In this thread about dishwashers, I observed that we let our dogs lick off meal plates before putting them in the dishwashed. Another poster said their cats provided the same function.
I know my dad used to think this was a disgusting practice, which I never really understood. But I was wondering what you folks thought.
Are you kidding? That and keeping my floors clear of crumbs of tasty food is 9/10 of the reason I can’t wait to get a dog again! (Stoopid landlord.)
It’s kind of skeevy when you put it directly from the table to the floor, sometimes while the meal is still going on, as my parents have taken to doing. (They have completely ruined their dog’s manners when it comes to mealtimes, but that’s another story.)
I don’t have a problem with using dishes a pet has licked after they have been through the dishwasher though.
No problem as long as the dish goes into the dishwasher. (Or is hand-washed, whatever.)
I think it’s kinda gross when people allow their pets to eat at the table–which I’ve witnessed–but not because of the plates.
Animals should eat on the floor. Humans eat at the table.
I sometimes give the dogs leftover stuff from plates.
But, since we’ve moved and I have no dishwasher, I do dishes by hand. The dog’s slobber is really slimmy, and it takes about double the rounds with a washcloth to get all the slime off. Kinda makes you wonder if it all gets rinsed off in the DW.
Our dog is utterly disgusting and has put her mouth on everything in the house, so we don’t have to worry about germs on the dishes anymore.
It’s one of those things that’s only disgusting if you know about it. 
BTW I’m not a vet but my understanding from having had three dogs and three cats is that table scraps are not a particularly good diet for pets. From here I yield to the experts.
Pre-rinsing? Yes. Just licking a plate or utensil? No.
If you trust your dishwasher to take care of old rotten germs and bacteria from food, why not trust it to also clean off your pet slobber?
As far as table scraps for pets, I would never give enough table scraps to make a meal for a pet. A nibble here and there or licking up the sauces is ok … never enough to fill your pet up on people food and skip eating pet food.
At this point, there probably isn’t a surface in the house that doesn’t have trace amounts of cat fur on it, and all the fur is covered in kitty spittle, so a little more slobber on the plates isnt going to hurt us. Besides, the dishwasher does a fine job of cleaning everything, so I certainly don’t consider a cat pre-rinse on the dishes to be disgusting.
Thanks.
Awaiting the other side. . .
We are careful never to feed from the table. Instead, we take them into the kitchen (our kitchen is small and we usually eat in the adjoining dining room), remove any unhealthy stuff, put them on the floor, and make the dogs SIT before we release them and allow them to lick the plates clean. After we clean up, we fill their bowls.
In our minds, not only does it provide a useful service, but it confirms the dogs’ status in our “pack”, eating after us, lets them feel useful, provides a training exercise, etc.
Are you waiting for me? 
I suppose this is the category I fall into.
I wasn’t brought up with a household pet, and any pets I had as a young adult were ‘outsiders’. I never lived in a house where pets were allowed on the countertops, furniture, etc.; I think that’s why it would seem ‘out of place’ to have that going on. That, and I’m a control freak about my kitchen. In other words, I wouldn’t allow a pet to eat off of “people” dishes, just the same as I wouldn’t allow the use of “people” towels on pets. I’d use the doggie towels.
IOW, I don’t think I’d be thinking “disgusting”, but my inner child would say “ick”.
Please note that there is no value judgement in this post, and everyone else is free to do whatever they like with their dishes, their towels, and their pets. And I won’t give you the stink-eye about it, either.
My dog’s slobber is the most viscous, slimy, requires-a-sponge-and-soap-to-remove-from-the-interior-of-his-bowl type substance. Sometimes I worry that it won’t wash off in the dishwasher. And we let him lick out our ice cream bowls when we’re done. 
What’s the difference?
Boxer owner?
Slobberrific, they are. Sometimes foamy slobber flecked with bits of kibble. Perfect for a sneaky mouth-lick.
Ick. I know logically that the heat and soap should remove it, but it disgusts me. Could be because I am not a dog person at all, but I don’t like seeing it done, and yes, I think less-than-kind thoughts about what else people who do that might do hygiene-wise.
Maybe Aesiron is imagining a dog at the sink, hose in one paw, saucepan in the other. Perhaps s/he is rejecting the anthropomorphism of pets?
I dunno. I’m just as confused.
To respond to the OP, it was never a common practice in my household, mostly because feeding table scraps to dogs isn’t terribly healthy for them (although we occasionally would give into begging with a little piece of ham or cheese, resulting in our dogs’ horrendous table manners). However, I don’t find it disgusting. Bandit has licked and subsequently slobbered all over my face enough times (15 years worth!) that I don’t really get any gross icky cootie vibes from papillon slobbers. On the contrary, they are the cutest slobbers in the world. 
I know that my dog-lover friends probably do this all the time. And I’ll eat off their dishes, fine. But I don’t want to know about it – I don’t want them telling me, or showing me, God forbid.
Because, you know what, it is enough that they talk about their dogs eating poop and licking dog-ass in front of me. That is gross, and now inextricably linked with their dogs’ mouthes in my mind (also, explains the dogs’ breath. eewh). If they then associate their dishes with their dogs’ slobber, then those will be inextricably linked in my mind. Please, no.
Plausible deniability is all I ask.
We call him a Nigerian Bushhound, because we can’t figure out exactly what he is. He has the most gigantic mouth ever (this picture just shows him at “medium smile”), huge ears, medium sleek build with tan body and white belly/legs. Agile as the dickens, quick as lightning (he’s caught a bird mid-air—twice), definitely a hunter. He would be at home in Africa. He’s the love of my life! 
Our cats and dogs lick the plates. Then our biggest dog rubs his butt on the plates rather than the carpet. THEN we put them in the dishwasher.
I also wash my underwear with the bathroom towels.
Visit my house at your own peril
