Over the many years that I’ve had dogs in my life, their food preferences have all been different. Some are very finicky eaters, choosing to eat only the items they like. They’ll nudge foods out of the way that they don’t like, eat around them, or put them in their mouth just to spit them out again on the floor. Of course, I’ve had other dogs who don’t seem to care what they eat as long as they have plenty.

The food I provide Dusty and Kramer (my two Schnauzers) is always the highest-quality premium food on the market. In the early years, there weren’t many options, but we always tried to provide the best. My philosophy has become to spend my money on high quality food or end up spending my money at the vet on medicine later.

You might agree that there are perhaps too many options and choosing the right one can be daunting. Before we adopted our baby girl Dusty, I spent many hours researching food for her. I reviewed foods that are manufactured in canned form, dry kibble, dehydrated, dry raw and whole raw. I researched whole human-grade foods that would be appropriate, such as high protein meats, vegetables, and fruits. My research was very thorough and I now feel I am somewhat of an expert in canine nutrition. Well, I at least have enough knowledge to pass a test and receive a good grade. At the end of my research, I determined that I would use a combination of mostly human-grade foods and supplement that with some dry raw foods.

Now that I had made my choice, I had to determine what Dusty liked to eat and what she would ignore. Would Dusty be like a small child who refused to eat her vegetables, or would she prefer them over everything else? Since I started feeding her this type of diet when she was very young, she learned to like most everything. She is especially fond of green vegetables like romaine lettuce, green bell peppers, green beans and snap peas. She likes the seaweed combination that I blend for her and sprinkle on her food. She even likes broccoli, or as the character Newman from Seinfeld humorously stated, “Broccoli … that vile weed!”

For my boy Kramer, he is the pickier of the two. Though he loves to eat and will always finish his food well ahead of Dusty, he often refuses to eat any kibble or many of the vegetables that Dusty consumes readily. He will eat a little green bell pepper, but just try to give him another vegetable and he will look at you like you’re an alien. He won’t eat anything out of the ordinary, preferring to stick to cooked chicken with a few other veggies and blueberries hidden inside.

We never feed our dogs any table scraps or even feed them anything while sitting at the table. Table scraps can lead to all sorts of medical and health problems for a dog. Feeding them at the table leads to the annoying habit of having a dog stare at you the entire time you are trying to eat your meal. Admittedly, when I was a child, my dad fed our dog mostly table scraps. I would try to sneak in some canned food as well, though the canned food in those days was not much healthier than the table scraps.

Bandit grew up as a real Midwestern meat-and-potatoes dog. He liked eating the leftover roast and soup bone mom used to make her world famous vegetable soup. He liked to eat cooked green beans from the garden that dad always grew during the summer. His all-time favorite was mashed potatoes. He loved to eat them when they were warm and clumpy. He also liked a little milk and butter placed on top of them. Yes, I cringe today thinking about what we fed Bandit. But I will say, Bandit never had any ailments and lived to be 15-plus years old. Maybe it was his genetics or maybe it was the hearty diet that filled his belly and (as they say) stuck to his ribs. It was probably the genetics!

Yes, our dogs are a lot like us when it comes to food. Some are picky and some are not. Just remember, the healthier the food the better. Just stay away from chocolate, grapes, raisins, avocados, bread (dough), macadamia nuts, onions and garlic. Skip the diet drinks (which contain Xylitol) and alcoholic drinks, too. Sorry Fido, no beer or martinis for you!

What’s the strangest food your dog likes to eat? Do they like their veggies? Share your stories and pictures in the comments.

About Tim Link: This all-American guy loves to rock out to Queen while consuming pizza and Pinot Noir. He prefers to associate with open-minded people who love all critters. He is considered to be the literal voice for all animals. He is an author, writer, radio host, Reiki Master, animal communicator, and consultant. Visit his website.

Read more from Tim Link and more about dog food:

• Do Your Dogs Demand Cuddle Time Like Mine?
• Let’s Talk: Do You ALWAYS Leash Your Dog While Outdoors?
• Do Your Dogs Have Sensitive Stomachs?
• Dog Food & Dog Treats
• Wet or Dry Dog Food?
• How I Calculate Levels of Carbohydrates in Dry Dog Food
• Raw Food for Dogs: The American Veterinary Medical Association
• How to Choose a Healthy Dog Food
• Poisonous Plants and Foods for Dogs