Commercially prepared dog food is intended to be the sole calorie source for the intended pet. Therefore it contains all of the nutrients in the right proportions for your dog. Over-supplementing your dog’s diet, particularly with concentrated nutrients can cause an imbalance of important nutrients like calcium, zinc, vitamin A, fat or protein.

Some dogs suffer soft stools because of the variety of different foodstuffs that you are offering to him. Fruits and vegetables, especially when they are uncooked, can cause changes in gastrointestinal microflora and intestinal osmolarity.

Dogs are usually not picky eaters and most are happy to eat kibble everyday. However, many people feel the need to feed human food to their dogs. It is generally recommended to keep treats and “people food” to 10% or less of the diet. In most cases, a dog will have a normal stool quality of “people food” is kept to this level or less of this diet.

Although homemade natural dog food is the best as you can be sure it is free from preservative or contaminants so prevalent in commercial dog food as reported in recent news, some dogs may not adapt too well especially if you feed it human food. Like human, some dog will have more sensitive stomachs than others and do not adjust well to variety in their diet. In fact, it takes 12 weeks for the metabolic pathways to be forged in the dog’s body so most vet recommend that you do not switch dog food often.

A final recommendation would be to pick a few foods that you know do not upset your dog’s stomach and use them sparingly as treats for your dog. It is best to follow expert’s advice on dog food recipes if you are preparing homemade dog food.

Most of the dog owners have a common question in their mind. What is the best quality dog food? Every dog owners are tried to ensure best possible care to their dog. Many commercial foods are available in the market. But almost everyone suggest homemade food is better for dog’s perfect growth. So owners need to be knowledgeable about dog’s diet.

Two categories of dog foods are very much popular: Raw dog food and dry dog food. Many experts believe raw dog food is the best choice for selecting dog’s diet. Raw dog food provides the necessary energy in dog’s health and help in their proper growth. The ingredients in raw dog food are natural and uncompressed. A proper raw dog food is a mixture of meat, fiber and starch. Dogs love meats. Sometime owners give too much meat to their dogs. But they should keep in mind that vegetables are also very much essential for their perfect growth and prevent from diseases. So while preparing food mix some sort of vegetable along with the meats. Carrots, broccoli, yams are good source of fibers.

Feeding dry food to the dogs is most common and popular choice among the dog owners today. Most of the people at metro cities live a fast pace life today. Dry dog food is more convenient for them. But it’s important to realize not all commercial food contain high quality natural ingredients. So if you decide to feed dry dog food to pets, you have to be very careful. Check the ingredients in the food by reading the label. Make sure there is no preservative or artificial color in the food. These things may be harmful for dogs in the future.

Proper diet is the most important factor in dogs care. Homemade dog food is considered as best quality dog food. For some other reason commercial food is gaining popularity. But we should not compromise with dogs’ health.

The best all natural dog foods or homemade dog food recipe contains calcium because dogs need a 2:1 ratio of Calcium to Phosphorous. Meat is high is phosphorous so calcium must be supplemented to keep this important 2:1 ratio of Calcium to Phosphorous.

In the wild your dog would have satisfied this 2:1 ratio when eating its prey because the bones of the prey would contain the calcium needed to offset the phosphorous in the meat.

Why Bone Meal is Not the Best Choice for your All Natural Dog Foods

Food grade bone meal was always recommended in the past however it is not the best choice for the best all natural dog foods or your homemade dog food recipe. Bone meal contains phosphorous along with calcium so it would be impossible to maintain the 2:1 ratio your dog needs. Using Bone meal will usually put your dog at a 1:3 ratio with the Phosphorous being 3 times higher than Calcium, which could cause devastating health issues for your dog.

The other main reason Bone meal is not the best choice for calcium supplementation in your all natural dog foods and homemade dog food recipe is that bones hold toxins especially metals like lead which would be passed onto your dog. Bones can also hold disease like mad cows disease, which would be very dangerous for your dog.

Finely Ground Egg Shells Are the Best Choice for All Natural Dog Foods and your Homemade Dog Food Recipe

Not only are eggs a wonderful source of protein for your all natural dog foods and your homemade dog food recipe, the egg shells are the best source of calcium supplementation available. Finely ground egg shells do not contain phosphorous so you can maintain the important 2:1 Calcium, Phosphorous ratio your dog needs. You can use your own egg shells plus they are readily available commercially.

8 Large eggs will give you about 1 teaspoon of finely ground egg shells which is the amount to supplement 1 pound of all natural dog foods or your homemade dog food recipe. One pound of all natural dog foods or your own homemade dog food recipe will feed a 50 pound dog each day.

What If My All Natural Dog Foods Do Not Contain Calcium?

A lack of Calcium can cause dental facial problems for your dog which are irreversible. There are many other functions and benefits beyond the obvious of minerals like calcium. Calcium is important for strong bones, it also is said to help with blood clotting, activating enzyme action, and in helping with normalizing the contraction and relaxation of the heart muscles.

Don’t underestimate minerals; they are the spark plugs of life. Calcium is the single most important supplement you can provide your pets.

Otto Warburg the Nobel Prize winner discovered that all disease in people ties back to mineral deficiency. If we have become so diseased after changing our diets to processed foods after thousands of years, why can’t our pets be suffering from the same problem?

