Our Alaskan Malamute, Meeko, has had a bit of a problem for the last week. He's had the runs. This is not like Meeko. He's usually very healthy and has no problems at all. We couldn't figure out what was happening. Today, something came to our attention that gave us the answer to our question.
Meeko enjoys lying on the lawn near the side door. There is lots of grass that keeps him cool and if he wants shade, he moves onto the verandah. It is a perfect spot for him - or so we thought.
Across from our side door lives a neighbor who adores Meeko. At one time she was bringing left over steak bones and other food over and feeding him. We asked her not to do it for two reasons:
1. Meeko should not be learning to eat from strangers. That is dangerous. It confuses dogs when too many people feed them as well. Food comes from the Alphas of the pack and the neighbors are not even in the pack.
2. Meeko should not be eating people food. We do give it to him, but we need to know how much he gets. We don't want neighbors giving him food that we don't know about.
Back to the story. This morning we noticed a lot of tiny bones on the lawn near the steps to the verandah. We knew that someone had fed him. We didn't know who, but we had our suspicions.
The next time I saw our neighbor, I asked her if she had been feeding Meeko. She said she had. I asked her again not to. She looked at me with an odd look and asked why? I explained to her that Meeko had a feeding schedule and when it wasn't strictly followed, he got the runs and sometimes threw up. She insisted that a treat once in a while wouldn't hurt him.
By this time my Irish temper was beginning to boil. Not wanting to cause hard feelings with a neighbor that we had always had an agreeable realtionship with, I bit my tongue. She went on to say that when they had left over food, they felt that Meeko should have it, as otherwise it would only go to waste. Again, I told her that Meeko had to be kept on his feeding schedule for health reasons. I explained that if she wanted to give Meeko a treat, she should knock on the door and ask first. She looked at me and said, "That is utter nonsense. Meeko can have treats if he wants to. He shouldn't have to have permission from you."
Sorry people. My Irish temper hit the roof. I told her bluntly and maybe just a bit rudely, "Don't feed my dog," and promptly walked away before I said or done something that I would later regret.
Later that afternoon, another neighbor asked me what had happened. Apparently the neighbor who was feeding Meeko had told her that I was rude. I proceeded to explain that I couldn't have her feeding Meeko food without asking my permission and that whatever she had feed him had given him the runs. This neighbor has a dog of her own and understood perfectly.
What is wrong with people? What gives this neighbor the idea that she can just walk onto my property and feed my dog after me telling her not to? This woman isn't young and foolish. She is almost 60 years old. It seems to me that she has no respect for me, or she would abide by my wishes. That was a surprise to me. I had always thought she was a nice person until today.
Please tell me your thoughts on this matter. Did I over react? I can't see where I did. Meeko is an important part of our family. Would she also feed my grandson something that he is allergic to.
Gentle readers, I would love to have your opinion on this scenario. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. After all, I don't want to be at odds with my neighbors.
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Comments: 29
On the other hand, you sure don't want bad feelings between you and your neighbor. As a teacher, I often have to be firm. But I've found that following up an incident like this one with a reaffirmation of friendship can actually stregnthen the bonds. I just make sure the other party understands that although the behavior in question is definetly not acceptable, I have the highest regards for the friendship.
I have a feeling that you'll smooth this over. She had to be told!
if that's the story then you did right.
Do the same with your left over food :just go to her and say: food shouldn't be waste, soooooo this is yours ! hehehe
love and light
Jessie, I was sooo angry. I had to walk away. She must have known I was angry. And then for her to tell the other neighbor I was rude. Agghh! The little bones weren't chicken or turkey bones, but I'm not sure if she knows that dogs can't have those. Meeko will take most food that is offered, so it is imperative that no one feed him but us. The boys do, but that is under supervision and always a doggie treat - never people food. I will avoid her for a few days and then try to talk to her again. Maybe it's the heat that has affected her.
