Until quite recently, most dogs got most of their food by eating the scraps of their owners’ food. Lately, however, the quality and quantity of edible table scraps has taken a nosedive. This could be the result of modern merchandising methods. Prepackaged meats are now sold with almost no excess material. No extra bones, or skin or fat. It is ready to be cooked and consumed – as is. Our dairy and poultry products, which used to come from farm animals, are now bought in plastic containers from the supermarket shelf. Our vegetables come frozen, which means no trimmings. Because everything is packaged in a container with a clearly marked calorie count, families usually buy the exact amount of food that they need to satisfy their appetites.