5 Foods You Can Share with Your Dog

Foods You CAN Share with Your Dog

While it’s perfectly safe to share these foods with your dog, you’ll want to keep the quantities reasonable. In general, you’ll want the bulk of your dog’s daily caloric intake to come directly from his specialized food.

That means that your floof needs to get at least 90% of his daily caloric intake from his main meals. A veterinarian can help you determine a sensible daily caloric target for your doggo, based on his age, breed, and lifestyle.

But, these share-worthy foods are great as snacks, special high-reward training treats, or as homemade dog food toppers!

Note that although these foods are safe for dogs, every pooch is different. Therefore, it’s important to closely monitor your pup when introducing him to one of these treats. Also, be sure to take your doggo’s food sensitivities and allergies into consideration. 

1. Cooked, Unsalted Chicken 

Deboned, unseasoned chicken is an excellent protein-packed treat for your pooch, and it’s a common ingredient listed in dog cookbooks for owners committed to home-cooking their dogs’ dinners. Chicken skins and fat are also fine, and soft bits of cartilage or connective tissue are usually safe too.

You can cook the chicken just about any way you’d like, but baking or boiling is likely the best option. You could also grill or saute it, but avoid using a ton of butter or oil if you cook the chicken on the stove top.  

2. Cooked, Unsalted Salmon

Cooked salmon can make a great source of omega-3 fatty acids to support your dog’s immune system and coat. Just make sure it’s well-cooked, as raw or even rare salmon can be dangerous for dogs. 

This is because undercooked salmon contains the Neorickettsia helminthoeca parasite which can infect doggos. Also, be sure to remove any small bones from the fillets before whipping up a treat for Fido.

3. Other Cooked, Unsalted Fish

In general, Fido can enjoy most well-cooked fish so long as it’s prepared without oil and seasoning. Some of the most common dog-friendly delights are flounder, ocean whitefish, and arctic char. 

Avoid fish that are known to have high levels of mercury like tuna or swordfish. Be sure to check for any tiny bones before feeding your pooch a filet. 

4. Cooked, Unsalted Beef

Cooked unsalted beef is safe for dogs, and many find it quite tasty. You can feed your dog any (bone free) cut of beef, but leaner cuts are preferable to those covered in fat.

Whole cuts — like steaks or roast — probably only need to be cooked medium or better , but make sure to cook ground beef (which is more likely to be contaminated with bacteria) to medium-well or more. 

5. Cheese

An occasional cheese treat can introduce calcium, vitamin A, and essential fatty acids into your pup’s palette. In fact, many trainers rely on cheese as a high-value treat because most doggos love it so much. 

If your pooch is lactose intolerant, cheese can cause gastrointestinal upset and gas, so it’s best to opt for another treat altogether if Spot is sensitive to Swiss. You’ll also want to monitor cheese intake carefully since it is a high-calorie treat.