Choose your all natural dog foods and supplements wisely; your dog’s health and well being depends on it.

Dogs have not changed very much in the past couple of hundred years. It is their surroundings and environment that has changed the most, especially their dog foods. All natural dog foods a hundred years ago were the raw kitchen scraps and any table scraps that were left over. Many dogs also hunted their own food.

Wild Dogs and Why Raw Meats are Best for All Natural Dog Foods

Does your dog walk in circles to pack down the tall grass before sleeping even if there is no grass?

Have you noticed your dog’s sharp pointy teeth used for ripping meat? A dog’s neck muscles are still their strongest muscle for ripping and tearing the meat off their prey. Your dog will also eat his food as quickly as he can and protect it from other animals even if there are none.

Your dog’s sense of smell is 1000 times more powerful than a human’s sense of smell, which enables them to hunt.

Your dog’s digestive system has not changed since the wild; it is designed for high protein, fat and moisture meals. Your dogs jaws only go up and down to tear meat or swallow it whole, hence the saying “wolf your food down”, they do not move sideways like cows or horses that grind vegetation.

Warmth and Moisture in Your Homemade Dog Food Recipe for the Best All Natural Dog Foods

If you feed raw meat with normal fat content and hot purified water to make it moist and make it warm (since cold food shuts down the digestive system), you will be giving your dog the same all natural dog foods dogs have eaten since the beginning of time.

Meat should be fed raw because it also helps to stimulate the carnivore’s highly acidic digestive system.

Bones should only be included if they are raw and fresh. Old or cooked bones become brittle and will splinter easily while fresh bones are still pliable.

Do you know of any animals that cook their food before they eat it?

All Natural Dog Foods Dogs Have Eaten for Centuries are Your Best Choice for Dog Foods

Since humans changed the way dogs have eaten since the beginning of time, dogs now get the same diseases humans have. The same diseases humans began to get after they began to eat so much processed food.

Coincidence? I think not. Remember Nobel prize winner Otto Warburg discovered in people that all disease ties back to a mineral deficiency. If we are getting sick because we began to eat processed foods that are nutrient and mineral deficient does it seem so odd that our pets are suffering from the same processed foods?

This alone should be enough to make us question the high grain content commercial dog foods available today and at least look for high quality all natural dog foods or use a good homemade dog food recipe so you will know exactly what is going into your dog. Your dog will Love you for it.

Karma Organic Dry Dog Food

The best, ultra premium organic dog food is Karma Organic Dry Dog Food, as they use over 95% organic ingredients in their dry dog kibble. Although they do not have a line of canned dog food, and just sell Karma Organic Dry Dog Food, it is the best choice if you want to eliminate chemicals, artificial preservatives, unnecessary additives, meat that is not fit for consumption, unhealthy fillers and in some cheap brands – road kill.

Karma Organic Dry Dog Food is the only dog food manufacturing company that can boast the over 95% organic ingredients. It also contains 18 certified organic ingredients and is made with organic whole fruits and vegetables – not dried. And just to add the perfect touch to their all natural organic environmentally friendly philosophy, they use packaging made with 100% recyclable material. Did you know that 95% organic ingredients are considered human grade food?

They provide 100% complete nutrition, and the ingredients list starts with number one being Organic Free Range Chicken, and continues like a menu in a health food restaurant. Changing your dog from the cheap grocery store brand to this highly organic dog food can be nothing but good, and will eliminate many of the health problems, allergies and illnesses caused by the food containing fillers, pesticides, herbicides, synthetic fertilizers, sewage sludge, GMO grains and all the nasty artificial preservatives and additives.

Although this is pricier than most, money saved by reducing health problems, and just the fact that you will be extending your dogs life seem to be worth the extra few dollars.

Newman’s Own Organics Pet Food

This pet food has more than 70% of all ingredients being organic. They use human grade all natural chicken and organic brown rice, and it is supplemented with high levels of antioxidants, Ester-C and probiotics.

Newman’s Own Organics pet foods do not use herbicides, pesticides or artificial fertilizers and is not irradiated, and do not contain chemical additives or preservatives. The ingredients are handled according to strict organic standards.

Newman’s Own Organics come in a variety of sizes of dry dog and cat food, and they also offer canned dog and cat food, as well as Newman’s Own Organics Dog Treats.

The 30% of ingredients that are non organic are still high grade ingredients that are completely safe, nutritious, all natural, and free of unnecessary fillers or harmful additives.

Natural Planet Organics Dry Dog Food

Natural Planet Organics does not list the percentage of organic to non organic ingredients, but its main ingredients are organic, and the rest are all natural.

Natural Planet Organics is certified organic dog food and classified by the company as Ultra Premium. Organic free range chicken is the first ingredient listed.

They also use organic grains, organic vegetables and organic fruits.

Additionally natural antioxidants are added, along with pre and probiotics, and an excellent combination of important supplemental vitamins and minerals for optimum health. Also glucosamine and chondroitin and high levels of Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids and taurine, which are essential, are also included.

