Friend lets toddler and dog share food??

[SydBound27]

My friend has an 18 month old dd and a small dog. I've seen on multiple occasions the dog having a good bite/lick/slurp of the toddler's food, and the toddler just going back to eat it. The mum sees it and lets it happen no qualms.

I'm not a dog owner now but grew up with a dog and we were always told to wash hands after playing with the dog in case of worms etc if we eat afterwards. Love dogs but there is no way I'd let one share my toddler's food!

AIBU to think this is not only disgusting but also a potential health hazard for the toddler?

YANBU. My dog will sniff/eat/lick all sorts of things which I wouldn't want anywhere near my mouth. One example of things he sees as a 'tasty snack' - the cats' hairballs if I don't get to them in time - is enough to illustrate why this is a bad idea. Even more so for a small child who will be more susceptible to bacteria.

Well I'd not let a dog round a toddlers food because I don't think dogs should be helping themselves to it...

But health wise, nah, they live in the same house, you get all the same germs and bacteria anyway.

Dog licks balls, licks lolly, kid licks lolly .... yeah, nice, no problem ....

That’s horrible

I spent early childhood sharing things with various dogs - a lick for you, a lick for me- back in the 70s. Never had worms. Ever. Never caught anything. Got an ace immune system too.

Not only disgusting and unhygienic but also unsafe. One day the dog may suddenly become territorial around a piece of food it perceives as theirs even though this is not the case and snap at the toddler/child.

Germ-wise I wouldn't freak out; our DCs have grown up with cats, dogs and rabbits so the germs wouldn't bother me, but from a behaviour point of view a dog shouldn't be allowed to behave that way because it teaches them that they're the same as the child.

In our house we have a rule that the dog doesn't beg at the table or get scraps from plates. Others feel differently but I'm strict on the fact that the dog is a dog and doesn't need to be treated like a human.

Not just unhygienic but dangerous. Dogs +dc +food shouldn't mix - and def not literally!! Urgh! We have multiple dc and 4 ddogs but both know they can't share!! Ds 3 can eat sweets /biscuits and they know not to steal!! And ds is a vegi so knows not to eat the dog food!!

I should add it's actually my friend's sister who I've known a long time but not really close enough to ask "are you serious?!" when it happens..

And yeah, where has its tongue/ mouth been before that? So gross..

Kind of think the mum is attempting to be uber relaxed about everything, which i get, but it just looked so gross!

The hygiene issue is a bit off but I'd be more concerned about the dog getting protective over food and possibly snapping. I can't let anyone apart from myself approach our dog when eating.

While the hygiene issue is an issue, I would be more concerned about the dog not knowing it’s boundaries with the child which could end up in the child getting bit or worse at sone point.

I like dogs but I don’t like them begging for food. I would never feed a dog off my plate or share food. I’ve had badly behaved dogs snatch things off my plate and out of my hands. I think its mealtimes should be kept separate.

My toddlers have eaten many questionable things. And without me catching it in time have given the dog a lick before finishing it off. What am I going to do? Scream and cry? Or just go 'hmmm, for my own sanity I'm going to pretend I didn't see that'.

Yes it's gross. Toddlers are gross.

And for the record:

• dog knows not to approach child for food but unfortunately child approaches dog and offers
• child occasionally escapes into house with biscuit or similar, I can't police every second of their eating with3 toddlers in the house. Dog finds biscuit on floor, has a good munch then child gets it back again - I'm too busy with a million other jobs that particular 10 seconds to notice
• can't lock dog out of house during child waking hours or mumsnet vigilantes will call RSPCA and annihilate me online

Hi @christmoose i think that's all in thr realms of normal, right?

I was shocked that it wasn't a "whoops i didnt get there in time" moment in any sense..

Thanks all!

If you don't have a dog how else do you make sure all dropped , thrown wheatabix is removed before it turns to concrete?

I think most parents would agree that toddlers are hard enough to keep an eye on so I would say the biggest issue here is with the dog and its training and eating human food is really unhealthy for them anyway! I know I wouldnt exactly be fine with this happening with my child but once its happened its happened and hopefully it just gives my child an extra immune boost!