Feeding and Nutrition
Feeding is a hot topic. I say feed the best you can. What is considered adequate by some is considered the low end by others. My uncle Mike who I conceder very smart, and a knowledgeable dog man. A breeder of Walker bear dogs, and himself a very successful bear hunter, feeds only Old Roy. He feels this is fine and his pack performs well and his dogs are healthy.
I feel the benefits to the dog, show up in later years. Feeding a dog better now, will give you a longer lived, healthier dogs in their old age.
So what is the best? That’s the million dollar question. And to the dog food companies, it’s a billion dollar one. Dry dog food is getting better all the time. Some cost as much as beef, and have the highest of quality ingredients. Names like Taste of the Wild, Blue Buffalo, Diamond, Purina Pro, and many others come to mind.
I believe there is no best dried dog food, however a good dry dog food is probable good enough to keep your puppy or adult healthy.
If you have time and money I believe you can do better. Sled dogs that compete in both long and short races might be the best example of the best fed dogs, or at least it’s a group where the results can be measured. Most if not all the top compeditors in sled dog races feed a meat based diet, with only 1/3 being of dried commercial dog food.
Up to three quarters of the food is meat. Cooked or Raw. Wild game is ofter cooked, and chicken and beef, fed raw. Fish cooked and raw is also a big part of many resipies. Liver is concedered an excellent addision. Eggs are also concedered excellent and fed in large amount by many mushers. This along with supplements such as wheat germ oil, and Red Cell, as well as others. Anyway you get the idea. We’re not racing competitive sled dogs, but we’re feeding high energy, dogs who we want the best for.
So what do I concider the best? Well a balanced diet of some variety, ranging
from good to best is what I’m after. Dogs are very flexable, and can and do eat a big variety of food. From a whole dove, feathers and all, to grass. Our gang has a favorite bush that they all eat the small green leaves from. The smallest puppy to the oldest of our dogs seem to love it, and they eat it like a cow. When we go to the river, the first few minutes are often taken up by the gang grazing on the river grass.
So I conceder vegtables important. Perferably raw, and fresh. Meat: Dogs love meat, it’s in their DNA. Dry dog food, is a good source of fiber, and since it is a stand alone food, it has all the esinshals. Other important foods. I love eggs, the incredible ate able egg. Cooked or raw, with the shells even better. Liver, high in everything. Supplements, Red Cell, wheat germ, and milk replacer.
There’s so many ways to put all this together. Cooked or raw.
Let’s put it all together. Dry dog food as a stand alone food is often left for our pack as an eat anytime food. Meat, cooked, or raw, whole or ground, with or without the bone given often as a supplement.
Vegetables and greens, almost any kind. Fresh or cooked, fresh much better. Chopped, blended, or ground. Cooked potatoes, fried or boiled. Not raw, they taste terrible.
Rice brand added for fiber.
For Puppies: Milk replacer, for calves, sheep, or dogs, follow directions, and give to puppy to drink, or add in their food. Dog food soaked for puppy to eat. Ground meat, chicken, or beef, or both. You can grind chicken bones, but not beef bones. Eggs, cooked or raw.
Into a blender, water, liver, fish, eggs with shell, spinach leaves, a couple of carrots, a small amount of Red Cell, and wheat germ and fish oil. Blend and mix with raw or cooked meat. Add soaked dog food, oat meal, or wheat brand for fiber. Dry dog food can also be put into the blender without water and blended fine to add to meat. I start this well before the puppies are weaned. It’s also very good for the mother.
Mothers. I start feeding the expected mother well before the puppies are born, and I cut down on their outings to the field. A raw or modified raw diet is fed. Chicken, whole or ground, fish, ground or blender, with the bones. It’s much easier to add raw vegetables when both the meat and vegetables are ground.
Meat, and vegetables can also be boiled or cooked, a pressure cooker speeds things up. Eggs and other ingredients can be added later.
As you can see feeding dogs homemade food is like feeding your family homemade food. Quality ingredients is the name of the game. A search of the internet, for raw dog food, homemade dog food, etc. will get you more ideas than you can possibly use.
Feeding table scraps? By all means, what good is it to have a dog if you can’t feed him table scraps.
And don’t forget the fresh water.