You will find there are no harmful preservatives, added chemicals or fillers, that are invariably found listed as ingredients of lesser quality brand kibble. The ingredient list is easily read, and there are no complex chemically sounding words. I always believe if I can’t pronounce it, I wouldn’t want to eat it. This also goes for my pets, and this organic food meets “my rule.”

This organic food is offered as dry kibble only, for dogs and cats, and well worth the few extra dollars it may cost over less natural dog food.

Peace of mind, and confidence that you are giving your pet the best food available on the market today comes when you choose any of the above three all natural, certified organic dog foods. You will not have to worry about compromising your pet’s health, just as you don’t compromise your own family. After all, our pets are a very important part of our family, and giving them the best advantages of health and longer lives is up to us.

But you don’t give your dog toxins! Or do you? You probably do without even knowing it.

Do you make your own dog food or use commercial dog food? If you use commercial dog food, then there is a good chance you are feeding your dog toxins.

There are some preservatives that are used in dog food which are not healthy if consumed on a daily basis (the way we feed our dogs the dog food!), such as BHA & BHT. Both have been shown to cause liver and kidney failure. Another preservative, Ethoxyquin, has been banned for human use. These preservative are used as a fat stabilizer to prevent the dog food from going rancid.

But here is the most deceitful part of the toxin issue – these preservatives don’t always have to be listed on the dog food ingredient label! If the manufacturer did not add the preservative itself, they don’t have to list it – legally. However, the processing plant that provides the ingredients to the dog food plant may very well have used any of these preservatives!

A good way to check to see if your dog food has preservatives is to check the expiration label. If the shelf-life of your dog food is greater than 1 year, it’s got some kind of preservatives – probably the kind you don’t want your pet to have!

One of the advantages when you make your own dog food is that you know exactly what is in the food you feed your dog. You have complete control over what your dog eats. When you make your own dog food, you use human-grade ingredients – none of those extremely harmful preservatives are in our food. When you make homemade healthy dog food you are stopping the build-up of toxins in your dog’s body.

Of course there are a handful of companies out there that do care about your dog and provide nutritious, harmful-preservative-free food. Some provide kibble to which you add your own fresh meat and/or vegetables. This is a great way to feed your dogs when you do not have the time, or the energy, to make your own dog food from scratch.

The most important thing you can do if you don’t make your own dog food is to learn how to read the ingredient label. Although harmful preservatives may not always show up, the rest of the ingredient list should be a tell-tale sign as to whether the dog food company cares about your dog or its profits.

Why should you consider making homemade healthy dog food? For your dog’s health and well-being. We’ve trusted the commercial dog food companies for decades, only to find out they’ve been using 1) substandard ingredients and 2) preservatives that have been linked to liver and kidney damage.

So let’s look at some definitive ways homemade healthy dog food can help your dog:

1) No more deadly toxins!

Most commercial dog food companies use preservatives such as BHA & BHT (known to cause liver and kidney damage) and Ethoxyquin (banned from human use) to keep the fat in the dog food from going rancid — for a longer shelf life. No need for any preservatives with your homemade healthy dog food.

2) No more mystery meat!

Have you ever looked at the ingredient label of dog food? What is “meat meal” or “chicken by-product”? By-products are the rest of the animal that isn’t fit for human consumption. If the type of animal is not listed, then it could be anything – euthanized dogs & cats, diseased cows/pigs/chickens unfit for human consumption – the disgusting list goes on. The problem with this type of “meat” is that it can contain chemicals and poisons that are not eliminated through the processing. This means your dog will also ingest these chemicals. With homemade healthy dog food you buy the meat that you feed your family and your dog.

3) Improved digestion and absorption of necessary nutrients.

This can be seen by the size of the stool. You’ll see less waste because the body is able to utilize more of the food from your homemade healthy dog food. The commercial dog food has so much filler to add bulk, to make your dog feel full. But it lacks the nutrients necessary for the dog, so it just goes right through them.

4) Improved immune system in your dog.

Your dog’s body has been living in a state of stress. He has not been getting all the nutrients he needs for optimal function. Once he starts getting the necessary nutrients from your homemade healthy dog food, your dog’s immune system will be able to perform better. This means he will be less susceptible to illness and diseases.

5) Decrease of your dog’s “allergy” symptoms.

A lot of your dog’s “allergy” symptoms will start disappearing – itchy skin, gas, diarrhea, smelly stools, bad breath. A study by William Pollak, DMV, with over 500 dogs of 30+ breeds, showed that a change to a healthy diet, within 12 months, almost entirely eliminated the allergy symptoms in over 90% of the dogs. Start feeding your dog homemade healthy dog food now and watch his symptoms disappear.

Most people feel reassured by the pictures of smiling veterinarians and dog breeders paying tribute to the commercial pet food they feed their dog. Or perhaps, you’ve been convinced by your own vet that the food they sell is sure to be nutritionally balanced.

For your dog’s sake, be a bit suspicious. Don’t be convinced by anyone (including me) that what they are trying to sell you is necessarily in your dog’s best interest.

Instead, it may be in their own best interest if they gain a sale from convincing you.

If you’re having a problem getting your head around the idea of raw dog food, then I suggest it’s your problem, not your dog’s.

Dogs evolved on a diet of raw food over millennia. Humans have only recently taken an interest in making dog food.

