6 Reasons to Eat with your Dog

by Cheryl & Lila | Sep 5, 2025 | Healthy Dog Basics, Healthy Dog, Healthy Human: Nutrition First Foods, We Eat Together

Eating with your dog can be surprisingly beneficial—for both of you!

Here are some of the main reasons:

Strengthens Bonding

Sharing mealtime side-by-side builds your connection. Dogs are social eaters by nature, so eating at the same time as you mimics pack behaviour and makes them feel included. Humans are also social eaters and this is one of the best ways to get extra emotional nourishment during mealtimes.

2. Encourages Mindful Eating (for you both!)

Dogs eat with enthusiasm and presence—watching them can remind you to slow down and enjoy your own meal. I was once told by my naturopath to chew eat bite 32 times for each of your 32 teeth, this not only ensure that you food is well broken down, it also makes you eat slower. Eating slowly helps you eat less overall as you give your body time to feel satisfied without overeating.

3. Supports Routine and Structure

Dogs thrive on routine. Eating at the same time helps establish consistent schedules, which reduces stress for them. Humans also benefit from regular meals, so syncing up can improve your own eating habits as you are no longer waiting until hanger comes over and binge eating starts.

4. You will Eat Meat

When you prepare meals that are safe to share, you naturally lean toward lesser processed, real whole foods with more nutrient-dense ingredients. A dog’s diet is particularly healthy for those struggling with irritable bowels.

Meat is a superfood. We always get inundated with kale and açai berries being superfoods, but in reality the most nutrition is found in organic, free range meats.

5. Reduces Begging and Food Anxiety

Dogs who always see humans eating at different times may develop begging behaviours or food-related stress. Eating together signals that food is abundant and shared, helping prevent resource-guarding or overexcitement around meals.

As someone with a reactive and high prey drive dog who was technically bred for the army, food aggression is the one thing we do not have. Jealousy and curiosity over what you are eating yes. Sharing with another dog however, is no problem.

6. More Joy

Eating together can reduce loneliness and increase joy. Dog’s were blessed with joy and there’s no other species on earth that have more of it. Spending meal times with you dogs gives you more time with them, more time to soak in joy. And who doesn’t want more joy in their life?

I am a big advocate for sharing meals with dogs and they will always have a seat at my table.

Do you Eat with your Dog?

Leave us a comment and tell us your favourite meal to share.

Salmon Snacks

by Cheryl & Lila | Aug 30, 2025 | Dairy Free, Gluten Free, Healthy Dog Basics, Healthy Treats, Sensitive Dog Food, Snacktime

The Nutritional Power of Salmon for Dogs

Salmon isn’t just a tasty treat—it’s a nutrient-rich superfood that can support your dog’s health from nose to tail. It’s also hypoallergenic and a well worth a try for the sensitive dog who has food allergies.

Salmon swims to the top of the list when it comes to super proteins. It has:

Omega-3s for Joints, Skin, and Coat

One of the biggest benefits of salmon comes from its omega-3 fatty acids. These healthy fats help reduce inflammation, which is especially important for dogs with stiff joints or arthritis.

They also keep your dog’s skin hydrated and their coat shiny, reducing itchiness and shedding.

High-Quality Protein for Energy and Growth

Salmon is an excellent source of easily digestible protein, giving dogs the building blocks they need for strong muscles, tissue repair, and sustained energy. This makes it a great choice for active pups or those recovering from illness.

Vitamins That Keep Tails Wagging

Packed with B vitamins (like B12 and niacin), salmon helps your dog’s body convert food into energy, supports brain and nervous system health, and keeps their skin healthy. It’s also naturally rich in vitamin D, which plays an important role in bone strength and immune support.

Minerals for Whole-Body Health

Salmon is a natural source of selenium, potassium, and magnesium—minerals that help regulate your dog’s thyroid, support heart health, and maintain overall balance in the body. Selenium, in particular, is a powerful antioxidant that protects cells from damage.

Delicious and Nutritious

This two ingredient salmon recipe can be used as a meal, or as a frozen treat. It’s simple, easy and with proper storage makes dinner and snack time, a breeze.

The obvious ingredient is of course salmon, so what is the other one?

Carrot tops. Yes, these green tops add a sweetness to the salmon.

The Nutritional Benefits of Carrot Tops for Dogs

Carrots may get all the spotlight, but their leafy green tops are just as nutritious—and often overlooked. Carrot tops are packed with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that can support your dog’s overall health. Plus, they’re a sustainable way to make use of the whole vegetable, reducing food waste while boosting nutrition.

Vitamins That Support Wellness

Carrot tops are rich in vitamin A (as beta-carotene), which supports eye health, immune function, and skin integrity. They also contain vitamin C, an antioxidant that helps protect cells and supports healing, as well as vitamin K, which plays a role in blood clotting and bone strength.

Mineral-Rich Greens

These leafy greens provide essential minerals like calcium, magnesium, potassium, and iron. Together, these nutrients support everything from strong bones and teeth to healthy red blood cells and proper muscle function.

Antioxidants & Chlorophyll

The deep green color of carrot tops comes from chlorophyll, a compound linked to detoxification, fresher breath, and improved digestion. Paired with natural antioxidants, carrot tops may help reduce inflammation and protect your dog’s cells from damage.

Carrot tops are the perfect addition to a broth. Broths are known to be rich in vitamins and minerals because the low simmer extracts them from the plant, into the water.

The Recipe

Ingredients:

1 handful of carrot tops
1 salmon, bone in, head on, guts removed.
Water to cover.

How to:

Place Salmon and Carrot tops in a pot and cover with water.
Bring to a boil, and turn down to a simmer.
Let simmer for 2 hours. The Salmon will be cooked long before, but the longer simmer extracts the minerals and collagen from the bones.
Once cooled, peel the flesh, skin and fatty parts from the bones. Remove the carrot tops, its easiest to leave them whole for this step.
You are left with a soupy salmon mixture that you can serve as a topper, meal or freeze into fun shapes for snacks.

