Cooking with pets

[phantomcg]

Baby Gates!! I would never have a minutes peace in the kitchen without them (and we don't have any kids, well, any human kids anyway). We have 2 dogs and 3 cats and baby gates have been my sanity saver. The cats aren't really too bad in the kitchen, they just sit down and talk to me while I cook. Somedays I can get the dogs to stay away just by "giving them their marching orders" but if I'm making something that they love (bacon comes to mind), it's put up the baby gate or put them outside.

Cheryl

[RunnerKim]

Pets certainly can make cooking more adventuresome! I have 1 dog (golden retriever ~60 lbs) and 2 cats that love to help me cook. For some reason if I'm chopping veggies or grating cheese, they all show up instantly (hmmm, wonder if that has to do with my less-than-precision style).

One night while shortly after my husband and I had gone to bed, we heard this loud thump come from the kitchen, followed by the tell-tell sign of a cat jumping down from the counter. We both continued to lay there of course waiting for the other one to go check it out. Finally I get up but couldn't find anything on the floor (and the cat was long gone). My husband finally joins me and then I notice - 1 of the 3 large sweet potatoes I'd baked and left cooling on the stove top had disappeared! We tracked it down all the way in another room, in the cat's crate (where we feed him). At least if he was going to steal food he took it to the proper place - but a sweet potato that must have weighed half as much as him?!!

Kim

[SueK]

We have two bassets, and they are both big pigs. The female is the one we have to keep an eye on; she is always getting underfoot when I'm cooking.
One night I was grilling burgers on my Healthgrill inside, and my husband and daughter were outside. I put a bun on everyone's plate, and then went upstairs for a minute. I walked back into the dining room and saw empty plates and thought to myself "Now didn't I just put the buns out?" I thought I was losing it. Then I looked down and saw our female licking her lips, with a few crumbs beside her. She had jumped up and ate the buns off every plate!

[Holly S]

I live in a really REALLY small house, with more of a kitchen-ette than a kitchen. My husband and I have delineated this by having no carpet int his area, and I swear I spend most of my time cooking saying, "Out of the Kitchen", and pointing. Which of course lasts for all of about 10 seconds.

When I was little we had a Golden that had a thing for Cream Puffs, which my mother made alot of. Anyway for my sister's 16th b'day my mother made 100 cream puffs (full size even) and put the shells on the dining room table to cool before filling them. While we were out the golden got on the table and ate all 100 shells. I thought my mother was going to murder the dog!

[Natasha]

MrsR - all riiight! I saw someone mention this as a topic on another thread, and am glad to see that you started one.

No babygates so far in our house, but I've been thinking seriously about it lately. Whenever we fry anything or if anything is boiling on the stove, I'm super paranoid about a dog underfoot! (Well, not really underfoot - he's rather large for that http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif .) Another Golden, by the way!
He isn't usually much of a beggar, though, because he never, I mean never, gets table scraps so he doesn't really know how good a lot of "person food" tastes! (Luckily he hasn't taken up jumping up and helping himself http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/wink.gif ) That means, though, that I don't have any amusing stories to share http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/redface.gif .
I enjoy my dog's company when I cook. He loves to plunk himself down by one of the entrances to the kitchen and watch. Pets make any home cozier, don't they?


[This message has been edited by Natasha (edited 08-31-2000).]

[JodiL]

I have a chocolate lab that lays down at my feet when I'm cooking (I think that has to do with my carefree style!). He knows the magic word "uh-oh" means that I've spilled something and he should come and clean-up.

We have taught him not to jump up on the table, but he does put his head on our laps while we're eating and looks up at us with those pathetic, lab eyes. Also, he does seem to have a fetish about paper products-- he's crazy about grabing the dirty napkins off of our laps and paper towels from the trash! Maybe it's a lab thing??

[Holly S]

Jodi, YES IT IS A LAB THING. My lab shreds all paper products left within dog distance to the floor!

[Natasha]

Originally posted by Holly S:
Jodi, YES IT IS A LAB THING. My lab shreds all paper products left within dog distance to the floor!

It may be a Lab thing, but it's not only a Lab thing. It may be a general Retriever thing though!!! I've seen more than one Golden (not mine, though - whew) with a penchant for paper products. http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/biggrin.gif Too funny ...

