long as I can remember. I have had labs since I left college. The consensus among those I asked was, no table scraps directly from the table. Meat left on the bone, because of the protein, is great fare for the 4 legged member of the family. Stipulation: never feed pooch the same thing you're eating, at the same time you're at the dinner table. While doing the dishes is the time for scraps to be deposited in pooch's dish. Dogs will know by smell you have given him the same fare he smelled being prepared, that you ate, but will not make a "I eat when you eat and what you eat" connection.

I started training my first dog with treats and what I got was a dog that ate the first bird he ever retrieved. This continued and worsened to the point you chased him down to get the bird. Not saying lots of dogs haven't successfully been trained with treats, just saying with my experience "Never again!" There are other successful ways to train that do not use it. My second dog lives on her dog food. She was raised that way and I have found a lot of hunting dogs to have stomachs that a change in diet like a treat of meat can lead to some killer gas that just isn't needed. I also abhor a dog that begs or follows people for food, I have tried to raise my son with manners why wouldn't I do the same thing with my dog? I have also really been convinced by pro trainers as well as vets to feed my dogs the best dog food expensive when it gets right down to it but it is the best of all worlds for your dog. Think of it, if they eat and love there food and don't know the difference all there lives they aren't missing out on anything. On the other hand if you feed your dog everything you eat, well lets face it very few of us eat like we really should and put our health at risk because of it but with your dog you have an easy choice to have them on an almost perfect diet. Your dog will live longer and suffer less ills in it's lifetime. And I just think when it comes to a gundog who definitely works more than I do she should have the best of it all. Happy, healthy and here for as long as I can control it. Of course thats what I do with mine everybody is different and I try hard not to tell another man what to do with his dog. Unless I am asked obviously! LOL

I have three all-time outdoor dogs and we mostly feed them dog food and a few treats here and there, but on saturdays they get all of the weeks scraps (besides very small chicken bones) Feeding your dog good-sized bones makes there jaw and teeth stronger and meat is healthy for dogs. We keep our dogs fenced into a 2 acre yard so they have good space. A lot of the dogs in the neighborhood are allowed to roam(All the cats too) the streets so they are usually used to people we got our newest and biggest dog 2 years ago to be a guard of us and the other dogs (the other dogs are can do a good job too though. When he weighed about 20 pounds we let him go aoutside with the other dogs and beong smaller he learned to defend himself. Just a few weeks after we put him outside he and the other dogs killed the biggest armadillo I have ever seen. When he is fighting he is unstoppable unless you can call him off. He does not feel much pain. When i kill a squirrel he eats it if I don't get it fast enough.

I like how countitanddone said it. I hate to throw something away that my dog would love to gobble up, so when we're done and we get up from the table to clean up then if there's something left over she will get it in her bowl (if appropriate). If it's too much then I might save some for another day. She sits patiently under the table while we eat even though my toddler daughter frequently drops and sometimes tries to give things to her. Much better than my in-laws' dogs the tall one will try and get his nose up to your plate and the short one will try and climb your leg, but they get fed straight from the table, it really makes a big difference I guess.

When I was weeding our vegetable garden last night I found out that my Setter pup Zip loves him some fresh collard greens. My old dog Bud has a strange hankering for cucumbers. Heck, even Cheese will go for some fresh green beans off the vine if she's not too busy chasing the pup. They all seem to like the raspberry patch quite a bit.

I toss 'em leftovers from time to time but nowhere near what I use to. I make sure they don't get into any chocolate, grapes and such. I figure if it's good enough for me to eat, then it's good enough for my pack to eat.

I normally don't intentionally give my lab "people food". We had steak the other night and my wife gave her a little piece of trimming. She took it back into the kitchen, spit it out, licked it a bit and then returned to her usual spot. I don't know if she knows what to do with it... maybe a bit more spoiling is in order. She tries to sneak into the dining room during dinner, but knows to vacate when I give her the "stink eye"

i steer clear from giving my lab any table scraps such as beef,chicken,etc. i will however share pieces of fruit/veggies with him at times. He loves strawberries, grapes, cantaloupe, and green bell peppers.

Here is a handy list I found: http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=2+1661&aid=1030

My primary Setter taught all of the other dogs last summer the technique of finding the "ripe" grape tomatoes. I'd look out at the plants and see 4 setters picking tomatoes.

I've fed all my hunting dogs table scraps. The ones that have inside privledges do get scraps from the table but they have manners and are not beggars. Never had a problem with one.

So does this work? [youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qXo3NFqkaRM]

no when i had a dog as of 3ish weeks ago (R.I.P tank) but i still whouldt what whould i eat fro breakfast

yes, I feed mine some scraps but no bones or anything sharp and she must behave and show good manners

I'm the only one in the household that doesn't feed our dog any scraps and I truly enjoy the fact that she doesn't bother to come sit and beg by me whenever I have any food. the only time she gets food from me is when it falls on the ground.

I give my dog table scraps on occasion, but I try to keep it to meat, veggies and a french fry or two. And ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS wait until a) the dog is patiently and quietly sitting or laying down or b) you're done eating to give him the scraps.