Do you really imagine, for one moment, that humans have been able to change the domestic dog’s digestive and immune system in fifty odd years?

You may well say that humans have had an impact on the way dogs look, with all the different breeds. Yes, that’s true. But have you also noticed that pedigree dogs are also the most unhealthy? What I call a Heinz 57 dog, is normally much healthier.

So in breeding a selective type of dog, humans have gone against nature, by isolating one or more traits, until the breed becomes what the breeder wants.

And so it is with food. Humans tinker about with food, under the guise of ‘science’. I call it junk science, because there’s nothing scientific about commercial dog food. The word ‘science’ has come to be revered by the majority. Just as the word ‘natural’ is currently enjoying popularity.

So a clever commercial dog food manufacturer will incorporate the word ‘science’ and/or ‘natural’ in the advertising, to lure you in.

That doesn’t mean there’s anything of quality within the packet or can. It could be anything. You have no way of knowing how the food was prepared or what is in each pack.

Raw dog food, on the other hand, contains all the nutrients essential to a healthy dog.

I appreciate that it may take you time to get your head around the idea, because you’ve probably been brought up on the idea that commercial pet food is the healthiest way to go.

If that was true, how cum that dogs health invariably improves when a switch from commercial to raw dog food is made? The only way you’re really going to find out for sure is to try it out yourself.

You may be worried about parasites and bacteria in raw dog food.

Neither of these are an issue for dogs, whose digestive system is very robust, with powerful digestive juices. Dogs aren’t carnivores, they’re omnivores, which means they can eat anything (as long as it’s raw), including vegetation and rotting carcasses.

In fact, you will notice that when you feed a raw dog food, fleas and worms decrease and almost disappear.

Dogs have problems with unnatural foods – those that are cooked, those that contain preservatives. Neither of these are natural. Cooking destroys many vitamins and denatures other nutrients.

I can genuinely assure you, that your dogs health will improve considerably when you start feeding a raw dog food. There may be a ‘de-toxing’ period initially, but this is normal, natural and only takes a short time to go through.

Why not try it for a month and see for yourself? What have you got to lose?

Dog food is the main source of your pet’s strength and energy and if you do not carefully prepare his meal, your pet may get sick and worse may die. As a pet owner, it is your responsibility to be careful in feeding your dog. There are reports recently that commercial dog food caused the deaths of many dogs. Learning to make your own dog food and watching what he eats will ensure the health and safety of your canine friend.

Using commercial dog food maybe the easiest option to feed your dog, but are you sure it is safe for your dog? Do you know the contents and how it was processed? It maybe a little harder to make your own dog food but if you really care for your dog you will make time for it. Besides homemade dog food have many health benefits that you cannot get from any commercial dog food.

Here are the reasons why you need to make your own dog food:

No preservatives. It is beneficial to make your own dog food because you are sure that you are not feeding your dog with preservatives. The preservatives found in commercial dog food can damage your dog’s health. Some diseases caused by deadly chemicals present in commercial dog food includes kidney cancer, liver dysfunction, immune system collapse, severe allergic reactions, behavior problems including increased aggressiveness and a lot more.

Complete with nutrients. You can supply your dog with all the nutrients he needs if you make your own dog food. Providing your dog with natural healthy food that contains vegetables, rice, meat and other unprocessed ingredients will give him the necessary nutrients and vitamins he needs. Feeding your dog with super tasty homemade dog food with carefully hand picked recipes will prevent him from getting sick. Your effort to make your own dog food will result to a healthier and energetic dog free from all diseases.

You can save money. If you make your own dog food, it is much cheaper than buying well-known dog food brands. You can use the extra money for other needs of your dog.

Your dog will love you more. Your dog will definitely love the meals you cook and will love you more than ever for making them. Dogs are great in showing appreciation and you will be appreciated for making the time learning how to make your own dog food. His loyalty and friendship will always be yours.

It is really more beneficial if you make your own dog food. It will prolong the life of your dog. But you can’t make this change unless you have a good alternative plan in place. Discover a proven alternative plan and a survival-guide to a healthier, happier dog that lives up to 8.3 years longer than dogs whose owners feed them commercial dog food. Visit Dogs’ Corner

Dog owners are now hesitant to feed their dogs with processed or commercial dog food due to recent reports and news about food contamination on commercial dog food causing illnesses and premature deaths of dogs. This is really scary that is why more and more pet owners are turning to healthy homemade dog food recipe to make sure they are feeding their dogs with healthy dog food.

It is a growing concern now to most pet owners that commercial dog food contains preservatives, harmful chemicals and made from poor-quality meat that could result to various diseases. News of rampant recalls of contaminated dog food due to numerous reports of kidney failures on animals leading to deaths has alarmed most pet owners to be cautious in feeding their pets with commercial dog food. Healthy homemade dog food recipe is the answer to avoid food poisoning and diseases.

Healthy homemade dog food recipe do not contain harmful chemicals or additives that will put your dog´s health at risk. Your dog will benefit more and will be healthier if you switch from commercial dog food to healthy homemade dog food recipe. You are sure that you are feeding your dog with fresh, high quality and healthy dog food recipe.

