chocolate

Question
Hello, Labman.

I've always thought giving chocolate to a dog was like giving arsenic to a human--but lately I've seen a lot of "dog chocolates" on sale.

Whats the story here?  It is poisonous to dogs, or hot?

ATB,
Dan

Answer
Chocolate in large doses is toxic to dogs and it is cumulative, many small doses eventually kill.  Likely what you are seeing is a carob product.  I tastes much like chocolate, but lacks the toxic ingredient in chocolate.  I see no advantage to training a dog to enjoy a chocolate like taste.  The less a dog gets of anything except a commercial dog chow, the better.