# Picking up dog food with one's toes. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 1, 2009, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/picking-up-dog-food-with-ones-toes/491590 "2009-04-01T16:58:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2009, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/picking-up-dog-food-with-ones-toes/491590/1 "2009-04-01T16:58:07Z")
I have long toes. As I was walking past the Piper Pups’ food bowl, there was a piece of kibble that somehow one of them had missed, lying on the floor. En passant, I picked it up with my toes and neatly put it back in the bowl. Didn’t miss a beat. For some reason, when I use my toes this way, it makes Mrs Piper say “eeh! freaky toes!” Seems quite normal to me. They’re just like fingers on your feet - why not use them to tidy things up on the floor, saving the wear and tear on the old back, bending over? Truly mundane and pointless. ---
**Author:** ![UncleRojelio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unclerojelio/32/3160_2.png) [@UncleRojelio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleRojelio)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2009, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/picking-up-dog-food-with-ones-toes/491590/2 "2009-04-01T17:02:52Z")
Normal here too. Saves strain on the back. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Surb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ce73a5/32.png) [@The\_Surb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Surb)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2009, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/picking-up-dog-food-with-ones-toes/491590/3 "2009-04-01T17:04:39Z")
I see no problem as long as you don’t lick them afterwards. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Devil\_s\_Grandmother](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/74df32/32.png) [@The\_Devil\_s\_Grandmother](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Devil_s_Grandmother)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2009, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/picking-up-dog-food-with-ones-toes/491590/4 "2009-04-01T17:19:12Z")
I dare say the dogs will take care of any necessary toe-licking. Have you asked Mrs Piper why she think’s it’s weird? I can’t imagine not picking things\* up with my toes when it’s possible. As an aside, you should give her Christopher Moore’s \*[Fluke](http://www.amazon.com/Fluke-Winged-Whale-Sings-Today/dp/006056668X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1238606253&sr=1-1)\*if she has not read it already. It should kill or cure her on the topic. \*things like pens, or small non-food objects. I don’t think I’d pick up a dropped piece of candy with my toes, even if it was wrapped. ---
**Author:** ![schnuckiputzi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecb155/32.png) [@schnuckiputzi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/schnuckiputzi)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2009, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/picking-up-dog-food-with-ones-toes/491590/5 "2009-04-01T17:20:50Z")
I used to be able to do this. Then, through a long life of klutziness, I have managed to break every toe (except the big ones) some of them repeatedly. They have healed in strange configurations, rendering them useless as picker-uppers. sigh. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2009, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/picking-up-dog-food-with-ones-toes/491590/6 "2009-04-01T17:21:13Z")
Weird…this morning I was eating some Peanut Butter Cap’n Crunch at my desk when a piece of it leaped out of my bowl on to the floor. My dog had just fallen asleep beside me so I picked up the piece with my toes, swung around in the chair and dropped it at her nose. Much tastier than dog food in the bowl, she seemed to say 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2009, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/picking-up-dog-food-with-ones-toes/491590/7 "2009-04-01T17:26:32Z")
Our entire family as pretty prehensile toes. The kids get it from both sides. My youngest could pretty much swing thru the trees by hers, and regularly curses me for her impressive pegs … ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2009, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/picking-up-dog-food-with-ones-toes/491590/8 "2009-04-01T18:10:31Z")
> [@The\_Surb](#): > > I see no problem as long as you don’t lick them afterwards. The toes or the dogfood? ---
**Author:** ![filling\_pages](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b9bd4f/32.png) [@filling\_pages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/filling_pages)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2009, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/picking-up-dog-food-with-ones-toes/491590/9 "2009-04-01T18:12:05Z")
Monkey toes, we call 'em. I once impressed \* a young lady by untying her sneakers with my toes. \*By which I mean “somewhat weirded out”, unfortunately. ---
**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2009, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/picking-up-dog-food-with-ones-toes/491590/10 "2009-04-01T18:17:37Z")
> [@schnuckiputzi](#): > > I used to be able to do this. Then, through a long life of klutziness, I have managed to break every toe (except the big ones) some of them repeatedly. They have healed in strange configurations, rendering them useless as picker-uppers. sigh. I’m the opposite. Breaking my toes increased my foot dexterity. My right foot pinky is so far rolled over it is practically opposable by now but still actually moves(although it is now binary, either all the way extended, or all the way in). Of course there isn’t a whole lot of grip strength considering it is my pinky toe and ring toe, but for things like car keys and lighter I can up-kick backwards, throwing it to my hands over my shoulder. ---
**Author:** ![Silver\_Tyger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/fbc32d/32.png) [@Silver\_Tyger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silver_Tyger)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2009, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/picking-up-dog-food-with-ones-toes/491590/11 "2009-04-01T18:21:40Z")
Word. My mom thinks it’s freaky, but she has stubby useless toes. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2009, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/picking-up-dog-food-with-ones-toes/491590/12 "2009-04-01T18:28:29Z")
