I think there’s a reason why Lucy loves the HH just a wee bit more than me. And I think it has everything to do with the fact that he lets her clean his plate {or bowl} after practically every meal. This of course is also the reason Lucy is a bit of a chunky monkey as well, but that’s not what today’s post is about. š
I’m just curious, do you let your pooch pre-rinse your dishes, or does the thought of it give you the heebeegeebees?
Have a good one,
~Mavis
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Lynne says
We kinda do the same as your HH. There’s always a “little bit” left on the plate/bowl for Boydog.
Lynne says
Hi Lynne, itās Lynne š
Personally Iām not fond of the idea. But my last dog was allergic to everything so I couldnāt have shared with him anyway.
lmhoov says
hi Lynne! It’s not too often i see another Lynne with an “E” on the end! Our poodle has just started suffering from allergies at the age of 13…but they are seasonal…so we think.
Barbie says
Depending on the meal, Miss Roxanne gets to clean my plate. If it’s something I know won’t sit well with her, she gives me a death stare and puts, lol!! She’s a spoiled little diva dog!!
Rachel says
I love this question because Iāve always wondered what other families do. When I was growing up we had a wolfhound mix who cleaned the dishes for our family of 5. One time my great grandmother was visiting and when she saw me put the plates down for the dog I got SPANKED!! Looking back I realize that she had lived through the Depression and probably thought it was wasteful or something? I never thought it was weird until I got in trouble for it
Lisa Millar says
hahahaha – love this! How can you resist letting the gorgeous Lucy do the first rinse for you!!
Pip, being Siamese, is the kind of cat that will try to steal your food on the way from your plate to your mouth if you weren’t paying attention!
He LOVES doing the first rinse on the ice cream bowls. We don’t let him do too much of that kind of thing as he has dietary issues – but its hard to always say No as he enjoys it so much.
After the dessert bowls are put down, you can just see that pointy little nose questing in their direction!!
Nah… no heebie jeebies. Everything washes!! š
Linda says
My dogs definitely pre rInse our dishes.
Robin in WI says
We don’t have a dog at the moment, but I’d have no problem with a dog or cat licking our plates pre-wash. š But we don’t do it as certain things including sauces, seasonings, and some produce are not good for animals. For our cat, being an obligate carnivore, whenever we have steak, hamburger, or pork we first prepare a small, plain portion for Dora then make ours with butter and seasoning. She greatly enjoys this and we’ve noticed her teeth are cleaner from chewing on fresh meat.
Sue says
ha! ha! No, my dogs don’t get to do a pre-rinse on my dishes although I’m sure they would love it if I would let them.
Kari says
Guilty
Rachel says
Ok one more quick pertinent story. My grandmother (not the one I mentioned above…) told me a story once about a friend who had neighbors that consistently stopped by around dinner time. After inviting the neighbors to eat with them several times, my grandmotherās friend noticed a pattern and didnāt want to be rude, so instead of not making room at the dinner table, they let the dog lick the dishes and put them right into the cupboard after. The neighbors didnāt stop by after that… Iāve always wondered if this was an urban legend or an actual story? Knowing my Gram and her friends I wouldnāt doubt it!
Shari Harniss says
I heard the same story years back!
Susan says
Haha, my Dad told a version of this story about an old rancher in Wyoming whose relatives overstayed their visits. When the relatives tried to clear the table at the end of supper, the plates were all glued to the table. The rancher whistled for his dogs, who came bounding in and licked the plates clean. No more overstayed welcomes. Haha, definitely one of those stories that gets re-told with different twists and details.
Cat says
Completely guilty, I have spoiled my dog with ice cream to the point I have to fight her for the bowl or give she gets her own ice cream now.
Katie says
Nope. No no no. I can’t anymore. It grosses me out so much. I can’t even stand watching her lick the floor if my toddler drops food from the high chair. Ugh and the sound! I’m pretty sure it’s pregnancy hormones that have changed this about me over the past few years. But I don’t know that I’ll ever change back. My dog licks *other things* with that tongue, and I don’t want to think about those other things being on my dishes. lol
Jeanine says
I hope HH uses hot water to wash your dishes afterwards. Iām sure Lucy gives HH her wanting eyes at every meal.
Suzanne says
No, but We do give them the very last bite off the fork or our fingers which is basically the same thing.
Mary Beth says
No, but because he doesn’t get people food.
K says
I’ll scoop any dog friendly food into her bowl. I know the dishwasher would thoroughly clean them, but it still grosses me out when I see dogs lick the plate.
debbie in alaska says
Yep – as long as there are no onions or garlic or other problematic foods and it’s usually very little food … like just a few licks and “all gone”
MB says
That’s a hard no for us- i think it started for me too when i got pregnant (15 years ago!)
Mavis- on a side note- my family loves your recipes so much- any chance you’d do a cookbook for all of us fans???
Susan says
We do sometimes depending what’s on the plate that might not be good for them. We never do when our son who is a vet tech is around as we get an eye roll from him. He says that’s a no no. Vets and their ilk are no fun.
Lindsey says
I was very ill for a long time and my dog would lie next to me or next to the toilet when I was throwing up from the meds. I would let him eat off my plate first if he wanted that! (Not really, but you get my point.)
Jennifer says
Belle was welcome to any leftovers, provided it wasn’t bad for her or too much. The dishwasher is going to kill anything bad on the plate and besides, if I let her lick my skin, why are dishes any more precious? I couldn’t get my shower hotter than my dishwasher anyway.