Feeding is a hot topic. I say feed the best you can. What is considered adequate by some is considered the low end by others. My uncle Mike who I conceder very smart, and a knowledgeable dog man. A breeder of Walker bear dogs, and himself a very successful bear hunter, feeds only Old Roy. He feels this is fine and his pack performs well and his dogs are healthy.
I feel the benefits to the dog, show up in later years. Feeding a dog better now, will give you a longer lived, healthier dogs in their old age.
So what is the best? That’s the million dollar question. And to the dog food companies, it’s a billion dollar one. Dry dog food is getting better all the time. Some cost as much as beef, and have the highest of quality ingredients. Names like Taste of the Wild, Blue Buffalo, Diamond, Purina Pro, and many others come to mind.
I believe there is no best dried dog food, however a good dry dog food is probable good enough to keep your puppy or adult healthy.
If you have time and money I believe you can do better. Sled dogs that compete in both long and short races might be the best example of the best fed dogs, or at least it’s a group where the results can be measured. Most if not all the top compeditors in sled dog races feed a meat based diet, with only 1/3 being of dried commercial dog food.
Up to three quarters of the food is meat. Cooked or Raw. Wild game is ofter cooked, and chicken and beef, fed raw. Fish cooked and raw is also a big part of many resipies. Liver is concedered an excellent addision. Eggs are also concedered excellent and fed in large amount by many mushers. This along with supplements such as wheat germ oil, and Red Cell, as well as others. Anyway you get the idea. We’re not racing competitive sled dogs, but we’re feeding high energy, dogs who we want the best for.
So what do I concider the best? Well a balanced diet of some variety, ranging
from good to best is what I’m after. Dogs are very flexable, and can and do eat a big variety of food. From a whole dove, feathers and all, to grass. Our gang has a favorite bush that they all eat the small green leaves from. The smallest puppy to the oldest of our dogs seem to love it, and they eat it like a cow. When we go to the river, the first few minutes are often taken up by the gang grazing on the river grass.
So I conceder vegtables important. Perferably raw, and fresh. Meat: Dogs love meat, it’s in their DNA. Dry dog food, is a good source of fiber, and since it is a stand alone food, it has all the esinshals. Other important foods. I love eggs, the incredible ate able egg. Cooked or raw, with the shells even better. Liver, high in everything. Supplements, Red Cell, wheat germ, and milk replacer.
There’s so many ways to put all this together. Cooked or raw.
Let’s put it all together. Dry dog food as a stand alone food is often left for our pack as an eat anytime food. Meat, cooked, or raw, whole or ground, with or without the bone given often as a supplement.
Vegetables and greens, almost any kind. Fresh or cooked, fresh much better. Chopped, blended, or ground. Cooked potatoes, fried or boiled. Not raw, they taste terrible.
Rice brand added for fiber.
For Puppies: Milk replacer, for calves, sheep, or dogs, follow directions, and give to puppy to drink, or add in their food. Dog food soaked for puppy to eat. Ground meat, chicken, or beef, or both. You can grind chicken bones, but not beef bones. Eggs, cooked or raw.
Into a blender, water, liver, fish, eggs with shell, spinach leaves, a couple of carrots, a small amount of Red Cell, and wheat germ and fish oil. Blend and mix with raw or cooked meat. Add soaked dog food, oat meal, or wheat brand for fiber. Dry dog food can also be put into the blender without water and blended fine to add to meat. I start this well before the puppies are weaned. It’s also very good for the mother.
Mothers. I start feeding the expected mother well before the puppies are born, and I cut down on their outings to the field. A raw or modified raw diet is fed. Chicken, whole or ground, fish, ground or blender, with the bones. It’s much easier to add raw vegetables when both the meat and vegetables are ground.
Meat, and vegetables can also be boiled or cooked, a pressure cooker speeds things up. Eggs and other ingredients can be added later.
As you can see feeding dogs homemade food is like feeding your family homemade food. Quality ingredients is the name of the game. A search of the internet, for raw dog food, homemade dog food, etc. will get you more ideas than you can possibly use.
Feeding table scraps? By all means, what good is it to have a dog if you can’t feed him table scraps.
And don’t forget the fresh water.