Tips:

When you let the broth cool, it will turn jelly like. The jelly is collagen and extremely healthy for your dog.

If you want to have the salmon flesh for a meal or snack, it will easily peel off the bones which you can let simmer for longer for the collagen and minerals to be fully extracted.

As a topper:

Place as much of the salmon mixture on top of your dogs regular food.

As a meal:

Dogs do very well off of protein and this can be served as a meal as is.

As a frozen snack:

Freeze the salmon mixture into fun shapes that your dog can eat as nutritious snack. Lila has always loved ice and this is a flavour-packed, nutrient-rich ice cube.

Does your Dog like Salmon?

Leave us a comment, send us a photo and otherwise bark at us if you have tried this recipe.

My Dog’s Food Healed my Irritable Bowel

by Cheryl & Lila | Aug 23, 2025 | Daily Dog Meals, Gluten Free, Healthy Dog Basics, Healthy Dog, Healthy Human: Nutrition First Foods, IBD

Ever since I was little, I had an irritable bowel. I was always sensitive to foods, but it wasn’t until I was much older that I was able to connect the dots.

A nutritionist introduced me to Low FODMAPS. It refers to a type of diet that limits certain carbohydrates that are poorly absorbed in the gut and can cause digestive discomfort.

FODMAP is an acronym for:

Fermentable
Oligosaccharides (fructans, galacto-oligosaccharides found in wheat, grains, onions)
Disaccharides (lactose in milk, soft cheeses)
Monosaccharides (excess fructose)
Polyols (sorbitol, mannitol, found in some fruits, vegetables, and artificial sweeteners)

These carbs ferment in the large intestine, which can trigger:

Gas
Bloating
Stomach pain
Diarrhea or constipation

At first, you may feel like there’s nothing left to eat but there is in fact plenty to create with.

So how does this all relate to my dog’s diet?

Good question! It turns out that Low FODMAP food choices, AKA: gut healing foods— are shockingly similar to healthy dog food.

If you’re here, you know I love to cook for my dog. I am much better at cooking for her than I am myself. When I can do both at the same time, it’s a win-win!

Can Dogs have Irritable Bowel Disease?

Yes. They can. Any irritable bowel such as diarrhea, upset tummy, constipation, itchy skin, allergies and chronic infections can be due to IBD.

I have IBD, but luckily my dog does not.

Lila has a rock hard olympic level digestive system that I find myself very jealous of on a regular basis. And although she has certainly dug up frozen onions from the garden and chowed down of them before I could get to her— I would rather her eat healthier choices that have no known toxicity. (She completely disagrees!)

Scroll for the recipes: ↓

My top Gut Healthy Foods

Pumpkin
Yams
Organic, Free range meats
Wild Fish
Bone Broth (the dog friendly kind linked here… no onions!)
Zucchini
Carrots
Celery
Spaghetti Squash
Apples
Bananas
Broccoli
Peppers

Notice the similarities to your dog’s grocery list?

FODMAPS are generally considered safe for dogs because they are low in sugar and complex carbs, the things that are toxic and cause weight gain.

So what do I eat in a day on a Low FODMAP Dog diet?

Keep reading to find out:

Mornings are better with the sounds of paws on the floor and the smell and sight of something tasty on the table. Breakfast is when sleepy yawns turn into wagging tails — the first chance of the day to fuel up and sneak a few bites of something wholesome together.

Breakfast: Omlettes

My Mums wants me to eat eggs. They are not my favourite but when she rolls them up and shares hers with me, I eat it.

Eggs have never been Lila’s favourite. They are a superfood for both of us and quick and easy to make. With most foods, as long as I eat them, she will too. So we have breakfast together.

Step by Step Instructions

Ingredients for Two Omlettes

4 Eggs
2 Mushrooms, chopped
1/4 cup zucchini, chopped
1/4 Red pepper, chopped

Omlettes are a quick breakfast and if you mess up the roll, its still a delicious scramble. I always find it easier to roll awar

Step 1

Sauté veggies together with a pinch of salt until soft. Remove from heat.

Step 2

Beat 2 Eggs together in bowl. In a clean medium sized frying pan (non-stick is easiest) add eggs into the pan and let cook on low heat.

Step 3

As the eggs firm in the pan, place 1/2 the veggie mix on the edge of the pan closest to you.

Step 4

As the eggs firm in the pan, place 1/2 the veggie mix on the edge of the pan closest to you.

Step 5

Use a spatula and gently roll the mixture away from you, until you have a roll of eggs and veggies.

Let sit in the pan on low heat until firm.

Step 6

Repeat for the next omelette and enjoy!

Nutrition

Choose Organic Free Range whenever possible.
- Free Range Chickens eat grasses, weeds, and bugs → higher omega-3s, carotenoids, vitamin E.
- Sunlight exposure: More vitamin D in yolks.
- No corn/soy heavy feed: Reduces omega-6 dominance.
Perfect Protein: Eggs are a phenomenal protein source for dogs and provide a perfect protein.

By the time lunch rolls around, the morning’s adventures are behind us and the afternoon is still wide open. It’s the perfect moment to pause, refuel, and enjoy a snack that keeps us going for the rest of the day.

Lunch: Kombocha Squash and Chicken Soup

Squash is meh. Chicken is good! My mums mixes them together because she says it helps me poop good. I’m always telling her there’s more to life than pooping.

Kombocha Squash not only soothes the digestive tract but it also helps keep poop healthy- easy to make and easy to get out. Lila does not like squash but will eat it mixed with chicken.

Step by Step Instructions