mydogjourney

Tuesday, 23 July 2013

The Big Topic Of Food!! What Should You Feed Your Dog?

I am going to start out by saying that I think a lot of us will have to agree to disagree on this topic. But for the sake of my blog – I thought I should let my followers know what we feed Cooper and why. This is one of those topics like I mentioned in my previous blog post that can really spark a debate/argument amongst dog lovers. But like everything else, there is more than one way of doing things. Plus, there has been a lot of discussions and debates lately about raw diets, premium dog foods and home cooked meals for dogs so I thought this could be a good time to give my thoughts.

It was actually this article that sparked me to really want to post about this topic, because it really angered me. Check out the link http://holisticandorganixpetshoppe.com/top-7-worst-dog-food-brands.html. The article pretty much says that all premium dog foods are rubbish and are harming our dogs. And it goes on to list all the harmful ingredients in dog foods. Personally, I think this article is rubbish.

We feed Cooper premium dog food. The dry kibble. For chewing and cleaning his teeth we give him carrots, broccoli stems and ice cubes. I have never given Cooper a bone. And for obedience training, we use the dried out liver treats. And when he gets a lot of treats in one day, we will slightly reduce his kibble that night, making sure not to over feed him. Because there are so many mixed opinions out there, and so much information I decided it was time to get to the bottom of it and make sure I am doing what it best for my gorgeous boy. I wanted a more scientific answer on all of this, I wanted information from people who know the proven facts and understand the biology of a dog and how its body works and functions from what it consumes.

I decided to use some resources that I am very lucky to have. I have three friends who are vets and who have all commented on the big fun topic of food. I showed them the above article about how bad premium dog foods are and I asked them about raw diets and what they feed their own dogs. I also mentioned to them that a lot of people suggest that vets push premium dog foods because they make money off it – again another statement I have never agreed with so I wanted some answers. These were the responses I received:

VET NUMBER ONE

I started reading the article and stopped half way - what a load of BS!

Raw diets can cause gastro and dietary deficiencies. Bones can cause obstructions, constipation and gastro. Super premium dry dog food is absolutely the best you can feed - obviously there are some dry foods that aren't great. Re vets making money - there is very little mark up on pet food! Even in pet stores - we don't make money off food.

VET NUMBER TWO

Firstly a lot of the information contained in the linked article is rubbish. Yes dogs are carnivores and need a protein based diet but a lot of the stuff they have highlighted in red is not actually bad and I don't think they have a lot of evidence to prove it. A lot of these diets (i.e Hills, Purina etc) are scientifically tested and balanced diets providing complete nutrition. I personally prefer using home cooked diets as I feel they are more organic/raw/unprocessed (however you want to describe it) and hence healthier however they can be time consuming to make and difficult to balance particularly for a young growing dog. I am not the biggest fan of commercial raw diets like BARF as they contain a risk of carrying bacteria and can cause issues like salmonellosis. And I cannot speak for all vets but those that I know certainly do not make money off the food. Well, to be more accurate they get no incentives for selling the food. Like any item in a shop, if you buy food from a vet shop it will be marked up so there is a profit margin but that is a sale and the vets are not paid per bag sold, the money would go to the clinic owner. I feed my dog a home cooked diet of mince meat, vegies, pasta/rice and raw chicken necks/wings. However as young pup he was on hills puppy large breed food.

VET NUMBER THREE

Food is a big topic! People are too narrow minded about food in my opinion. Look at all the people around the world and the huge variety of food they eat, it is not like you can't be healthy eating authentic cuisine of every nationality (within reason)! Most dogs can survive on just about anything you feed them once they have reached maturity, however higher quality foods tend to agree better with them by firming up their stools, reducing wind and giving better quality coat. Some dogs are very sensitive and can only eat special diets. I like feeding premium brand dog food because you have to feed less (as there are less fillers in them and the protein and fibre is of higher quality) and you know there has been some research behind the brand. It is certainly not killing them! I think people like to feel like they are doing something for their dog and so cooking and putting time and effort into it makes them feel as though it must be better. The science behind the bones and raw food diets is non-existent, it is based on anecdotal evidence and the premice that dogs are still wild animals. Dogs are domesticated, and the only thing raw food ads to the table is more potential for your dog contracting food poisoning. Yes bones cause tooth fractures and constipation. I also give my dogs carrot and broccoli! I also like rawhide bones, however they can also cause a risk of causing problems if the dog swallows the big knot on the end whole (my dog does not do this). In my opinion raw bones can be ok in most dogs but not all, the problem is you don't know which category your dog falls into until there is a problem! Tooth brushing is the gold standard of dental care. If you have to feed a bone I recommend a large fresh raw marrow bone, and supervising your dog while they eat it, and only leaving it out for about 30-60 minutes a day - back in the fridge after. If they are chewing it into pieces and swalloning them then it must be confiscated! If and when I get my own dog it will be on premium quality food.