And Jodi - my sister had a dog who knew "Oh, no!" like your "Uh oh". They pick up on EVERYTHING ...

[This message has been edited by Natasha (edited 08-31-2000).]

[Beth H]

I have a cat who often is underfoot when I am cooking, and who makes wild attempts to get on the counter when I am fixing anything with seafood.
When I was growing up, we had a cat who would eat almost anything. My mom had fixed an angel food cake for my dad's birthday dinner, and had left it out on the counter to cool before she frosted it. Right before guests were to arrive, she went back in to frost the cake and noticed several big bites in it. The cat was sitting on the floor licking the crumbs away! Without another dessert option, she frosted right over the cake anyhow, making my sister and I swear not to tell my grandparents! I guess we weren't any worse for the wear for sharing the cake with the cat.

[lindrusso]

We don't have any pets yet. We were sure that when we moved into our first house, we would get a dog pretty quickly. Alas, we moved into our first house when my youngest son was only 2 weeks old, so needless to say a pet did NOT fit into our plans. Now we've decided to wait until we get a bigger place -our house is pretty small and we want a Golden Retriever.

I grew up with two Goldens (my mom raised a litter of pups and we kept one of the puppies - what fun that was!)and assorted cats - I really miss having animals. We thought about getting a cat, but the litter box is an issue. We have no basement and the litter box would probably have to go in our tiny little bathroom. We're still considering it.

I guess pets are kind of like kids - there's never and absolutely IDEAL time/place, and there are many excuses for putting it off!!! I just need to take the plunge! I have a feeling it will happen pretty soon. We've decided to stop at two kids, one of my boys is in 1st grade, the other is starting preschool - so my maternal instincts will probably have me needing something to mother!!



[This message has been edited by lindrusso (edited 08-31-2000).]

[JillC]

I have a 6 month old Golden. She has always come to lay on my feet when I'm cooking. The fact that I don't stand in one place for longer than a few seconds doesn't seem to bother her. She just gets up and moves with me.
The first thing that I ever dropped on the floor after we got her was rhubarb. Since then, she's been very cautious (sniffs and licks first) about anything else I drop on the floor. http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif
This has made it much easier to teach her the "leave it" command.
The love of napkins is not just a lab thing. Our puppy loves anything paper--especially tissue and napkins. Or, as we found out a few weeks ago, the notes on training that we get at our puppy class! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif
Jill

[kendra]

We have two cats. One loves meat, the other dairy and both will always take cooking scraps, although they stay out of the kitchen for the most part. The meat lover will occasionally have a hankering for bread. She climbs on the counter and eats holes through the plastic to get at a fresh loaf of bread or some muffins. Same can be said for poundcake. We usually just cut out the eaten portion and move on. The weirdest thing our dairy-lover does is beg and beg for the oats that i grown for him. if given a choice between the oat grass and any other food, the grass always wins. I guess all pets are pretty weird!

[MrsReber]

The paper thing makes me laugh! Jed, the big lab, loves to tear apart 12-pack cartons. He'll rip it to shreds! He also removed some tissue paper from the garbage recently. We don't know why. However, the little bichon also loves paper and eating paper- papertowels, tissues. She used to grab the end of the toilet paper roll and run through the house when she was younger. The lab used to discriminate more, but now there's competition for food so they eat almost anything that drops on the floor (including cotton balls, fuzz, and q-tips) just so the other one doesn't get it first! Neither one will eat lettuce or hot peppers (the latter was kind of funny to try, though). The lab wouldn't eat veggies until he saw the little one eating them.

Hmm, sounds like my chopping style. They just KNOW that I WILL drop something on the floor. If I stand up to go in the kitchen, they will all follow. They know I'm a softie and those big lab eyes tear at my heart "I'm starving! Really! I'm only 102 pounds!!"

I inherited the cat as my sister moved and couldn't take him. I already had my own dog and my husband had a dog when I met him. They are the only "kids" we have so far. Our little family. They are the greatest. I'm never lonely with my kids around.

[JJeannette]

Ah, a subject dear to my heart! We are owned by several cats(my son's) and two shetland sheepdogs. One of the cats has never forgotten when she was allowed to share lunchmeat with our first sheltie, so she sits under my feet at 5:00A.M. waiting still for a bite to drop on her head.

