A Beer drinking Dog?

[FStop]

I'm kicking back with a Miller High Life.

And as I usually do, as I have for some years now, whenever I sip a few brews back, I give the dog some too. I've never met a dog who hasn't liked beer. My old dog Jesse used to down a can in one sitting. We'd pour him a can of MGD in a bowl, he'd put both paws on either side, and dig in. He lived to be 14.

My lady Morgan here, the Bernese Mountain Dog of mine, she has a few sips, knows when to quit, shakes off the dizziness she attains, then carries on.

I've heard that, and you can correct me, I've seen both sides of the camp on this one, that some of the oldest dogs I've ever known had a diet of not only standard dog food and water, but table scraps, potato chips, and beer.

My cat Bob, the Maine Coon, he's 17 this year. He eats anything you put in front of him. Including beer. Same with Bailey Kevin. He's a Ragdoll. He's 15 this year. Same as Bob.

So, question is.....is the practice of giving my pup a few sips here and there a rarity, prohibited, unhealthy, or is it an unspoken fireside hobby that many enjoy but never speak of?

[Aliantha]

I've never given beer to a pet on purpose before, but I have seen a couple of our dogs get drunk over the years after drinking from beer glasses at parties.

I've often wondered if the owners of the glasses realized or not and whether they continued to drink from the glass unknowingly.

We give our pets table scraps as well as dry food and raw bones. They usually seem to live pretty long lives.

[FStop]

True. What I'm saying is that yes, done on purpose. Morgan gets like 3oz, tops, whereas I break 96 easily. And she knows when to stop. She has enough, and she'll actually -not- drink it if she doesn't want to. She shakes her head a bit, rubs her ears a bit, but aside from that, nothing. It's not going to hurt them. We live to be in our 70-80's. They're considered old if they're past 10. So why not let them live it up.

People I think can only see dogs eating dog food and that's it.
But when you think of it, they're pack animals, extremely related (No matter what breed) to wolves, and at their core, you give them raw meat & bones, they won't be happier. I just bought Morgan a 2-pack of Cattle knee bones. And she's running around with it like it's the best thing to happen to men since women.

[Chocolatl]

The rottweiler we had when I was a kid absolutely loved beer. My dad would pour him a sip every now and again, and he loved it. He also chased down any stray spills on the ground.

[Sundae]

I never have enough beer for myself, let alone my cats!
They've never shown any interest though, in fact Diz turns his nose up if he sniffs it - sensible chap (he's far too small for me to consider letting him drink anyway).

But I've had cats who loved yoghurt - any flavour, they'd get their whole face in the pot to lick up the scrapings I'd left. And one who was mad for Bran Flakes, dry out of the packet.

I did see a monkey drinking beer outside a cafe in Sri Lanka. As he was chained to the tree it was a seedy sight, sadly.

[BrianR]

Check here for more information.

Generally, no alcohol for dogs since they can't really process it. Any more than a small amount can poison your best friend. Ditto chocolate...the theobromine is toxic in quantity. A stray Hershey's Kiss won't harm the dog but the entire bag will.

[Pie]

My old golden retriever was my dad's drinking buddy for many years. Each would get a half-a-beer, 2-3 times a week. Our vet actually recommended it to make her more comfortable (she had bad hip dysplasia and arthritis as she got older).

[Flint]

Dogs love beer.

It's one of the fundamental truths we can count on in life.

[Pico and ME]

Mine doesnt...he shies right away from it as soon as he smells it.

[Flint]

Your dog is gay.

[Shawnee123]

Not to be confused by the film of the same name.

[Flint]

wtf?1 lol

[BigV]

I wish

[Trilby]

... i wish my ex was hung over right now. In a major way.

[classicman]

over a tree limb?