Marinela, That is the story. I didn't say much at all because I knew if I started I would regret it. I just told her not to feed Meeko. I will approach her when we both have cooler heads. Yes, taking her our leftovers might get the point across. You made me laugh, which means my anger is dying.
Thanks Everyone for your comments and support. I appreciate it.
On another occassion I met a very nice lady (whom I became friends with) who was feeding my dogs. The neighbors had told her they had been abandoned! I had just moved into the house, BUILT A FENCE and brought my dogs home! Did the neighbors think the dogs built the fence by themselves? Did they think I had built a fence, tossed the dogs over and run off? Did they think I had also abandoned my car there? *shaking head*
Anyhow, I think you were well within your rights. You really don't owe her any apology - but of course, we have to try and get along with the neighbors. Even if they are crazy. LOL.
I thought you handled this well! A subtle mention of human food not being in the dog's diet should have been enough to make your neighbor stop. Sounds like she has issues.
Summer, I didn't think that anyone else would have had this problem. Thanks for your story and all of the advice. Why do people think that there are no rules in this world? I wouldn't think of going on anyone else's property and feeding their pet without permission unless it was in distress or danger. I love your description of abandoning the dogs by tossing them over the fence. It made me laugh. If she doesn't agree to stop feeding Meeko, I will tell her she will be responsible for any vet bills that are the result of him eating people food. We will see how she likes that. Thanks for the tips. They are very much appreciated.
Kathleeen, Thank you for the health information on dogs. I didn't realize that fatty meat could cause pancreatitis that can lead to seizures.
J A pot bellied pig would be a wonderful gift. LOL It could eat all of her left overs and maybe even some of her furniture. Sorry, that wasn't nice. You're right. She seems to have changed lately. I'm not sure what is going on there, but she is NOT feeding Meeko. Thanks for the support.
My grandparents and my parents also fed our dogs scraps. That is what they existed on and Prince, my grandparent's German Shepherd, lived to the ripe old age of 18 years. However, I can't remember ever giving him anything that had tomatoes on it. Thanks for your comments and support.
You did the right thing, and I think what "be just" said about approaching again to eliminate hard feelings is worth a try. If she still doesn't get it, take the gloves off.......
John, You are correct in stating that people should ask first. If I was offering a treat to a dog, I would first seek the permission of the owner. Only they know if their dog can tolerate certain foods. No matter whether we make peace or not, I will still insist that she not feed Meeko.
Donna You are absolutely right. Meeko depends on my husband and I to advocate on his behalf. He's a dog. Of course he's going to eat meat that is offered to him. I'm going to talk to her and if that doesn't work, I will have to take more drastic measures.
Thanks to Everyone for their comments and suggestions. Very much appreciated.
You are also right in not wanting Meeko to be used to eating food that people other than you give him. We have recently had a problem here where people were giving poisoned meat to dogs. I'm not saying your neighbour would harm Meeko, but you are wise to limit who is allowed to feed him.
Cat, Meeko is a working breed - Alaskan Malamute. I didn't realize that some foods can hinder a dog's smell. I will have to do some research on that. I certainly wouldn't want Meeko's sniffer to go on the blink. He runs around the neighborhood and has a ball sniffing everything in sight. LOL Seriously, I know about the canine diabetes. That is hard enough for me, let alone try to keep Meeko's blood sugar under control. He eats very little actually, just one meal a day and he is the perfect weight. The Vet warned us not to allow him to become overweight. Mals can have a lot of hip problems if they carry too much weight. Thanks for your feedback. You've made some good points.
Aileen, Yes, dogs are very smart and will tell on people in an instant. The fact that your dogs line up in front of people at meal time is a dead giveaway.
I'm going to make a list of all the advise given in the comment area and give it to my neighbor. I will explain that his is a list of reasons why she can't feed Meeko. Please keep your fingers crossed that she will agree it's for his safety and protection. If she objects, I may just lose it. That is something that I'd rather not do.
You did just right.