Both of the dogs love fruit and veggies--even lettuce! I keep a bag of baby carrots on hand just for them--nothing like a fuzzy head in the veggie drawer with you!

Oh, and my youngest sheltie thinks paper was invented just for his shredding pleasure! Boy, those paper towels do shred the best!

[JodiL]

I know exactly what you mean--we don't have kids (yet) and our lab is definitely my little baby.

If you want to see a funny face, try giving your dog salt and vinegar potato chips. Loki pounced on one when I dropped it once and his expression was hysterical. After he spit it out, he tried to stomp on it like it was a bug! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/biggrin.gif

[This message has been edited by JodiL (edited 08-31-2000).]

[SClementson]

My first post! This particular topic finally inspired me to register...I laughed out loud when I read about the dog who barks at the popcorn popping!

My husband and I don't have children but DO have 2 golden retrievers - one 4 months and one 2 1/2 years old. Because I love cooking, I spend a lot of time in my too-small kitchen, and because the pups must be where I am, ALL THE TIME, it gets pretty crowded. (I wouldn't have it any other way, though!)I've learned to never to take a step back without looking, and to clear the decks when I have to carry a pot of pasta across the room to drain at the sink.

Both pups come running when I get a plastic bag out of the refrigerator - the oldest knows that cheese usually appears when a plastic bag crinkles!! They also both love paper products, especially kleenex out of the trash. Must be a retriever thing.

Sarah

[SueK]

The paper thing must be a dog thing no matter what the breed. Our bassets love to grab napkins that we've dropped and they also love kleenex. Also, before we even had a child, we had to have baby locks on the cabinet doors because our male would pry them open with his nose and drag out our garbage bag.
One other thing he did was get into our lower lazy susan one day and drag out a brand new sealed 5 pound bag of brown sugar. I was at the store and got home to find he had eaten about 1/2 the bag. He didn't even get sick, but boy, was he sticky!

[Gussie]

When I first moved to my apartment, my cat tended to fall into the middle of my cooking because of a sort of two-level counter I have. I ended up with pieces of raw chicken scattered about the area a few times. The cat would dangle over the edge until she leaned just a bit too far and gravity took over.

I've since discouraged this by lifting her down from the counter whenever she gets too close to the part I use for food preparation. Now she seems to recognize it as off-limits.

[LIsaP]

I have a 115 pound Akita! He is always in my way in the kitchen-he is so tall his head can reach the counters!
I usually make him lie down when I am cooking, but he always comes running when he hears the can opener or plastic crinking-he knows he will get water from tuna or cheese. Other than that he doesn't get any scraps.
One day we left a bag of trail mix on the table (nuts, dried fruit, seeds, M&M's, raisins etc) we came back to find the bag empty-he had eaten the whole thing! He didn't get sick, but all that did affect him-if you know what I mean!

[valeriek]

The paper thing just isn't a dog problem! I've got two cats and one of them is in love with paper towels (and toilet paper for that matter - not that that is in my kitchen!). Anyway, I have to hide both because he tears into it and spreads it throughout the entire apartment!

My other cat thinks the best playthings in the world are small cardboard box tops. She always comes into the kitchen with me and if I use a box of rice or pasta she will meow until I tear off the box top for her. She then plays with the darn thing ALL NIGHT!!! I've never seen a cat so strange.

The worst part is when I use the can opener though. Both cats start to sing to me whenever I am opening any cans (and I don't even use and electrcic one - it's manual!!!!). I don't know where it comes from becuase their wet food comes in pull top containers.

I could never live without my two precious angels though - paper towel fettish and all!

[BethH]

When I was growing up we had a dog (10 lb. miniature dachshund) and a big fluffy cat (about as big as the dog).

One weekend my mom made a big german chocolate cake for someone's birthday and left it sitting on the counter after she frosted it. (Maybe you can see where this is going) When we got home, we discovered that the pets had worked in tandem while we were gone...the cat knocked the cake off the counter and the dog ate the entire thing.

Other things that made me laugh about our old dog were: her ability to get into a bowl of candy, eat all the candy and carefully spit out each of the candy wrappers into a neat pile on the floor; and that she could have been sleeping in the totally opposite end of the house but could still hear someone open up a slice of american cheese and come running. This dog also loved paper products and had the embarassing habit (imagine being 15 years old and this happening) of pulling feminine products out of the trash and dragging them around the house by the string. Oh yes, this happened to me!

