9 Human Foods Dogs Can Safely Eat (and 6 to Never Share)

Every dog runs a kitchen-floor economy, and every owner eventually asks the same question mid-chop: "can he have this?" Here's the cheat sheet — with the usual rule that treats and extras should stay under about 10% of your dog's daily calories.

Safe to share (in moderation)

• Carrots — crunchy, low-calorie, and most dogs love them raw or cooked.
• Blueberries — antioxidant-rich and perfectly sized for training treats.
• Apples — flesh only; skip the core and seeds.
• Plain cooked chicken — no seasoning, no bones, no skin.
• Plain pumpkin — the canned 100% kind, not pie filling; gentle on digestion.
• Green beans — plain, fresh or cooked; a favorite low-calorie filler.
• Watermelon — seedless flesh only, no rind.
• Plain white rice — bland and easy on an unsettled stomach.
• Peanut butter — a classic, with one critical check below.

Never share

• Chocolate — toxic to dogs, and darker is more dangerous.
• Grapes and raisins — can cause kidney failure even in small amounts; no safe dose is known.
• Onions and garlic — in any form, including powders in leftovers; they damage red blood cells.
• Xylitol — an artificial sweetener in sugar-free gum, candy, some baked goods, and some peanut butters; even tiny amounts can be life-threatening. Always check the peanut butter label.
• Macadamia nuts — cause weakness, tremors, and vomiting.
• Alcohol — far more toxic to dogs than to people, in any amount.

If they got into something

If your dog eats something from the never list, call your veterinarian or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435 right away — with toxins, early beats late every time. And when in doubt about a new food, the boring answer is the right one: skip it, and ask your vet at the next visit.