Before switching from commercial dog food to healthy homemade dog food recipe, it is recommended that you consult you vet to know the nutritional needs of your beloved canine friend and to discuss your new diet plans.

If you find it hard to create a healthy homemade dog food recipe, you can research the internet for healthy recipes or ask help from the experts on how to make healthy recipe for your dog. Putting a little extra time for the safety and health of your dog is not a waste of time; after all you love your pet and want to spend more years of companionship with your canine friend.

Do you want to discover a step-by-step survival guide that makes your dog live a longer, healthier life so you will enjoy more years of happiness and companionship with your dog? Start feeding your dog healthy homemade dog food recipe and increase your dog´s lifespan visit Dogs’ Corner

Busy people generally tend to shy away from home prepared food for themselves as well as their dogs. But relying on others for your and your dog’s nutritional needs is likely to ensure your dog’s health will suffer, if not your own.

What it really boils down to, is time. You think preparing homemade dog food is not time efficient, perhaps messy, and how can you be sure it’s healthy? Don’t commercial pet food manufacturers know more than you do?

No. Commercial pet food manufacturers are chasing the mighty dollar, just as most people are. Generally, they have very little interest in good quality. By the time you have finished reading this article, you’ll know more than they do.

Is homemade dog food preparation going to be messy?

No, not once you have the hang of what you’re doing, which is where I come in. I’m here to help you every step of the way.

Does it take a long time to prepare homemade dog food?

No, once you’ve got the hang of what you’re doing, it incredibly quick and easy.

Just as it can be in preparing your own homemade food.

So I’ve knocked away some of the most common excuses for not preparing your homemade dog food. But, as you still hesitate, there may be one hurdle in the way, which we haven’t covered.

You have been accustomed to believe commercial dog food is better than anything else. Your vet may have told you. Your parents may have told you. You see people feeding commercial pet food all the time. Can they all be wrong?

Yes!

Because none of them are looking to their dog’s origins. Dog evolved in the wild over many thousands of years, hunting in packs in times of plenty and eating carrion or plant matter in times of famine.

In contrast, commercial dog food typically pellets, is not raw or of the quality a hunted animal is. Dogs digestive systems and nutritional requirements have not changed or adapted, just because they are now domestic.

The best way to ensure your dog maintains not just good, but excellent health is to make homemade dog food, based on a wild dog’s diet. Sure, it isn’t possible to exactly duplicate a wild dog’s diet, but we can come so close that it won’t affect your dog’s health.

When you’re shopping in the supermarket, it’s just as easy to buy raw meat and bones as it is to purchase a packet. You can buy enough to keep your dog going until the next time you shop. Freezing food is an acceptable way to keep it, as it is not so destructive as cooking. Three or four days of fresh food and the rest thawed frozen food will be absolutely adequate to maintain good health.

Once you’ve measured out the food the first time, it’s just a matter of routine.

Keeping all the ingredients together means it’s convenient.

By making your own homemade dog food, you have control over the quality and the ingredients. This is critical to your dog’s good health as many ingredients in commercial pet food is toxic, not natural, not nutritious and certainly isn’t raw.

Try your dog on raw meat and bones for a month and you’ll see a big smile on his face!

Couple that with his drastically reduced health bills, and you’ll be the next one grinning.

Warning: in older dogs there can be an initial clearing period. This is natural and normal, but can look alarming if you don’t know what’s happening.

When once there was only one simple choice when it came to feeding our dogs, we now have a confusing amount of choices. More of us are looking for the best for our dogs. As we become more and more educated about the commercial dog food industry a bigger number of consumers are turning away from the easy choice of grabbing kibble from the grocery store shelf. Recent recalls causing deaths in many of our beloved dogs has brought to the forefront how unhealthy and dangerous these foods really are. Dog food has gone through several stages starting with the pre commercial days when dogs were feed whatever we ate. Dogs ate what we ate at the time before store bought kibble was available, as in leftovers and scraps. People didn’t worry about dog nutrition, or even consider it as something that could increase the pet’s life. With the advent of commercial dog kibble, this new generation of pet owners were told and assured this was the best way to feed your pet. Table scraps were not good for your dog (as we all now know), and this new, important revolutionary way of convenient healthy food was available at the local grocers. This became and still is to a lot of consumers the one and only acceptable way to nourish your dog. Feeding “people food” was drilled into our heads as being so bad for our dogs, that it actually seemed to be a true fact. It was dangerous, fool hardy and deficient in the proper mix of necessary and essential daily dietary intake. With the ease and assurance from the big companies that we were making the best choice for our dogs we all became brainwashed into believing everything we were told. That is until the recently. After the recalls of toxic and tainted dog foods, more and more information became available and this was shocking. An elite few had already started producing highly nutritious, organic or all natural dog food years before. Dog’s health was suddenly the main concern of several small independant dog food companies. There has been a quick increase in choices available for feeding your dog. More and more companies started to manufacture organic dog food, devoid of chemicals, preservatives, deadly additives, and disgusting mystery ingredients. These premium organic dog foods are slowly now becoming the new, easy and extremely nutritious way to feed our pampered dogs. They promote and increase the health of our dogs and are proud of their production processes. One other way of feeding our dogs has now gone back to the “people food” way of thinking. Although this is not the “table scrap” method of feeding. This is a safe and hightly nutritious diet for your dog as long as you research and learn your dogs essential nutritional needs. That is homemade dog food, using the same foods we eat. The only way you will ultimately know what your dog is eating for sure is making the homemade dog food with the proper ingredients that meet your standards. You can easily find excellent nutritious homemade dog food recipes for free on the internet, or through books written by animal nutritionists and vets, that this choice is now becoming mainstream. Educating yourself for the sake of your pet is a small way to pay back all the unconditional love they give you, and in the end you will ultimately have your dog around for many extra years when they receive a proper nutritious and healthier diet

