Leftovers in Restaurant, Take Home

Dear Dr. Dave and Dr. Dee,

I went out to lunch with some coworkers, but wasn't hungry and had only eaten part of my pasta dish. I asked the waiter for a "doggy bag," and my coworkers have not stopped teasing me about this. I don't have a dog, so they keep asking me when am I getting a dog so that when I go out to eat, I won't have to lie about the doggy bag. Should I have asked for the leftovers in another way? One coworker later told me that it wasn't proper to ask for leftovers in a restaurant. Is this true?

Signed,

Humiliated

Dear Humiliated,

It is fine to take leftover food home from a restaurant. However, if you have eaten most of the food on your plate, then it's best to not take the rest home.

If half the food on your plate was left, then the waiter should have offered to "wrap it" for you without your asking. Instead of asking for a doggy bag, if the waiter doesn't offer, then ask the waiter to "please wrap this for me."