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Funny story, I was just at the Vets today and the Doc wants a urine sample from our male dog first thing in the morning. The best way to collect it she said is to follow along with a ladle. The doc said she does that and then tosses the ladle into the dishwasher to clean it. Note to self, don't ever go to her house for dinner if she is serving soup...
It's actually a very easy way to collect urine on a routine basis. I kept a "special" stainless ladle just for this purpose. Stainless is pretty impermeable. No, it didn't go in the dishwasher. The pH of the next sample might be affected by the detergent residue (OK that was the "official" reason...substitute any other gross out factor if it suits better )
I don't let them do that because it reinforces that it's okay to lick plates. When you have dogs like mine that tend to be counter surfers- that's a behavior you have to stay on top of.
My breeder lets their dogs lick the dirty plates. And they also snatch food on the counter. She's lost steaks, roasts- you name it. It's an epidemic in her house. Not in mine.
I allow my dog(s) to lick SOME plates/dishes depending on what was on it. However, the dish is presented in the same way their food dishes are; in the kitchen, on the mat that their regular dishes are offered. They have to sit before eating just as they would with their own food or a treat. Doing it that way is less likely to create an impression that human plates and food are theirs for the taking. They could easily jump onto a counter to grab something but never have. They know what is permitted and what isn't. I have a dishwasher but I don't leave it open so long a dog could lick anything. I don't want them ingesting the detergent residue. Besides, my kitchen is modest, not some grand palatial thing from Home and Garden. An open dishwasher blocks everything.
I don't put plates down for the dog in front of a guest even though I really don't care what they think about it. Its a matter of courtesy. The same reason I tidy up the bathroom, sweep, and vacuum dog hair off the sofa before they arrive.
Last edited by Parnassia; 01-10-2019 at 02:48 PM..
"Things like germs" have killed more humans throughout history than predators or famine ever did.
BTW, there's a difference between practicing healthy habits in the home as a matter of routine and existing in a state of fear and anxiety over possible germs.
Yes, that's why in my first post, I wrote, things like "germs." "Germs" in quotation marks. There are actual, harmful germs which are worth protecting against--e. coli, listeria, tuberculosis bacteria, MRSA--and then there are "germs," which are largely imaginary. "The dog licked this plate, so now it's got 'germs' and I'll have to throw it out."
Some people are apparently squicked out by the thought that an animal ever touched something that they will eat from. All right, but don't forget that some of every glass of water you drink once passed through the body of a dinosaur.
For some of us it's not so much the thought of germs, it's just the general ick factor. Farting isn't dangerous, but I don't want to hang around with people who think it's acceptable to let one rip whenever either, some things are just gross because they're gross.
+1.
Quote:
Originally Posted by 2mares
Just a thought. Humans lick "butts" too. You never know where their mouth has been.
Ya well I'm certainly not putting my mouth on strangers nor their plates.
This thread is probably pointless because the "my pets are human/better than people" clan would pretty much let their pets do anything so....
Yes, that's why in my first post, I wrote, things like "germs." "Germs" in quotation marks. There are actual, harmful germs which are worth protecting against--e. coli, listeria, tuberculosis bacteria, MRSA--and then there are "germs," which are largely imaginary. "The dog licked this plate, so now it's got 'germs' and I'll have to throw it out."
Some people are apparently squicked out by the thought that an animal ever touched something that they will eat from. All right, but don't forget that some of every glass of water you drink once passed through the body of a dinosaur.
Again, not everyone — and not probably most — of those who don't allow dogs to lick plates as a part of their daily routine is somehow "squicking out" over "things like germs" and tossing plates in the garbage if a dog somehow touches them.
Some of us would simply rather our dogs didn't lick plates but are going to handle it like an adult if it happens and simply wash the plate instead of "squicking out."
This thread is probably pointless because the "my pets are human/better than people" clan would pretty much let their pets do anything so....
No one said anything of the sort. But if I am willing to eat in a restaurant from a plate that has previously been used by 700 strangers (and repeatedly washed), I can't see why I would refuse to eat from a plate that was once licked by a dog (and then washed).
I do agree that the group of people who take this sort of thing in their stride, and the group who finds the dog-licked plate hideously and permanently repulsive, are probably never going to see eye to eye.
Nope, I've never been a fan of allowing a dog or cat lick plates. My sister allows her dog to do so all the time, so I just inwardly cringe and bite my tongue. I think for myself, it has to do with the way I was raised (pets had their own dishes...if we wanted to give them scraps, they went into the pet's dish). My sister apparently never picked up this habit.
However, I think the main reason I don't let my dog eat from my dinner plates is that it just seems to be a bad habit to teach a pet. If - heaven forbid - anything were to ever happen to me, I'd want my pet to be as free of unwanted habits as possible, to give him the best chance at a good home.
I wouldn't let the dog make a habit of it, but one or two times, or a dog licking a plate of leftovers before it's cleaned, is not going to bother me. (my late mother used to let the dogs lick her almost-finished salad plates; and she never had any immunity problems)
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