Dog Steals Kid's Food Every Time He's About To Use His Fork

Apr 08, 2021 by apost team

A dog may be a man’s best friend, but that doesn’t mean that our canine companions can’t be mischievous rascals. Whether it’s eating our homework or stealing the Thanksgiving turkey right off the table, dogs will do seemingly anything for a quick snack. When it comes to food, a dog’s mouth begins to water, their training goes out the window and they embark on a single-minded mission to take a big bite out of anything that looks even remotely edible.

That naughty behavior is on display in one well-known viral video. The video, posted online a few years ago, shows a toddler trying to enjoy his meal of what looks like peas and mashed potatoes. But there’s something big and brown looming over this young man’s shoulder that is going to make everything a bit more complicated. That big and brown object is a fully grown Weimaraner, a massive dog that was originally bred for hunting in the 1800s.

But the Weimaraner in this video is more of a thief than a hunter. Nearly every time the toddler tries to bring the spoon to his mouth, the Weimaraner intercepts him, chomping down on this baby’s plastic cutlery. For a split second the baby looks confused, if not a little alarmed. “Where did my food go?” his face seems to say. Then, perhaps realizing what’s transpired, the toddler lets out a cry. While we can’t seem to track down the video’s original source, this hilarious 20-second clip is just too good to pass up. Since it was uploaded, it’s sure to have brightened hundreds, if not thousands, of viewers’ days.

Many viewers quipped that the Weimaraner was actually doing his friend a favor. He’s not stealing the food, he’s tasting it just to make sure it’s safe to eat! The cameraman, presumably the baby’s father, doesn’t seem too worried about the dog’s mischievousness either. He doesn’t try to stop the dog or correct his behavior; instead, he chuckles behind the camera while his son looks utterly confused by what’s just happened.

As this video shows, dogs are experts at stealing food. In fact, there’s even a name for canine thievery — “counter surfing.” While it’s likely not a big deal in most cases, allowing your dog to steal food does have some negative consequences, according to the American Kennel Club (AKC). The main problem, as AKC columnist Kathy Santo explains, is that it reinforces bad behavior. If this is how every dinner goes for this baby and his Weimaraner friend, then the dog is simply going to learn that it’s OK to steal food. And while it might be funny in the beginning — and we admit, it is — no one wants a dog whining at the table and looming over the plates at every meal.

Another problem with feeding dogs leftovers, or letting them eat right off your plate, is that not all human food is good for dogs. In a 2016 PetMD Editorial, a veterinarian had this to say about sharing food with our four-legged friends.

“For example, I know a couple with a dog that begged at the table morning, noon and night,” the editorial reads.

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“They thought it was cute and loved seeing all the ‘tricks’ their dog would do just for a little scrap of food. One evening they were hosting a party and the guests thought that it was adorable to watch the pup spin and hop and beg everyone for treats — that is, until the owners found out their guests were giving grapes to their dog as a treat!”

Grapes, it turns out, are poisonous to dogs. Luckily, the family in this story got the dog to a veterinarian professional in time.

Finally, one potentially unforeseen problem with sharing human food with dogs is that they become picky eaters. Human food, as we know, can be delicious. And so if a dog gets a taste of your Bolognese sauce, there might be no turning back. They might love it so much that they won’t want their dry food. To be frank, we can’t blame them. But as the veterinarian above noted, human food just isn’t good for dogs, no matter how tasty it is.

“I have seen this happen more times than I can count; owners calling the vet office because Fido won’t eat his food, but he will eat chicken, beef, eggs or anything else they offer from the menu,” the expert explains.

“Generally if the vet can discover the dog’s eating habits, or the owners confess they feed Fido from their own plates, the answer is all too clear: Fido has decided he wants the ‘good food’ and not his generic kibble.”

The Fido in this video certainly seems to want the “good food,” even if it means stealing from his younger sibling. However, even if this video isn’t a perfect example of doggy parenting, it is sure to put a smile on your face.

What do you think of this video? Did it make you laugh? Is your dog a counter surfer? Let us know — and pass this story on to your animal-loving friends.