Is my maltese prone to be allergic to certain foods?
Is there some specific foods that my maltese MAY NOT have? I never feed him table food, but sometimes stuff falls on the ground and he gets to it too quick. I know shitzus can't have grapes or rasins. Any idea for a maltese?
It is not just shih tzus that can’t have grapes and raisins. No dog should have grapes and raisins (especially in excessive amounts) because it causes kidney problems. Chocolate is also bad for all dogs and with too much (depending on size, weight, and the individual dog) will kill the dog. Caffeine also isn’t good for dogs since it increases their heart rate which can be fatal. Garlic should only be given in small quantities because too much can be dangerous (although small amounts are healthy).
You may want to teach your dog a leave it command and a take it command. This way when something falls on the floor, if you say leave it your dog will not touch the food but will be rewarded by getting something from your hand. To teach this, have a not so yummy treat in your hand and say leave it. Every time your dog advances towards it when it is presented, pull your hand away. Lower your hand again saying leave it and draw it away if your dog advances. When your dog doesn’t advance say yes, take the treat away and give a better treat (Benny Bulleys are good) from the other hand. You will have to work with this a lot outside of dinner time. Start with using a closed fist around the treat, work your way to an open hand with the treat on it, then to the treat on the floor. Eventually you will be able to drop treats on the floor around your dog, saying leave it, and your dog won’t even go near them because he will know that if he leaves them he gets the better treat from you as well as he gets rewarded by pleasing you. Take it (in my family we use fair game) is a command telling your dog that the thing on the floor is available for the taking. You can do this with your dog’s supper. When you go to give him his dinner, tell him to sit and stay or wait. Then put the food bowl down and get him to wait until you tell him take it for him to eat his food.
Some safe and healthy snacks for dogs are carrots, cucumbers, and most other vegetables.
Good luck!