Is expensive dog food better?
How times have changed. I remember as a child being sent outside with table scraps to feed the family dog. When I left school and went jackarooing, there would always be a sheep to kill or a roo for dogs meat, to supplement dry dog food from the stock agent or supermarket. Fast forward 40 years and we are overwhelmed with choice (and guilt). Should we be buying $150 a bag food? Should we choose the Bison/Venison mix? That one took me by surprise. I don’t have the answers, and all the articles I have assembled below don’t seem to either.
I have tried to only include relevant, informative articles, that include research. Most of the sites that sell dog food, just sing the praises of the expensive brands, with no credible research and I found many of the articles little more than blatant advertising.
The cereal /meat discussion is also very current and in recent years there has been a trend to meat only kibble, although most research suggests that grain is only a problem for a minority of dogs that may have allergies or intolerance. It is also good to mix fresh meat and vegetables with dry food.
A useful comment in one of the papers was that people should check their dog droppings as a good indication of a healthy diet. The main take home I did get from the articles though is that obesity is probably a bigger threat to your dogs health and wellbeing than the brand of dog food you buy.
Are premium pet foods worth the money?
Choice. 22 April 2020Dietary nutrient profiles of wild wolves: insights for optimal dog nutrition?
Mineral Composition of Dry Dog Foods: Impact on Nutrition and Potential Toxicity
Protein in the Nutrition of the Growing Dog
Carbohydrates in the nutrition of the dog
Skeletal development in the dog in relation to nutrition
A simple, reliable tool for owners to assess the body condition of their dog or cat
Intake of minerals, trace elements and vitamins in bone and raw food rations in adult dogs
The Use of Sorghum and Corn as Alternatives to Rice in Dog Foods
Evaluation of eight commercial dog diets
Vet Advice: Dog Food for Pain, Arthritis, Joints & Hip Dysplasia
Nosework
Sounds like plastic surgery; but for dogs, it is a fun activity, using their amazing noses. One of our dogs Scout, is a quirky fellow. He is pretty sensitive and shy, although he does love to play. He is a handy farm sheep dog, but he gets a bit distracted. He came into his own doing nosework. He loves searching for a scent, or food treats and will methodically work a room or outside space until he finds what he is looking for. When scout enters a room with his nosework harness on he means business.
Nosework is different to tracking, and is easier to setup. You can just do it at home, or as a competitive sport which is growing rapidly in popularity.
A few random links. It is not intended to be a definitive list, but an opportunity to read a bit more about nosework.
K9NWSource – Nosework supplies
Bringing training to heel
Whilst I am certainly not into harsh handling of dogs, or any animals for that matter, I am not convinced that 100% rewards based training is the idea either. I have never seen so many ill behaved dogs, dragging their owners around whilst only stopping occasionally to look up fondly into their owners face demanding yet more food. The following article from UNDARK is quite comprehensive and presents some different perspectives. I did find it interesting that the recall research cited, involved dogs on leads. This is usually a good starting point for recall, but true recall should be off lead to test a dog properly.
Punishment, Puppies, and Science: Bringing Dog Training to Heel