Dig licking plates before going into dishwasher - ick or not

[Happyspendingthedayinthegarden]

Have have hosted a lovely Easter BH Monday for all 7 GC, 3 step children, partners & children. We had an Easter egg hunt in garden, had breakfast in local farm shop & walked my lovely little dog around, petted animals etc.

For context I need to say that DSS & DIL are both British, but live in USA.

After a roast dinner I put the plates & general pots & pans down for the dog to lick. My DIL lost the plot saying that was so unhygienic I assured her that they would be going into the dishwasher on a high temperature - about 90c so would be sterilised. I always let the dog pre-wash my plates as consider it's going into the dishwasher at high temp to be sterilised so no problem.

DIL saying she will never let her children eat at my house again & gone-taken her DH & DC off in an huff.

DH has had a text from his son apologising but saying what can he do as has to support his wife. I totally get that. But....

My question is - is it OK to let dog lick out the plates etc when they are going into dishwasher at a high temp? WWUD?

Not gross for me. My dogs do it a lot 🤣🤣 I wouldn’t let them do it in front of guest though (although interestingly, a lot of guest do offer scraps off their plate to my dogs! And no they aren’t begging) because I know people can be weird about it. But I host A LOT of dinner parties off those dog licked then dishwashered plates….no one has ever been poorly yet!!!

We don't froth at the mouth and I adore our dog, she is well trained though and does not lick plates and cutlery

As I say, each to their own but please tell any guests that you allow this grim thing to happen and I bet they'll say no thanks fo anything offered from the grubby kitchen.

I’ve had dogs all my life. My dogs get food scraps when appropriate but in their bowls or on the floor, not from crockery. My Lab also tried to be the dishwasher (taking advantage when the door is open and I’m loading it) and I actively discouraged her.

I know that the dishwasher kills the germs, but the dog licking the plates still makes my stomach heave.

Let’s put hygiene aside, because everyone understands that a hot wash at 90°C will kill any germs.

I question the ethics of doing such a thing. I personally do not think it is right and would never have thought that it was a thing people do.
Wow, you learn something everyday!

I love my dog and he loves his food and is well fed. My dog is also greedy and an open dishwasher in the process of being loaded is beyond temptation for him. But I tell him firmly ‘leave it’ and off he goes and sits watching me load the dishwasher, longingly. Poor boy! But it’s not going to happen in my house and my dog is none the worse for it.

Having thought about why I have a problem with this, given that I am not one of the normally "ewwwww GERMS" people who won't eat home baking and do 20 bazillion loads of laundry a week.

It's boundaries. It's the fact that the OP is letting an animal lick the plates which are then being used by the humans, Dogs lick their own arses and eat all sorts of awful things, in most homes the dog has a special bowl (usually with its name on or similar) for its food, and another for its water. It is not the norm to use the same plates as you serve up the family dinner on to feed the animals.

It is disgusting and "grim" and all the other things that people have said.

I'm struggling to see the issue with this

How many people let dogs lick their hands and faces?!

Probably a lot of the people saying this is gross. Difference is the plates get washed afterwards....

We let our cats eat leftovers from dinner plates which then go in the dishwasher 🤷🏼‍♀️

I don’t know whether people are going to admit that though. It’s a bit like people not washing their hands after they’ve been to the toilet (and trust me, this happens a lot. Especially with men). They’re not going to tell people, ‘oh, btw, I’ve prepared and cooked this meal today, but please note that I used the toilet beforehand, and didn’t wash my hands….’. Same with the dog thing. They might let the dogs lick the plates after guests have gone, but aren’t going to announce it to people are they?

'It's boundaries. It's the fact that the OP is letting an animal lick the plates which are then being used by the humans, Dogs lick their own arses and eat all sorts of awful things'

Exactly, boundaries! If you have such slack standards in the kitchen god knows what else you let slip. Quick stroke of the dog whilst cooking, well what-s a few dog hairs in the casserole probs 'sterile' anyway. Dirty paws? Quick wipe with the dishcloth then rinse with anti bac hand wash it'll be fiiiiine .

I don’t worry much about germs but I definitely wouldn’t want to eat in your house again if I saw the dogs licking the plates. It would turn my stomach.
And are you absolutely sure it’s completely safe. I googled and got suggestions that it wasn’t.
https://www.countryliving.com/uk/wildlife/pets/a37845514/dangerous-let-dog-lick-plate/ www.countryliving.com/uk/wildlife/pets/a37845514/dangerous-let-dog-lick-plate/]]]]

I don’t let animals lick me either.

Because my toddler doesn’t go around licking butts and my dog does?!

Lots of over reaction. I don't let my dog do it but I would not have a problem with it. What germs exactly do all the outraged (sad) posters think dogs have that a dishwasher won't kill?

I had a friend do this. With her cat. Had I known she was like this I would have never gone to dinner at her home.

It’s gross OP.

It trivially obviously true if you have even the vaguest understanding of microbiology, but this abstract is useful.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9815415/

Bearing in mind that in dishwasher you’re also using a detergent and rinsing particles away, so you’re not solely relying on heat.

I'd agree if the OP put the licked plate straight back in the cupboard. But it is going through the DW. Think how many things your dog has done on the sly round your house without you realising. Or youve stroked it and its been rolling in something you haven't noticed. Remember a smell from a fart is just evaporated poo.

You can't get too stressed about it realistically in my view.

It’s really grim. The thing is, people with dogs just don’t see what those of us without dogs see. When I look at your dog all I see is dirt, slobber and hair. When you look at your dog you see cute little furry member of the family.

The dishwasher will most likely kill any doggy germs but I don’t want to see your dog licking the dishes I’m expected to eat from.

Just apologise, swear blind you’ll never let dog do it again and just let your dog lick the dishes when you don’t have guests.

As an aside, I keep my house clean, precisely because I have dogs. Lots of mopping and bleach and cleaning, it’s just what you have to do. But I have been to a dinner party at one particular friend’s house a few times, all good, clean, lovely. But, we had to go round once in an emergency and her house was filthy. Really, really dirty, the sort that took a long time to build up. And no, she definitely isn’t depressed or anything else. I think she only cleans when she has people round. That put me off I must admit…..

But the plates are going to be washed at a very high temperature. There really are some pathetic posters here

Wouldn't bother me in the slightest.

Really?
On another dog thread, someone admitted to giving her DH a blow job 20 min before meeting family for a restaurant dinner. And her fork would have been in her own spitty and spermy mouth. Yet you would be ok to put the same fork in your mouth after it was washed.

If you want the dog to lick the plates before you sterilize them in the dishwasher, fine, but why did you not just skip the plate-licking this once during their visit?? They didn't need to know about this and I'm not surprised if they found it gross. Maybe they overreacted but the whole thing should have been avoided.

Disgusting. Just no. 🤮

'I don’t know whether people are going to admit that though'

Well the plate licking dog owners on here don't seem to think there's anything wrong with it so surely they'd happily share with guests?