After all that I have read, heard and researched my conclusion is that there is nothing wrong with a premium dog food as it will give them an all round balanced diet with quality produce. So if you do choose to feed your dog, dog food – please make sure it is a premium brand, reputable and comes highly recommended by your vet. There is also nothing wrong (if you have the time) with a home cooked well balanced diet as this doesn't contain any processed ingredients and you know exactly what is going in it. But if you do choose to make home cooked meals for your dog, please make sure to do your research and include the necessary and correct quantities of each food group they require.

In the end what and how you feed your dog is totally up to you however always be mindful that a dog's diet can have a great impact on their behaviour, health, coat, lifespan and the list goes on, so it is important to get the balance right.

A balanced diet it key.

Sunday, 16 June 2013

Raising your dog, your way. Finding what is right for you and your dog…

Just over a month ago I started a facebook group called Dog Lovers Melbourne!! Now with almost 470 members there is constant activity and discussions about everything and anything to do with your dog. Along with this group, and my desire to read and research, it has confirmed how many different ways there are of doing everything when it comes to raising your dog.

Everywhere you read there is advice about the best and worst foods, treats, training methods, grooming requirements, sleeping areas, dental treatment, etc. And honestly, it is all very overwhelming and confusing. But from all of this I have learnt to just step back, do your research and test things out for yourself. Because in the end owning a dog is just like having a child. It is all about finding what is right for you, your dog and your family.

Training Cooper has been an amazing learning curve for me with all of this. I think back to some of my earlier blog posts, for example, Training your Pup to Walk on the Lead was about teaching puppies the basics and getting them used to the lead. A Great Method to Stop Your Dog Pulling on the Lead was all about using the Gentle Leader and how great a tool it is. And my latest blog post Are you the Leader of Your Pack was all about not needing gadgets at all and more about the importance of being the pack leader. All of these blog posts explain different techniques and training methods you can use when training your dog to walk nicely on the lead. Reflecting back on these, I don’t think that one method is right or wrong. In our instance we know that Cooper is still not 100% there yet with walking perfectly on the lead. He does walk really nicely around the quiet streets without any distractions. But around other dogs and small children, he is still very excitable. So we are building him up to get better at this but it is a slow process and we need to be patient and persistent. We will just keep testing different methods until we find the best method that works for us. And when we find that method, it doesn’t mean that it is the best and only method, it just means that it works for us.

If you’re ever unsure of what you are doing, with anything, not just training please make sure to do your research. Ask your dog trainer or your vet or friends and family who have had healthy, long living dogs. Personally, I trust the opinions of both my trainer and my vet. Our vet has a golden retriever who he adores and brings into work with him so I really do value his opinion. If I am unsure on something I will ask him and see what he does for his girl, because I know that he would only do the best for her. The nurses at our vet are also amazing and just love animals and will help us with anything we need. I really think it is about finding someone you trust, like I have my vet, the nurses and our dog trainer. Every time I see any of them, we always get stuck into long conversations about all the different ways you can do things with your dogs – I love picking their brains because I really value their knowledge and opinions.

The idea behind this blog post is just to remind you all that it really is all about finding what's right for you and not getting too overwhelmed and confused by everyone else. There doesn’t need to be a right and wrong but rather about finding what works for you
and your dog.

Good luck on your journey and as always, I am more than happy to help if anyone has any questions…

Sunday, 26 May 2013

Are you the leader of your pack??

