I had a friend over for lunch today and made us some grilled ribeye steaks. I seasoned them with just salt and pepper (no garlic or onion). After we finished up lunch, I put my plate down for my dog to lick up the remaining steak juice off my plate. My friend immediately had a visceral reaction and was acting like this was one of the most disgusting things they have ever seen. They proceeded to tell me how unsanitary this was and that they never want to eat my cooking ever again because they now question my “kitchen hygiene”standards . I replied that the plates go directly in the dishwasher and are completely sanitized and asked how they felt about eating off of plates from a restaurant. They said “it’s not the same, it’s an animal and animals need separate bowls”.
I never thought about it from their perspective- i grew up with dogs my whole life and this is just something we did growing up.
Also, The fact they don’t trust my cooking hygiene standards/ don’t want to eat my homemade food ever again cuts really deep and this whole incident is making me really question if I really am the problem here
AITA ?
Not necessarily an asshole, but you are in the wrong. I have had cats and dogs, and I would never put down my plate on the floor for them to lick, especially not if there was a guest there. They have their own plates, and if I give them a tidbit from the table, it goes in their bowl. I would be a bit grossed out, too.
YTA
You friend just realized that he’s eating off a plate that more than likely been has licked by dog. To them, it’s probably equal to sticking utensils into feces. Dogs eat shit and lick buttholes.
Many people lick buttholes and put their mouths on others’ genitals. Does this mean we all need separate dinner ware for all our “oral sex guests”?
no but I wouldn’t serve dinner out of their ass either
Are you currently under the impression OP is feeding their guests out of their dog’s asshole?
Most people brush their teeth multiple times a day. Most dogs do not.
NAH. I understand both sides of this.
I grew up with pets, they’re family to me, and I’ve let my pets lick off my plate on countless occasions. It gets washed afterwards anyway, there’s no rational reason to panic.
On the other hand, I once saw my dad bathing his feet in the big tupperware bowl we used to bring salads to potlucks in. That should not have bothered me, right? He’s family, and it gets washed afterwards anyway, there’s no rational reason to panic. But whenever I tried to eat something from that bowl afterwards, I always thought of his feet in there.
There is no rational reason to be grossed out by it. But it *feels* gross.
My limit are obviously foot baths, but for other people it’s a pet licking the plate.
The thing is, you can’t know what a person’s limits are. So your choice is either to not do it in front of guests, or do what you consider okay and own it. I’m sure you’ll find that some of your friends are perfectly fine with it, and others aren’t. That’s okay as well. You just can’t cook for them anymore.
Burger King foot lettuce
Yes, the ick is instinctual not logical, and dog slobber is gross enough to give a lot of people the ick.
If l find dog hair in the food, (we have a Husky, Malamute and GSD) l will just take it out and continue eating. If l find a human hair, l am done. And l’ve got no clue from where these limits come.
People who keep saying “it’s a matter of hygiene” don’t know how hygiene works. Or how germs work.
But it is an interesting view into how culture and psychology informs reactions even when there’s no scientific or rational basis.
NAH. Most people will have a strong opinion either way on this one.
Personally, I’m a dog person, but I strongly dislike animals licking off human food plates. No logical reason, because I do understand the concept of dishwashers and soap, it’s just a massive visceral ick for me.
I am not going to say you are YTA. But, I wouldn’t eat at someone’s house if I saw this. I grew up with dogs. I love dogs. But, it crosses a line of teaching dogs bad behavior. I also worked in a kitchen for a few years and would say that it does open the door of “what other bad habits does this person have?” Do you pet your dog while cooking? Is the long roaming around in the kitchen while you cook? Since you are okay sharing a plate of food with your dog, do you allow them to lick a utensil? It just opens the door to a lot of questions.