Been using my toes like fingers all my life - but yeah, have met significant numbers of people weirded out by it. ---
**Author:** ![Anne\_Neville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Anne\_Neville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anne_Neville)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2009, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/picking-up-dog-food-with-ones-toes/491590/13 "2009-04-01T18:30:56Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > For some reason, when I use my toes this way, it makes Mrs Piper say “eeh! freaky toes!” She’s jealous. She wishes she could pick things up without having to bend over, too. ---
**Author:** ![PeskiPiksi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e495f1/32.png) [@PeskiPiksi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PeskiPiksi)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2009, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/picking-up-dog-food-with-ones-toes/491590/14 "2009-04-01T18:44:39Z")
Count me in, too. My husband yells “monkey feet!” every time he sees me do it. ---
**Author:** ![Anne\_Neville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Anne\_Neville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anne_Neville)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2009, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/picking-up-dog-food-with-ones-toes/491590/15 "2009-04-01T18:49:15Z")
I forgot to say when I posted earlier: I have been picking things up with my toes since childhood. ---
**Author:** ![Alastair\_Moonsong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3e96dc/32.png) [@Alastair\_Moonsong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alastair_Moonsong)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2009, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/picking-up-dog-food-with-ones-toes/491590/16 "2009-04-01T18:56:22Z")
Hah, I like this thread. I’m unique in my family because i have long, flexible, prehensile toes. Mom calls them “Chee-Toes” after the crunchy, knobby-looking cheese snacks due to the uncanny resemblance (well, except for color). The little bro calls them “pandemonium feet” following an incident in which a brain fart left him unable to recall the word “prehensile”. I foutinely use thm to pick up stuff off the floor, be it a pair of underpants, the TV remote, a pencil, or what have you. They’re quite handy _waves at STG_ ---
**Author:** ![Litoris](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/9f8e36/32.png) [@Litoris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Litoris)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2009, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/picking-up-dog-food-with-ones-toes/491590/17 "2009-04-01T18:58:31Z")
Meh…I probably use my toes/feet to pick stuff up off the floor more than my hands/fingers. It just makes sense if it’s something small and light – why bend over? So far, my husband hasn’t expressed any discernible preference for or against the use of my feet to pick things up, so I don’t know how he feels about it. I have extremely prehensile toes, and am exceedingly limber – have been known to turn on the lights with my feet when my hands were full (groceries, baby, whatever), so there ya go. My wolf actually pays attention to my toes when I am cooking, he knows if I drop something, I will point to it with my toe for him to lick up – he’s my portable, intelligent floor cleaner 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2009, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/picking-up-dog-food-with-ones-toes/491590/18 "2009-04-01T19:03:19Z")
I can pick stuff up with my toes too. Nice to know I’m not the only one! ---
**Author:** ![The\_Devil\_s\_Grandmother](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/74df32/32.png) [@The\_Devil\_s\_Grandmother](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Devil_s_Grandmother)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2009, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/picking-up-dog-food-with-ones-toes/491590/19 "2009-04-01T19:15:33Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > Been using my toes like fingers all my life - but yeah, have met significant numbers of people weirded out by it. The idea that some people are weirded out by this is just…weird. Aren’t these the same people who probably control the steering wheel with their knees or elbows occasionally? ---
**Author:** ![Rebo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rebo/32/13005_2.png) [@Rebo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rebo)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2009, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/picking-up-dog-food-with-ones-toes/491590/20 "2009-04-01T19:25:25Z")
Ok, have I got a story for you. Once we went to see the show [Esther’s Follies](http://www.esthersfollies.com/) in Austin. (Recommended by a Doper, IIRC.) We had been drinking a bit, and in a moment of silliness, I volunteered to go up in stage when the comedian asked for volunteers. (Normally I would be a bit too shy.) On the stage floor were placed various objects. A bowl of water, a towel, a big knife, a head of lettuce, a loaf of bread, a package of bologna… The comedian was seated in a chair, and I sat next to him. He proceeded to wash his feet, using soap and the bowl of water. He dried them off with the towel. He then began making a sandwich, asking me whether I wanted mustard or mayo. He used the knife to spread the mustard on the bread, and placed lunchmeat and lettuce on the sandwich. He cut the sandwich in half on a plate. He handed it to me. But I should say, he \*footed \* it to me, because he did all this with his feet!!! He made a freakin sandwich with his feet! All the while with a hilarious patter that kept everybody laughing. My part of the routine, of course, was to take a bite of the sandwich. 😃 He then wrapped it up in waxed paper, and placed it in a brown paper bag. With his feet. If you ever get the chance, go see Esther’s Follies. So many talented performers! (I gave the sandwich to a homeless guy on the street. He seemed grateful. :)) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/picking-up-dog-food-with-ones-toes/491590.md?page=2)