After going to the Dog Lover Show in Melbourne a couple of weeks ago I have been inspired by the Dog Listener, Tony Knight. He spoke about the pack mentality and I swear I have seen a big change in Coop already, just after two weeks of implementing his theories.

It is actually pretty simple, you need to start thinking like a dog- because your dog doesn't think like a person. Dogs come from packs and packs need leaders. So if you're not being the leader, your dog will take on that role for you. And it is from this that so many behavioural problems develop in dogs.

Tony believes that good leadership needs no force, gadgets or dependence on exercise to change a dog's mind. Good communication at critical times is what’s required.

You need to constantly be thinking and communicating that you are the boss, you need to believe this so that your dog believes it too.

A few small things we have changed and that I encourage you to change are:

1. The way you greet your dog when you come home or after extended periods of being apart. When you walk in the door you must ignore your dog- no touch, talk or eye contact. Once your dog has calmed down, has left you alone and found a quiet spot to lie down, give him 5 minutes and then call him over to you and then you can make a fuss and say hello. Don’t go over to him, he needs to come to you. You need to be the one to tell your dog when you want to greet him. No matter how much he nudges- you need to wait until he is calm. The idea behind this is that as the pack leader, you require your own personal space and your dog should respect this and then when you are ready, you greet your dog on your terms. Cooper brings us toys, he rests his head on our laps if we sit down and he tries to lick us. It is cute, but he is not respecting our personal space. He is very quickly learning that if he leaves us alone and gives us the space – he will then be rewarded.

2. When you leave home. When you leave home, do not make a fuss and say good bye to your dog. Your dog does not understand English and is also not going to know if you have been gone for 5 minutes or for 5 hours. They don’t wear watches. The more of a fuss you make, the more you can actually stress out your dog. If your dog believes he is the pack leader, he can become very stressed out when you leave home. Has your dog dug up your garden, chewed up your furniture or just been destructive when you have left home? This is because your dog believes he is the leader of the pack and is worried about you. Just like a mother worrying where her child has gone. In a pack, when a dog goes out to hunt, there is a possibility that the dog will not return. So this behaviour stems from your dog worrying about you and when you will return. So when you leave, don’t make a fuss, just walk out the door with no touch no talk and no eye contact.

3. The way you give affection to your dog. How often do you find yourself sitting on the couch stroking your pup? But did you invite him over? No. So the key here is no more patting/ affection unless you invite your dog over for it. It's tough, but it works. You need to put him in his place and it needs to be on your terms.

4. Feeding time. In the pack, the pack leader will always eat first and then give what’s left over to its pack. I now have dried apricots sitting next to Coopers dog food. I put his food in his bowl, and then I take an apricot and start eating it. To Cooper, this looks like it is coming from his bowl, he watches me eat it and then when I am finished, I give him his food. Try it, it is simple but effective! And it really does help to put him in his place in the pecking order.

5. When guests enter your home. Again, no touch, no talk, no eye contact. This is so important. People will think your nuts – my friends already think I am nuts but your dog needs to learn to respect peoples personal space. If your dog thinks it is the leader, he can also become protective over you, hence why dogs bark when the doorbell rings, they are trying to notify and protect their pack.

6. The walk. When a pack leader goes out to hunt he will want to be in front and lead his pack. If your dog pulls on the lead, it’s because it believes it’s your pack leader. So when you walk your dog, he should be by your side, not in front of you. By changing the above few things and asserting yourself as the boss, you will notice that your dog will stop pulling on the lead because he will no longer believe he is the leader.

These changes should be a permanent thing. If you stick to it – pretty quickly, your dog will learn that you are the alpha of the pack and they will start to respect you more and just enjoy life. Dogs are happy being apart of the pack, as long as they know there is a pack leader, they will be happy. But if there is no leader, they will take on that role and this can become quite stressful for the dog and in turn for the owner.

Try it for a couple of weeks and see how you go. I know it will be tough at first but really stick to it and you will see a difference and have a happier more balanced dog.

I have not gone into everything in full details because I could go on and on, so if you want to hear more and you live in Melbourne Australia – Tony is actually coming to do a talk for my facebook group Dog Lovers Melbourne on Tuesday night June 4^th. Join the group for more details - https://www.facebook.com/groups/154099731434125/