So funny! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif


[This message has been edited by BethH (edited 08-31-2000).]

[Laura B]

I have a cat who loves to steal our napkins! After dinner, when our napkins are crumpled in our plates and we are talking and starting to clear, he tries to sneak up and steal them. I usually see him, but sometimes I don't catch him till he is halfway down the hall with it! He also likes tissues, so I have to keep the tissues tucked into the top of the box - otherwise he jumps onto the counter and helps himself.

We don't feed either of our cats human food, but sometimes they sneak a taste anyway. It is funny to see what they like and what they don't. My black cat loves ranch dressing. I had some in a cup by my computer because I had been eating carrots. I looked over and he was licking away. I just watched him to see how much he would eat, and he ate a lot! He also likes garlic. Tonight at dinner, my garlic breadstick fell off of my plate. After dinner he jumped on the table and started licking the spot where it had fallen! And he does NOT like yogurt!

In general both of my cats run to the kitchen whenever I do. And they like to get into the refrigerator when there is room on the bottom shelf.

[christinew]

Ok this is a bit off the subject but I thought you all might just know. We want a dog when we get our house next April but will be trying to have children also. What is a great large(medium large) dog breed that is great with children. Somewhat protective but not going to bite the child????????

Thanks.
Ckw

[JJeannette]

Ckw, there are a lot of breeds that are good with small children--labs and goldens are the best known. The most important thing is getting a "well-bred" animal--check out your breeds of choice, check out breeders in your area, know the right questions and the right answers. Know the traits of your breed--are they barkers?, etc---. Next make sure you can teach the dog the behavior you expect--make sure they are well socialized, take the dog to classes---. Decide if you want to go thru training a puppy or would prefer an adult--. And that is just for starters--.

[debg]

Okay, couldn't resist adding my 3 cents to this one! I have 3-1/2 cats (the 1/2 has recently ad0pted us and thus far has been relinquished to outside only!). ANyway, my cat (from before we were married) loves TUNA! Of course, anytime he hears the can opener he comes running. He could be sleeping upstairs or cruising the backyard, but somehow he hears us. That's saying a lot cause we use a hand opener and not an electric (we don't cook much with canned goods). He meows and meows until I let him smell what's in the can (usually beans or tomatoes if not tuna). If it's tuna I have to share literally 1/2 the can with him before he's satisfied and goes away. TOO FUNNY!

[MrsReber]

No, not cooking your pets! Don't worry (hope nobody has done that)- on another thread, a few of us pet lovers were discussing our pets and cooking and thought it would be fun to see how other people manage with their pets while they are trying to cook.

I had posted a story of how our 102 pound lab barks at the stove when I am making popcorn. He can hear it popping in the pot so he comes into the kitchen and goes crazy! I have turned him into a popcorn fanatic since my husband and I met.

They (2 dogs and a cat) love to corner me in the kitchen. They sneak in when I have my back turned and get closer and closer until I can hardly turn around. Except if my husband is around. Then they find a nearby spot and watch, in case anything should fall on the floor. My cat knocks on the door to come in when he knows that we're eating dinner. He'll come over stick his paw right in our plates and grab peices of meat with his claws if we don't watch him. We had one cat the went crazy for bacon. He jumped up on the stove one day and burned the whiskers on one side of his face. They were curled up and brown for a few days. Guess they love good food as much as we humans do.

I just know that there's some great stories out there that will give us all a chuckle!

[Ed]

Hi!

This thread is really an interesting and fun topic.

We too have a dog that likes to be in the kitchen when there is cooking going on. She wants to be on hand should she be needed. You never know when a spill, or Drop, or sample will come about.

Jill's comment about Rhubarb reminded me of the night we brought our dog "Katie" home. (We got her from our Grandsons Doctor & family, They thought we'd be good together)

Well Sharon had baked a Rhubarb upside down cake and left it on the cuppord for the next day. We heard a clunking noise from the kitchen, it took us a few seconds to figure out the dog was not in the living room with us, I went into the kitchen and there was Katie on her hind legs eating the cake out of the cake pan -- Rhubarb and all.