Dog food is the animal or plant material that is used for consumption by dogs or canines. Dog treats are the special type of foods that are given as a reward to the pet, and not as a regular diet. Many people buy the readymade dog food, but few prefer to make their own dog food as per the pet’s individual requirement, and using best quality ingredients. Best diet for dogs has always been a controversial topic. Some people argue that dogs have been thriving on scraps and leftovers from their masters for several years, others feel that commercial dog food is the best choice, and few believe that commercial foods contain additives, poor-quality meats and many other ingredients that pets should not ingest, and hence they must be fed the most natural diet.

Commercial Dog Food

Most of the pet foods available in the market are either in a dry form, known as kibble, or in the wet form. Dry dog food is more convenient for the owners, is much cheaper, and can be left out for several days. Canned food becomes unappetizing after few hours, but it has a longer shelf life, and it also contains more fat and protein as compared to dry dog food.

These days, many types of dog foods are available in the market, and some of the common alternative dog foods include frozen, dehydrated, fresh and homemade foods. Freeze-dried or frozen food comes in cooked or raw form. It skips the processing stage, hence preserving the nutritional integrity.

You can see that there’s practical value in learning more about dog food. Can you think of ways to apply what’s been covered so far?

Refrigerated or fresh dog food is produced through the pasteurization of fresh ingredients. After slightly cooking, the products are quickly sealed in the vacuum package, and refrigerated till served. Homemade dog food usually comes in the bucket type package, and is preferred by many dog owners for their pets. These diets contain raw or cooked meat, pureed vegetables, ground bone, multivitamin supplements and taurine supplements. Some of these dog foods use the vitamins specifically engineered for dogs, and other use the human vitamin supplements.

Most of the commercial dog foods contain the materials that are considered undesirable or unusable by some authorities and dog owners. Some of these ingredients include grain by-products, meat-and-bone meals, horse meat and so on. Cheaper canine foods usually have less meat, and more grain fillers and animal by-products.

There are also special dog foods that are formulated for the dogs allergic to common ingredients such as wheat, corn or chicken. These foods have substitute uncommon starches and novel proteins.

Many people believe that animals living in the wild eat the natural diet, and such diet is most ideally suited for them. These pet owners are usually opposed to the commercial pet foods, and try to mimic the natural diet for their canines.

There’s no doubt that the topic of dog food can be fascinating. If you still have unanswered questions about dog food, you may find what you’re looking for in the next article.

Your dogs nutrition is critical for leading a long, healthy and happy life. There are so many different types of dog foods available to you that it is sometimes difficult to determine which one is the right one for your dog. Just because a dog food is expensive, does not always mean it is the best food for your dog.

IMPORTANT One thing that is critical to the health of your dog is to know what NEVER to feed him. Some foods that humans can eat can be hazardous or even fatal to dogs. Some of these foods you need to avoid are: alcohol, baby food that contains onion powder, bones from fish, cat food (too high in protein), chocolate, coffee or tea, grapes or raisons, citrus oil extracts, onions, garlic, table scraps, mushrooms and more. Some of these are toxic and could cause death, whereas some will cause less severe health issues, such as diarrhea and vomiting.

There are quite a few more human foods that dogs should not eat. Research any food you plan to hand over to your dog. Trying to satisfy your dogs desires, could be a devastating result. In fact, chocolate is lethal for your dog, especially dark chocolate. The ingredients in chocolate are digested and excreted by a human in as little as three hours, but the same amount of chocolate in a dog can take up to 18 hours to leave a dogs body. Here are some of the symptoms of dog chocolate poisoning: vomiting, excessive urination, hyper, diarrhea, seizure, coma or death.

Read the labels of their dog food. Dogs diets should be rich in meat protein.

If you choose to have canned dog food, look for chicken, turkey meat or pork because they will help keep your dogs coat smooth and healthy. Give the foods that have a high vegetable protein level because these foods are more easily digested and give the dogs energy. They should also receive an adequate amount of carbohydrates, such as rice, corn, oatmeal and wheat.

Dont give your dog a bone! Once bones are gnawed to where they are soft enough to eat, they will feel like splinters inside a dogs throat and this could cause them to choke.

A natural dog food diet is a great way to increase your dogs overall health. People who have tried the natural dog food diet have been very happy with the outcome. They report that their dogs have shinier coats, their eyes are brighter, they have more energy and their breath is better. The idea of a natural dog food diet is to feed your dog quality human food, not just your leftovers. If you do not take care in what type of human food you feed your dog, than instead of making him healthier, you could be leading him down the path of degenerative diseases or diabetes. Many people are beginning to give their dogs more natural dog food diets.

