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People are debating whether you should let your dog sit at the Christmas dinner table
By Joanna Sarah-Freedman
22 Dec 2022
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People are debating whether dogs should be allowed to join their owners at the Christmas dinner table.
The conversation started after a segment on Good Morning Britain, which saw two dog lovers, Naomi Ikisted and Tinuke Bernard, appear on the ITV show.
The pair were brought on to discuss whether the pooches should be included in the festivities, with Tinuke believing their place was on the floor, whilst Naomi said she would “100 percent” have the dogs at the table as she ate Christmas dinner.
You can watch a clip from that below:
“I think it’s all about boundaries. We obviously have to give our kids, our dogs, our relationships, partners, boundaries. But at the same time, we all need to have a bit of fun from time to time and let go of those boundaries and just relax the rules,” she said on the show, as her dog Mabel sat beside her.
“It’s Christmas at the end of the day so I think it’s all about the occasion. It’s once a year! Let them sit at the table, let them have some Christmas dinner!”
Tinuke wasn’t having it, though, responding: “What you said about boundaries is very true Naomi, and I think that’s one boundary…dogs don’t know what day it is, they don’t know if it’s Christmas or not…they can have the same dog food they had the day before and they’ll be absolutely happy.
“They can have a special treat on the floor in their bowls… not while I’m eating, not where I’m eating.”
During the segment, the Red Fox Labrador, Mabel, was amusingly fed turkey and carrot and allowed to eat it at the table with the panelists.
Mabel sat at the table and ate Christmas dinner (Credit: ITV)
When Naomi was questioned about the potential hygiene issues of sharing a table with your pup, presenter Adil Ray made a very good point.
“How do you know that uncle Terry is always washing his hands when he goes to the loo?,” he said. “Young kids… are they always washing their hands when their fingers have been up their noses, and they’re putting them in the sprouts?”
Fellow host Charlotte Hawkins disagreed. “I have to say I wouldn’t be doing it with my dog, much as I love her I would’t be including her in the Christmas celebrations,” she said.
She then brought up the fact that if you let a dog break the rules once, it’ll try to do it again.
“That’s the same as children,” Naomi replied. “You’ve got to occasionally let down the guard at some point and let the kids have a bit of fun. I think, dogs, as long as they’re trained correctly, they know!
“So, my dog, if I allow him to sit at the table as a one off, he’s not going to do it every time. He might try his luck, but he’s not going to do it every single time we’re sitting at the table, because he’s well trained.”
People can’t agree if dogs should be allowed at the Christmas table (Credit: Alamy)
It was clear the GMB panelists weren’t going to agree, and neither were viewers at home, with 37.5 percent of viewers voting in favour of including pups, whilst 62.5 percent said they wouldn’t allow their dogs to join the Christmas meal.
“I’d have dogs at the table over some people to be honest,” said one person in favour of including their pet.
Whilst another wrote: “We’re happy to share the dinner table with our two dogs, Kevin the schnauzer and Rosie the cockapoo. Their table manners are impeccable.”
“They are family and if you want your dog sat at at the table, next to the table or underneath the table there is nothing wrong with that,” chimed in another supporter.
We’re happy to share the dinner table with our two dogs, Kevin the schnauzer and Rosie the cockapoo. Their table manners are impeccable. pic.twitter.com/gVgJlMS3hy
— Emma Topp (@E7OPP) December 21, 2022
“Absolutely not no dogs at the table ever. #GMB,” said somebody else.
As a fellow critic concurred: “As much as I adore my dog at the end of the day she’s a pet and she won’t be joining us at the dinner table, sat on the floor by the table definitely. And as for letting a dog join us in bed, just no!”
“I love my dogs but we have a rule that they aren’t allowed up to the dinner table, so changing it fit one day would confuse them. Dogs like routine,” wrote somebody else.
It looks like the jury is still out on this one…
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