Table scraps, given in appropriate amounts, do have their place in your healthy dog food diet. However, there’s a big  difference between good quality leftovers and “scraps”.

Quality leftovers are pieces of steak (trimmed of fat), roast beef, chicken or turkey and adding this to your dog’s bowl is fine when done in moderation and do not exceed 10% of the pet’s normal feeding, In addition leftover pasta and rice is good, so long as they are minus butter and other fatty sauces, and are plainly cooked.

Don’t overfeed table-scraps on a continuous basis. Doing so will expose your pet to a diet loaded with fat and you’ll end up with a pet prone to stomach upsets, diarrhea and other potentially serious gastrointestinal disorders such as life-threatening pancreatitis.

Even if your dog’s digestive tract can handle a diet full of table scraps, the chances of him or her gaining weight will increase enormously in proportion to the amount of scraps you’re feeding. There are many people who claim that table scraps are not good for your pet, but much human food is perfectly acceptable for dogs.   The trick is research!.

Forget, for example, about serving your dog the leftover macaroni and cheese, even though pasta is OK and the cheese is low fat. Dogs do not have the needed lactase to break up the lactose and the result can be diarrhea.

Turkey, chicken, steak, or any other kind of cooked bones are no-nos, because they can splinter and pierce or obstruct the dog’s digestive tract.. Bones can also cut the roof of the mouth.
Leftover stew is OK, as long as you remove the onions, and if your family loves sushi, Fido will have to “pass” raw fish that can create a thiamine deficiency in dogs. As a result the dog will suffer from seizures and possibly death.

Easily digestible foods such as cooked rice or chicken and turkey (boneless) will be fine in dog food. Some fruits and vegetables are well received by dogs, though there are some types to avoid such as grapes. Feeding grapes to your dog may cause severe kidney damage. While some fruits are acceptable to feed your pet, avoid grapes at all times.

Fido, Buster, or Sport know all the moves when if comes to finagling you out of those scraps. Don’t let mealtime degenerate into a battle of wits. Know what are acceptable table scraps, and feed them in appropriate amounts, but never try to save money or avoid wasting food by making them the main ingredients of your pet’s healthy dog food.

Indoor potty solutions for dogs. What a concept! You will be amazed at the many products available for dog owners as an alternative to the great outdoors when the weather is nasty or for those who live in high-rise apartments where it may be a juggling act to get Fido to the street in time to relieve himself. Yes, doggie lovers, there are litter boxes for dogs! It is also suggested that this may be a really good way to start house training a puppy.

Most pet stores carry litter boxes for dogs and are readily found on the Internet. It is important to choose a box that is appropriate for your dog’s adult size. There are commercial litters brands on the market designed specifically for dogs, using recycled paper pellets, wheat and corn based litter, cedar chips and pine sawdust.
The ASPCA suggests that using clay litter be avoided since those dogs prone to eating clay litter may develop intestinal distress, or even an obstruction in the lower bowel.

There are many other products available for dog training to use indoor “facilities”, for both the convenience of owner and dog. Many of them are pads that are covered with either real grass or artificial turf.

Training a dog to use a litter box is similar to using traditional dog training tips by learning to recognize the signs that your dog needs to go “potty”, such as sniffing the floor, or circling, is the time to put your dog into the litter box. After the dog finishes a meal is another good time to introduce the litter box.