Ruby says
A definite NOPE. It doesn’t give me the heebeegeebees……its not healthy for her. Don’t worry, I spoil her in sooooo many other ways…..homemade biscuits, long daily walks, endless attention……the list goes on! LOL!!! š
Granny B says
Funny story:
Some of our friends in Florida have some neighbors who live down the street. One day a couple from a block or so away happened to be out walking and stopped and started talking to our friends neighbors as they were getting hone from work. The walkers wouldnāt stop talking so the neighbors invited them to stay for dinner. The walkers then showed up at the same time every day and stayed for dinner. The neighbors couldnāt believe this was happening and decided since it had been going on now for over 2 weeks they had to come up with a plan. So the next day, sure enough, the walkers came as they did every week day. They all ate dinner, the neighbors finished and put their plates on the floor for the dog. Once the dog was done, they picked the plates up and put them back in the cabinet!! The walkers never stopped for dinner again!! Lol š
Mavis Butterfield says
HILARIOUS!!!!!
Sue says
That reminds me of the joke: little old lady invites friend for dinner.
Friend notices specks on the dishes before they eat, and after dinner gently tells little old lady that her dinner was great but her dishes aren’t getting fully clean.
Little old lady says “Well, they are as clean as soap and water can get them!”
And then proceeds out into the yard to call the dogs in: “Here, Soap! Here, Water!”
Renay says
We have a cat and yes we do on. If my mother sees this, I am in big trouble.
Jeanie says
No. My two older ones are on special diets and if they have table food then they donāt want to eat their dog food. My little one would love it but I donāt want to add to any dental issues she might have with people food. I donāt really have a problem with it though.
Lynda says
My friendās dad was a retired veterinarian. The dog ALWAYS licked the plates clean. Then they went right into the dishwasher. One night my friend said they were eating dinner and his father saidā oh, I didnāt turn the dishwasher on last night because it wasnāt fullā and his sister said ā well, I unloaded it this morning because I thought it was call cleanā….and there they were, eating off the unwashed, dog licked dishes…!
Cecilia says
ROFL
Jen says
Nope, that gives me the heebie jeebies. But we don’t let our dogs lick us or sit on the furniture either.
Vickie says
Yes we do. Two big German Shepherds love this. I use sanitize on the dishwasher.
Linda Practical Parsimony says
The idea disgust me! I don’t care if boiling water is used to wash them. Sorry, just me, I suppose.
Lisa says
Right there with ya. So gross.
Linda Sand says
I don’t think people food is good for dogs; it tends to lead to people diseases. That said I did feed my mother’s dog a bit of bacon from my bacon cheeseburger using my fingers to do so when they were visiting us one evening. But, I really cringed when my grandmother fed her dog M&Ms.
Cheryl says
That is a big a big no from me. My husband used to until I said I was going to buy him his own dishes.
Debi says
Our vet is not a fan of dogs eating people food and our dog had some food sensitivities when he was younger so we don’t let him lick the plates.
Rebecca Anne says
THis is So nasty!! I canāt believe people would LET their animal eat off their dishes. Id NEVER want to touch the plate again! Ewwwww. Definitely in the Heebeegeebees camp!
CHRISTY ROSE says
We have boxers and they always “pre rinse” our dishes. It saves so much scrubbing when I have a really caked on crock pot or a baking pan. Of course I use common sense and if there are onions involved they don’t get those dishes.
Shari Harniss says
We have a boxer, too! (The best dogs EVER!!) She pleads with her eyes as I remove the dishes from the table to the sink are. She is our pre rinser. All of our boxer’s enjoy it. If eating cat poop won’t kill her, how can a bit of leftovers?
Emily says
My last cat used to always lick out my ice cream bowl when I was done. Husband 100% was aware of this practice. The one time we ran out of clean cat bowls and I put a people bowl full of water down for the cat, husband was totally grossed out. I have no idea what the difference is.
Candice says
Hi Mavis!
My kitty (her name is Lucy too) is very very pampered and spoiled! I don’t think she would last one day in the wild if she had to fend for herself. Having said that, I always let Lucy have the leftover milk when I eat cereal. It is the only thing she will actually beg for. I put any bowls or plates that she drinks or eats from in my dishwasher which always has the sanitize feature on. My son came to visit from out of state a few months ago with his 9 month old German Shepherd who is very well trained and is not allowed to have people food. I am a very bad grand-dog-mother because I snuck him a few bites here and there. š
joanne says
no – because if the dog thinks it’s ok to eat off human plates, can you really get mad if they steal food off the table or counter (think turning your back on your roast turkey). If there are leftovers that are safe for dog, they go in his dish.
Rory says
One of my two has a sensitive stomach. But occasionally I’ll let them “clean” caked-on mess. It also makes me a feel a bit weird. But when i run through dishwasher on sanitize it can’t have done the dishes any harm, right?
Also, I think about going to restaurants and all the other people who have eaten off the plates and handled them. In my mind, my plates are probably ‘safer,’ even if a dog licked them.
diana says
Yes, if it is something that’s good for dogs. She doesn’t beg or try to take food from the table or counter, so I think I’m giving her a nutritious treat without reinforcing any undesirable behaviors.
As for cleaning the plates, when I think of where some peoples’ mouths have been, and then they go to the kitchen and use cups, silverware and plates, or go to the bathroom and brush teeth or get a drink, I’m not worried about the dishwasher being able to sanitize the plate my dog has licked.
Kristen says
Team Pre-rinse!
Our indoor dog is an earthy part of our lives and their mouths are full of microb-fightingness.
Think of how much cleaner your dishwasher can be!
Keep calm and find something else to get the shivers about. š
Shari Harniss says
Amen, Kristen!!!
Jim says
Guilty as charged! That’s why we have hot water and a sanitizing rinse, and walk them 20 miles a week :).
I hope that you guys are doing well!