She never got sick so I guess the cake was o.k. We made another one the next day and that one was good too, we even gave Katie a piece to sample. Luckinly she dosen't like fresh Rhubarb so it's safe in the garden.

Just had to add my 2 cents worth.

Ed

[MrsReber]

Okay, I have to post again- SueK reminded me of another dog story. When I was living alone in my house, my dog (a 15 pound bichon) figured out that she could push the kitchen chairs over to the kitchen counter and jump up on the counter and have some fun! One morning, I decided to make chocolate chip cookies. I put the bag of chips on the counter and then got in the shower, thinking I'd bake when I got out. I go into the kitchen, convinced I have lost my mind because the chips are gone, well she went on the counter and took the bag- and of course ate the chips. ALL of them. Those of you pet owners know that chocolate is like poison to a dog. Well, I was pretty mad, but I didn't want her to die on me. I called the vet and the vet said she'd get sick (which she did- all over my carpet!!) but to only feed her chicken broth with rice to calm her stomach. The vet said she probably wouldn't feel like eating. Oh yeah? I turned my back and she climbed on the chair, onto the table and ate my breakfast AFTER eating the chips! One day while I was out for a few hours, she knocked all the chairs over and got herself stuck on the kitchen table with no way down!! I came home and saw her there, no idea how long she was stuck there and laughed at her!! She has since earned herself a doggie cage for her own safety and my sanity. She is in the cage when I'm not home now. Our lab is a sweetheart. Even though he could easily eat food off the table or counter, he wouldn't dream of it.

Ahh! Beth, feminine products are a favorite in my house too! Gross!! I have to be so careful when we have female guests who don't know about that!

Christine, I would highly recommend a lab for you. I hear that shelties are also very good with kids and weimeraners (virtually no hair on them and they're very sweet). But I also suggest looking to see if you can get one at a shelter, since they often have great dogs there that are already house trained!

[This message has been edited by MrsReber (edited 09-01-2000).]

[Natasha]

To continue on a non-cooking tangent ...

Christine, I agree with the others that Labs and Goldens are usually wonderful with children. However, they're not necessarily the best if you're looking for a watchdog, because they're so mild-mannered, even-tempered, and friendly. I also agree totally with JJeannette about choosing your dog carefully. Unfortunately, both these breeds and many others are quite overbred and it is far too easy to end up with one with health problems, temperament problems, or both. You might want to go to dog shows to see different breeds and speak with reputable breeders. You might also want to see the http://www.akc.org website or other sources of this type. A shelter is a great option. If you are interested in a purebred but would like to give a dog a new lease on life, consider rescue groups (almost every breed has a rescue group with branches around the country).

Sorry for rambling. Good luck with starting your family and with getting a dog. Have a great long weekend!

[Mandy]

My husband and I saved a cat last year that we found at a highway rest stop. She was so skinny and hungry. We took her home and nursed her to health. And well, it seemed that she was in heat! So needless to say a trip to the vet got that little problem fixed. Anyway, Ginger doesn't like people food, but she has a need to follow me wherever I go through the house. And when I cook she's right there at my feet, I always step on her (opps).
Here's a funny dog story: A friend of mine was dog sitting a golden, and well they have one of those old gas stoves with the nobs on the front of the stove. Her husband walked into the kitchen to find that the burner was on. So he turned it off and told his wife to be careful not to leave the burners on. Well come to find out, she hadn't turned it on, the dog and put his paws up on the stove to see what was up there, and in the process had turned the burner on with his paw!

[jam]

Lindrusso - your post hit home with me. I recently brought a kitten home from the humane society to take care of until an ulcer in his eye healed. He was to go back to the humane society and be adopted out...but his eye didn't heal right and they aren't able to put him on the adoption floor. My husband and I live in a small one bedroom apartment and he is insanely neat. I love it - we can pretty much eat off of the kitchen floor - but the litter box wasn't sitting well with him. So the deal was - it I could toilet train the kitten, he was a keeper. It took about 5 weeks to do but he is using the toilet. Amazingly, we didn't have any 'accidents' along the way either.