Some people are making the meals right in their kitchen. However, the dog food industry has recognized that owners want to give their babies a variety of healthier foods, so you can find more natural dog food manufacturers on the internet. If you do choose to make your own food, be prepared to spend a little time in the kitchen. Prepare the food ahead of time, so that you are not tempted to give in to their desires of your leftovers. This can happen if you are simply too tired to get up and make your dogs meal after spending all that time making your own meal!

There are many different dog foods available. Be sure you are choosing a dog food that is high in meat protein. Before you prepare any meals for your dog from quality human food, check to be sure that the food is not toxic to your pet.

After feeding your dog his meal, take him on a walk. This will help to ensure a healthy lifestyle for you and your dog. Bring along the pet stroller so that he can have a relaxing ride back from the park after all of the playing. He will likely be ready for a nice long nap in his dog bed after his big meal and playtime!

Making your own homemade dog food with this recipe is easy and will give your dog the best all natural dog foods available. Just remember that in the wild your dog would catch small prey and eat the whole thing. This consisted of the meat, bones, organs, even the heart, brain and eyes (which are high in taurine). The vegetables they would get were in the stomach and digestive tract of the animals already partially digested. If you make your all natural dog foods to imitate your dogs prey hey will enjoy optimum health and love you for it.

Meats need to be fed one animal at a time. In the wild your dog would not eat more than one kind of meat at once. The meat should be ground or served in chunks which are easier to eat. Larger pieces will cause your dog to hold them with their feet to rip the meat apart, which can get messy.

Do not feed any fat that has been cooked which can lead to problems with your dog’s pancreas. Remember in the wild your dog would only get the fat that was on the animal and eaten raw. Use the skin that comes on the meat of in the case of beef the fat riddled throughout the meat.

Meats that cause trichinosis should never be fed like pork, bear, seal, ground squirrels, etc. However specialty meats like moose, ox, venison or bison are very pure and nutrient dense and can be fed in smaller quantities occasionally. Soft boiled eggs are also a good protein source, feed shells and all.

Organ meats are also very nutrient dense so use organ meat sparingly in your homemade dog food recipe. Either feed organ meats a couple of times a week for the meat portion or feed small amounts daily. Brains, heart and eyes are very high in taurine which is an essential amino acid for a healthy dog.

Vegetables are also essential in the best all natural dog foods. Remember to shred vegetables in a blender or food processor, your dog was used to getting them predigested in the wild. Use 3 or four different kinds of vegetables, preferably different colors to receive a wide variety of nutrients. The darker the vegetable, the more nutritious it will be in your all natural dog foods homemade dog food recipe.

It is best to avoid vegetables from the nightshade family like eggplants, green peppers, potatoes, onions, chives, garlic and tomatoes. These vegetables are associated with arthritis problems. Spinach also has a high oxalic content which can lead to kidney stones.

The best ingredients for the best all natural dog foods in your homemade dog food recipe are free range or organic meat because of the amount of toxins in meat and organic vegetables or peel the skin or wash with a spray to remove pesticides. Organic is always the best choice for all natural dog foods. Warm purified water is also an essential element in the best homemade dog food recipe. If these ingredients are not available use what you have, because it will make better all natural dog foods than you can purchase. Do not make your homemade dog food recipe because you cannot get all organic, what you make will be much more nutritious than any all natural dog foods you can buy.

Mix the meat at about 75% with the vegetables about 25% of the homemade dog food recipe. Puppies need a little more meat to vegetables since they are growing. Mix enough warm water to make a stew consistency. Meat and vegetables should be raw with the vegetables shredded finely. If you see vegetables in your dogs stool they are not chopped fine enough.

Your dog will eat until he is full. A good rule of thumb is about a pound of all natural dog foods per fifty pounds of your dog’s body weight. Do not feed your dog again until he has eliminated the previous meal or this can cause digestive problems for your dog. Always introduce any change in your dog’s diet slowly, increasing the new food daily until you have switched your dog over to the new all natural dog foods.

Using these simple guidelines you can make your dog the best all natural dog foods from your own homemade dog food recipe so your dog can enjoy optimum health. Your dog will love you for it.

After starting a business focused on healthy dog products Distinctive Dog (www.distinctivedog.com), a new world opened up regarding the state of dog nutrition and what manufacturers do not tell consumers.

There is much debate when it comes to dog food, treats and pet nutrition. In the wild, dogs inherently hunted and consumed animals and plants. Their digestive systems were designed to break down raw meat while the enzymes present in the meat aided the digestion process.

Today, most domesticated dogs eat processed kibble containing primarily grains and refined protein sources. Once the meat source is removed, the remaining ingredients are mostly unnatural for the pet. Wheat, barley, rice, corn and oats are all man-raised crops that a dog would never eat in the wild. So how have dogs adapted to a diet consisting mostly of grains and processed protein sources?

To begin with, dogs are highly allergy prone animals. Wheat, corn, soy and barley are common culprits of allergies in dogs. The most interesting factor here is that most of these substances are not contained in the dog’s natural food chain.

