There is always going to be debate on whether or not you should let your dog have “people food,” even though it is well established that feeding a raw or home cooked diet, provided the necessary nutrients for canine health are present and reasonably balanced, can give results superior to many of the manufactured dog foods on the market today. With that kind of data, it seems reasonable to assume that supplementing a dog’s diet with “people food” treats — in moderation — isn’t the mortal sin we’ve been told to believe it is for lo, these many years. As with most everything else, the trick is to use some common sense and learn which foods can hurt your dog.

 1. Chocolate

Everyone has heard that chocolate will kill a dog. There are a lot of variables to that, but it’s essentially a good assumption. It isn’t really the chocolate, per se, that’s the danger, but the theobromine in the cocoa. Milk chocolate has scant cocoa in it, so if your dog nullifies the three second rule on that M&M you dropped on the floor, don’t panic. To put it into perspective: baking chocolate has the highest concentration, and, on average, two ounces would most likely be toxic to a twenty pound dog; semi-sweet chocolate would typically be mildly toxic at approximately .33 ounces per pound of body weight, or one ounce for each pound of body weight would be enough to wreak havoc on the nervous system of a chocolate craving canine. Milk chocolate jumps to two ounces per pound of body weight before becoming seriously toxic. All in all, it’s best to satisfy your dog’s desire for chocolate with carob. 

2. Walnuts & Macadamia Nuts

Walnuts and macadamia nuts are another goodie that should never, ever be available to your dog. Not much is understood about just what it is about these two that causes the terrible effects, including seizures, tremors, vomiting and diarrhea, paralysis, elevated respiration and heart rate, an inability to stand or walk, excessive drooling, renal failure and death. Acorns also cause many of the same symptoms. Until we know more about what the causal factor is, best to not share the mixed nuts with your four legged buddy. Peanuts, remember, are not nuts, they’re beans, and they’re okay.

3. Raw Onions & Garlic

Raw onions and garlic are to be avoided as well. Even cooked they are suspect, although not as potent. They and other members of the allium family contain allyl propyl disulfide in the oil. It affects red blood cells by damaging the molecules of hemoglobin, causing anemia. Tricky, because garlic is often fed to get rid of fleas. Maybe there’s a connection and the fleas don’t want the affected red blood cells? Don’t ever let your dog have raisins or grapes. Just don’t. Renal failure can be the result. Very, very sad business.

4. Xylitol (Artificial Sweetner)

Never, ever, ever give a dog — or any pet — anything containing the sweetener Xylitol. It can cause liver failure within just days!

5. Fruit Pits

Make sure your dog doesn’t get those peach, plum, apricot, avocado, or other similar fruit pits out of the trash. The flesh is fine, but the pits are, well, the pits. They shouldn’t be eating avocado skins either.

6. Cooked Bones

Cooked bones are never, ever a good idea. Not boiled, baked, broiled, grilled, smoked or in any other way heat treated. It makes them brittle and dangerous. Raw meaty bones are another matter entirely, however, and most raw diet protocols include bones as an integral source of nutrition as well as being good exercise for those jaws and helping to keep those teeth white and tartar free.

7. Dairy Products

Milk isn’t exactly toxic to dogs, but they are essentially lactose intolerant creatures as a whole. Sharing some cheese isn’t likely to cause most dogs any real problems, but over feeding can bring on some nasty diarrhea. Yogurt, though, as long as it has active cultures present, is recommended by many knowledgeable dog nutritionists.

So, share with your dog, just please be aware and careful of the stuff that isn’t good for him, and keep a jar of activated charcoal and 3% household hydrogen peroxide (to induce vomiting if recommended) and a can of plain pumpkin (for diarrhea) on hand, as well as the vet’s phone number, and if you’ve got any doubt that something is okay for your dog to eat, well, that’s one of those things that googling can help you find out — BEFORE you share.