We started by putting the litter box in the bathroom right next to the tiolet. The book I was reading said to mount a tiolet seat to the litter box next and leave it alone until the cat is consitently using the box. Then to gradually raise the box - inch by inch, day by day - using magazines or newspapers or a box, until it is the same level as the toilet. We somehow got a way with skipping all of that and going right to the next step - getting rid of the litter box and putting a liner (bought at a pet store) in the toilet. It is made of thin plastic and kind of crinkles when the cat walks on it. We gradually cut back on how much litter was in the liner. Eventually we cut a small hole in the liner. Day by day we increased the size of the hole. Viola - a cat that uses the toilet. No litter, all we have to do is flush!
-jam

[MaryB]

I too am a food lover and a pet lover! In addition to one child, we currently have a dog (45 lb Australian shepard/Spaniel mix) and a cat. They are both two and have been raised together so they are best friends. The dog is pretty good in the kitchen, i.e. she knows not to sit in the middle and she will stay down if I tell her too. She does like her cheese and is always near by if I am grating or shredding cheese.

The cat is another matter! We got him from the humane society (I highly recommend this, especially for cats .. they have so many) and he was a very sick kitten when we got him. He had a severe cold and wouldn't eat for 6 days! This upset me greatly and I tried everything, tuna, anchovies, baby food. He was a very young cat and I think he forgot how to eat. Eventually he started eating after I threw dry food across the floor! I guess he needed to chase his food. Anyways, he is now a pig and we have to watch how much we feed him so he doesn't grow to pig size! He likes to go garbage disposal diving. I have to be careful to grind up anything in there, otherwise he will fish it out as soon as the kitchen is empty. Fruits, veggies, egg shells ... he loves them all. His favorite is cantaloupe and if he sees me cutting one up he starts rubbing my ankles hoping for some leftovers!

The cat is not allowed on the counters, however he obviously violates this rule all the time. I have not found a good way of preventing this. If anyone does let me know.

[Mandy]

jam, that is totally amazing! I'm SO impressed! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/eek.gif

Do you think that is possible with an adult cat? What book do you have that tells how to do that?

[JodiL]

I would definitely recommend a lab as kid-friendly dog (although my opinion may be somewhat biased). My husband and I spent a lot of time before we got ours researching the best breeds with kids, etc. He's got a GREAT temperment and is VERY good with the neighborhood kids. Even when the younger ones tend to poke him in the eye with their enthusiastic petting!

The only problem with labs is that they have a puppy mentality until they're about 2 years old. This means that they need a lot of attention or they tend to get into trouble. You've already read stories about the kitchen, but we went through baseboards and kitchen linoleum (sp?) during the "chewing" stage. Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't trade him for the world, but the first 2 years required a lot of patience.

At the risk of me rambling on...our lab will bark at other dogs and people that are outside when he's in the house. However, if he's outside, he'll usually try to pull me over so he can play. When friends come over greets them at the door with his toys--He tends to think that all of our guests are there to play with him. So, no he's not a great guard dog, but he will let you know if someone's outside approaching the house.

Yipee! I'm finally a member--it figures that it would occur in the dog thread. http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/biggrin.gif

[This message has been edited by JodiL (edited 09-01-2000).]

[lanie]

This is too funny - it seems that most the 'dawgs' are goldens or labs - I have 2 golden retrievers and they are ALWAYS underfoot when I cook - the young guy (2 yrs) loves napkins too - he also steals from the counter when nobody is around - also have a 'killer kitty' who does not care!!!!!!

[SandyDee]

Since I don't have children my 1 1/2 year old parti color cocker is my baby. Spoiled isn't even the right word for his life. He has the biggest facination with garbage but luckily with all that he could swipe from it and drag through the house he sticks to kleenex!! I have tried very hard with this one not to get him started on people food (since my previous pet ate whatever I ate) but there was one morning that I was in the shower and when I got out I thought he was being very quiet downstairs. When I came down the steps there he was in the middle of the living room with the whole brand new bag of bread. The bag was shredded and he had several whole pieces of bread stuffed in his mouth. When he turned to see me, you could barely see his face from all the bread he had hanging there. He had gotten it off of the kitchen counter. I have no idea how he reached it (if any of you have spent time with a cocker you know that even on hind legs they don't have that kind of height)it wasn't anywhere near the edge of the counter it was "in" a basket set squarely in the middle of the counter. I guess when there is a will there is a way, eh?? It was terrifically hard to be mad at him, I was more mad at myself for not having the camera on hand to capture that face! I don't know what I would do with out him. He is the source of so much laughter. What a character. http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/biggrin.gif

[This message has been edited by SandyDee (edited 09-05-2000).]

