My Friend Says I’m Harming My Dog, I Don’t Think I Am — Counseling Corner

Every Thursday we highlight a problem from a listener. We give our advice and ask other listeners to offer advice. Welcome to the Counseling Corner.

I am a dog owner.  I loved dogs forever, and have been an owner for the past 23 years.  Right now I have a 4 year old lab and he is my true companion.  I treat him right, and occasionally spoil him too.  This has recently drawn the ire of a friend of mine, who recently became employed at a vets office.

Sometimes, I give my dog a treat.  Sometimes that includes a small portion of table scraps.  It’s never a lot, and usually is just a small piece of meat.  My friend has seen me do it, and can’t believe I would do that to my pet.  He says that our food, isn’t meant for dogs.  It can cause liver disease, heart disease, obesity and can greatly shorten the life span of the dog.  While I don’t disagree with those points, I don’t give my dog NEARLY enough scraps to warrant such harsh criticism.

This friend makes me feel like I’m a bad dog owner.  I love my dog!  I walk him regularly, feed him high quality dog food, and only occasionally give him table food.  How do I respond to this?