to ban chocolate from the house if the kids can't be more careful with it?

[Songofsixpence]

Last week our dog managed to pilfer a whole batch of chocolate brownies, made with an awful lot of dark chocolate and cocoa powder

Result, very sick dog and a dash to the out of hours vet

He's fine now, and whilst he's never thieves food in the past, we had a talk with the kids about being more careful with food, especially chocolate

So, Monday I go out to the conservatory to hang up some washing before bed and find DD2 has abandoned a half eaten Twirl on the arm of the chair. Then yesterday morning, DD1 has been sorting out her school bag and I find a chocolate muffin (albeit wrapped in clingfilm) on the living room floor.

Spoke to them about not leaving food around and being very careful with chocolate, reminded them how sick dog was, but they were both so bloody blasé about it.

They're 10 and 14 so not littlies too young to understand the consequences properly. Is it really that unreasonable to expect them not to be so careless?

I am so bloody cross with them

I'm considering banning children from my house.

I'd rather that than chocolate and the constant battle over food being left lying around and dirty dishes in the bedroom (even though I expressly forbid it!!)

There's only the dog that listens to me.

OP that's annoying, I would be angry too in your shoes. Obviously the cost of the vet's bills must have been extortionate, but the suffering of the dog is pretty key here too. Do they understand that? I would go down that route really, and just say how disappointed you are that they were so blasé about that aspect. I understand thoughtlessness but this is serious!

10 and 14 ? Reading the post, I assumed that they were little ones.
I'd ban chocolate, cocoa and all chocolaty things. And maybe not allow them to have food outside of dining g room/ kitchen.

Poor dog.

this is the advantage of a very naughty (bad trained) dog who eats everything she can reach.
My kids are super careful with ALL food, have been since age 3.

Agreed, ban it. If they don't care how it's affecting the dog, they don't deserve to have it.

Hah, same here Queen, ours extended to toys too, so I also have super tidy DDs.

Puppies are gold dust really, for training children.

sorry no help in previous post, but half a twirl won't harm your dog or a single muffin. It would be the accidental mess that would irritate me from squashed food.

Oh your poor dog. Yy ban chocolate until they can be more responsible, or only allow it at the table, like I do with my 4 and 8 year olds?

I wouldn't ban it, but make a good only at table rule. I wouldn't eat a twirl on the sofa as wouldn't want any crumbs/ chocolate bits on fabric potentially. Here all food and drink it at the table only except water

Is this food that you've purchased or they have?

If you've bought it, then I'd just put a ban on chocolate for a month

If they've bought it with pocket money and left it lying around, then should another vets visit be required, it will be funded by their pocket money.

I would ban chocolate from the house too if they can't be bothered to think about the poor dog's well being. I'd also being informing them that if dog gets ill again due to their carelessness, they will be paying you back for the vets bill - in installments if necessary, and also clearing up any sick/poo accidents he has because of being unwell.

clearing up any sick/poo accidents

Probably the most effective form of punishment.

Or the very real truth that chocolate can kill dogs, linking to a story with such an ending?

Harsh but that's the reality and laziness and thoughtlesness (I'm sure that's a word....) aren't an excuse if the poor dog dies.

Thanks!

I think we've all become far too relaxed around food as he's always been so good. It's a wake up call for all of us

The original theft was my fault, I left the batch of brownies cooling on a rack at the back of the kitchen worktop but I had absolutely no idea he could reach up there and he's never stolen food. Fortunately I caught him in the act so he was at the vets within minutes

And yes, the vet bill was on the large side, thank god he is insured

The Twirl we'd bought, we usually have a few goodies in the cupboard, DD1 had bought the muffin at school the previous day but not eaten it

I know a Twirl and a muffin wouldn't hurt him, it's the carelessness. He'd just been very, very sick after eating chocolate and they still left it lying around

If they do it again, take them to the vets with you so the vet can tell them seriously and drive home how it can be fatal. Not saying you didn't say it seriously but sometimes kids listen more to a stranger!

Probably wise to give them the grape scare too, they are also extremely toxic to dogs. If they're as scatty as my two, you'll have to point out that raisins, currants, and sultanas also happen to be grapes.

Thanks all!

The kids did actually come to the vets with me. DH was out, I didn't know how long I'd be and the Vet was a bit 'get here, now!' So we just went. They sat in the waiting room, but dog was there overnight so they knew it was serious

Dog is due his jabs next week so I'll see if the Vet will have a word then, they might take it a bit more seriously if it's not just mum nagging again

And yes, grapes as well.