[Wendy w]

This thread has been lots of fun, thanks Mrs. R! It is amazing because stealing napkins and shredding paper is very popular around my house as was trash digging and the occasional retrieval of feminine products. We have eliminated that problem with covered containers. My roommate has 2 beagles and a goldfish (that lives in the kitchen and likes people)and I am owned by a pied cockatiel. We have a baby gate but it is to keep the dogs from bothering the bird's food.

One of the dogs doesn't bother me in the kitchen and shows an interest only when I am cooking chicken, and the bird's food but the other is another story.

I spend a good part of my time in the kitchen saying "get out!", or "on the base", stomping, or shaking a can of coffee beans. Then she looks at me as though I am the most callous, terrible person trying to starve her. She has a knack for hearing a crumb drop at 50 paces! My boyfriend refers to her as the "land shark".

One time, my roommate was on vacation and I was caring for the dogs - a challenge as they think nothing of whining until you get up in the morning to feed them! I came home to finding the pantry door open and flour all over the living room. I was livid as the house had just been cleaned!

The next morning I got up to find that she had been sick in 3 places, was drinking water like crazy, and moving very slowly as if in pain. I had to go to work but I did come home at lunch to check on her and give her water.

When I came home that night, I called my roommate to ask about taking her to the vet as she was still walking funny and NOT "helping" me in the kitchen. We agreed to wait until morning.

A couple of hours later, I dropped a piece of cheese when the miracle occured: she came running for it and was cured! I had to call my roommate to share in the glory of the miracle. Other times, she has taken fruit and bread from the shelves. We have solved this problem by having my boyfriend install safety catches that are used for toddlers.

My bird enjoys "helping" in the kitchen. Her favorite thing is helping me make coffee on Saturday morning because she knows that I won't be running off! We put dishes away together, and do prep work but we don't cook as nonstick cookware is harmful and accidents with the stove can occur. During this time she is consoled by going on the mirror perch in "her" bathroom and admiring herself.

When she tires of admiring and singing to herself, she will call me until I come and get her. We frequently eat together and she loves takeout Indian rice the best and will try to walk in my plate.

[This message has been edited by Wendy w (edited 09-05-2000).]

[Anne]

What a funny topic. We have an Akita mix who is trained to not come in the kitchen when we cook and to stay on his bed when we are eating. However, the training was a long process and he wasn't the only one who needed to learn some lessons. When we were teaching him to find things (scent track) the instructor specifically advised placing the search objects at differing levels in and out of the house and not just on the floor. Not thinking things through too clearly we occasionally put the search objects on counter or table, either of which he can reach will all four feet on the floor. Why were we suprised the first time he pulled a salmon fillet off the counter? duh! It took a bit to 'retrain' and he did this once more before he learned to avoid tables and counters. One Easter Sunday we did the kids egg hunt before church and left the plastic eggs stuffed with various chocolates in their baskets on the table. When we returned we found all the plastic eggs unbroken but empty. We called our vet and found out that a dog can tollerate about 1 oz of chocolate per 10 pounds of dog. We figured he had scarfed between 10 and 16 oz. but he didn't even get sick. He hasn't bothered food on table or counter since.

[TamiK]

Our two yellow labs practice being rugs when I cook. Their favorite spot is sprawled out over the work triangle between stove, sink, and refrigerator. And will they move? No way, unless I drop something. It doesn't matter what.

Paper is their favorite, too. I think they'd take it over steak. We thought we had the trash stealing problem licked when we bought a covered trash can, but they learned to open the lid! Aren't they smart!?!

[MrsReber]

Beth Y, I agree with everything you have said! I recenly had guests for dinner. We have 2 dogs and a cat, my guests have 4 dogs, 5 cats and 2 ferrets (my friend works for the humane society in Dayton OH). She washed her face and went to dry it on a towel. She said "I got a mouth full of hair, I feel right at home!" I know it takes a special kind of person to truly love animals and overlook all their bad habits (they can't help it, they're animals!). I guess we're all just used to it. I too endlessly clean up dog hair from the kitchen floor. I mean, how does it get in the fridge??? But they are the biggest help when I drop food on the floor, that's for sure! I go to my mom's house and drop food and I have to clean it up myself!!!

[Gwenniver]

Originally posted by debg:
Okay, couldn't resist adding my 3 cents to this one! I have 3-1/2 cats (the 1/2 has recently ad0pted us and thus far has been relinquished to outside only!). ANyway, my cat (from before we were married) loves TUNA! Of course, anytime he hears the can opener he comes running. He could be sleeping upstairs or cruising the backyard, but somehow he hears us. That's saying a lot cause we use a hand opener and not an electric (we don't cook much with canned goods). He meows and meows until I let him smell what's in the can (usually beans or tomatoes if not tuna). If it's tuna I have to share literally 1/2 the can with him before he's satisfied and goes away. TOO FUNNY!

I know exactly what you mean, debg. I find myself calmly and rationally explaining to both of my cats that "this isn't tuna and you wouldn't like it anyway". They never believe me. My major problem with the cats to date, though, is with the computer, not with cooking. For some reason, the minute my fingers hit the keyboard for serious surfing/posting, they become the most pathetic, lonely, needy creatures on earth. I spend a lot of time erasing what they type (insightful and relevant, I'm sure, but unfortunately not in English). http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif

[Beth Y]

I have to add on, although I know this is getting long. We have a dog (Chesapeake Bay Retreiver) and a long haired Maine Coon type cat. They both do many of the things that ya;ll have noted (the paper thing, coming when we open certain things, following me around).

But I have always noticed two things. First, how do people who don't have dogs clean the floors. For instance, drop an egg on the floor "Here, Stella", drop potato chips crumbs on the floor, "Here, Stella". I mean, it would take me forever to clean up spills like that! Mandy, I obviously don't have the absolutely clean floor requirement that you do!

Also, if you have animals in the house, you, inevitably have animal hair. I know many of you are very clean people. I clean the hair constantly and have a maid that comes twice a month, but it is still a problem. I have just come to accept it and not worry about it. The worst is that, after having the house bashed in by Hurricane Fran, we remodeled the kitchen and family room to have a cathedral ceiling with a "plant shelf" between the two rooms. Well, the cat loves to go from the counters to the fridge to the cabinets to the very tip top of the wall/shelf and hang out doing her best "lord of all she surveys" thing. Well, as she is a long hair, you can guess that hair accumulates along the top of my cabinets. It is very hard for me to reach to clean and I just don't do it that often, I confess. Every now and again, I am cooking and see, before me, a little floating clump of cat hair coming down from the heavens. As far as I know, I have found everyone of them before them reach the food. I find it amusing, I am sure many of you would find it digusting. As a pet owner, I have found that I just learn to live with a house that is not as clean as my non-pet friends.
So, who wants to come for dinner???????

[food girl]

I have two mini dauchunds. They will eat anything the second it hits the floor. Of course I don't worry about leaving food on the counter with such short doggies.

Don't you all feel funny when you go to dog-free kitchens and have to actually PICK UP food if you drop it?

I did train my first dog to ring a bell (a desk bell placed on the floor) when he wants to go out. Our next dog learned by watching. Sometimes while I am elbow-deep in cooking the dogs will half-heartedly ring the bell. If I don't come and let them out soon, they ring the bell with force, as if to say "I SAID I need to to go out"!

[This message has been edited by food girl (edited 09-07-2000).]

[AndreaU]

I wish our 2 dogs came in more handy while I'm cooking (it's the whole no-thumbs thing...). Seriously, our Pointer mixes love helping mommy while she cooks. Probably because I'm likely to drop something on the floor! Just like the labs mentioned in previous posts, my dogs come running from the other room (if they're not already at my feet) when they hear a "oops!" Never had to wipe or sweep up a spill yet. They're fun to have around since my husband is usually not home from work when I'm starting dinner. They know when to get out of my way when I open the oven door, take pots/pans off the stove, etc. Also, anyone else out there have what we call Cheese Hounds? Somehow they ALWAYS know when I'm opening a package of cheese, whether it's pre-shredded mozzarella, Kraft singles or a block of cheddar in a zip-top bag. BONE appetit, everyone!