Corn is an inferior protein source and some experts contend that the dog’s liver must work overtime to extract useable protein, which in the process produces excess nitrates. These nitrates place extra strain on the liver and as some veterinarians will say, is one cause of premature aging.

Wheat, soy, barley and white rice have very little nutritional value and are used by manufacturers to squeeze more profit out of their products. As a fun experiment, place your dog’s dry food in water for about 10 minutes.  If it swells dramatically, it probably contains high amounts of these grains.

There are a variety of theories on the affects of processed dog food and dog treats on our pets. Veterinarian John B. Symes writes and speaks on the affects of gluten, casin from cow’s milk, corn and soy on otherwise healthy dogs. He is a “recovered” celiac and believes these substances are blocking nutrient absorption during the dog’s digestion process.

Many of these ingredients are used as filler in commercial dog food and when mixed with water, create a sticky substance. Symes points out that the dog’s digestive tract is not designed to break down these materials and the resulting partially-digested sticky material coats the intestines, blocking absorption of essential nutrients.

“Imagine that a German shepherd puppy begins eating a wheat, barley, corn, or soy-based diet from the moment it is weaned. If inadequate levels of calcium and vitamin C are absorbed, what are the chances that its hips, elbows, spine, and other cartilaginous structures are going to form properly? I would say “Not good”. Most people familiar with dogs know that this breed has a reputation for horrible hip dysplasia. But, they also have serious allergies and other immune-related disorders. This, of course, is no coincidence. Once it is understood that the allergies form in the area of the gut that is being damaged or coated by the ‘glue’, it is easy to see why the trouble breeds like the German Shepherd, Cocker Spaniel, Shih Tzu, and others have their ‘genetic’ tendencies such as allergic skin and ear problems, orthopedic abnormalities, intervertebral disc ruptures, and cancers,” contends Symes.

Another way dog food and treat manufacturers cut costs is through the protein sources. Most dog foods contain protein sources labeled as “meal”, “digest” or “by-product”. These ingredients contain meat sources that are deemed unsuitable for human consumption. Rendering plants process dead animal and other matter for animal feed, and yes pet food. With virtually no government regulation, these often contaminated protein sources pass as our dog’s dinner.

One regulation on the books was written in the National Research Council’s 1974 publication, The Nutrient Requirement of Dogs. It states that all mammals (except humans) are legally allowable “meat” for rendering as long as they are not decayed. Some states have passed an additional standard excluding dying, dead, disabled, or diseased tissues.

Deborah Lynn Dadd in her book The Nontoxic Home and Office: Protecting Yourself and Your Family form Everyday Toxins and Hazards states, “Each year about 116,000 mammals and nearly 15 million birds are condemned before slaughter. After killing, another 325,000 carcasses are discarded and more than 5.5 million major parts are cut away because they are determined to be diseased. Shockingly, 140,000 tons of poultry is condemned annually, mainly from cancer. The diseased animals that cannot be sold are processed into animal feed.

Now, there is no way to substantiate the claims but I do know that there is no real way to truly know what these ingredients actually contain. In addition, the food is processed at extremely high temperatures during the rendering process which kills much of the nutritional value that may have been present.

When we begin to examine our dog’s diet, one only wonders why dogs are prone to allergies and health issues. William D. Cusick, author of Canine Nutrition & Choosing the Best Food for Your Dog states that nations with generations of dogs raised on commercial pet food have experienced canine longevity decreases up to 50 percent. In addition they have recorded increases in cancers, reproductive complications and other health issues. Hypothesized reasons include environmental pollution, pesticides, vaccinations, urbanization, fluoridated water and commercial pet food.

Cusick furthers his point by stating that in identical environments, humans have increased life expectancy while dogs have decreased. Moreover, in countries where commercial dog food is unavailable these decreases have not been documented. This point cannot be overstated. It points to the dire need for structured research to substantiate the empirical evidence and governmental regulation within the pet food industry.

Today there is no way to concretely determine the health consequences of commercial dog food and grain based diets. As a result of these concerns, many people choose to feed their dogs a Bones and Raw Food diet (BARF). These holistic diets provide a diet closest to what dogs eat in the wild. Our pet’s stomachs are designed to process raw meat and they receive live enzymes not present in cooked food.

Another option is home cooked meals. This can be a tricky option because some human food can be toxic for our pets. A good book on the subject is Home-Prepared Dog & Cat Diets: the Healthful Alternative by Dr. Donald Strombeck. Dog nutrition is different than human nutrition, so I recommend you check with your veterinarian before considering either a BARF or home-prepared diet.

At the very minimum, read and understand pet food labels and ingredients. Ingredient labels are listed in order of quantity. Locate products with minimal levels of wheat or wheat by-products, corn, soy or barley. These are fillers that can adversely affect your dog’s digestive system and if your dog is allergic, they can cause itchy and flakey skin, dull coat and hair loss. These grains should never be listed as the primary ingredient in your dog’s food. Also, understand protein sources and ensure that the protein sources you are providing your pet are high quality and not from rendered sources.

As a general rule of thumb, do not look for quality pet food at your local grocery store or pet store chain.  Specialty pet stores often have greater expertise and can help you find the right food for your pet. If you are looking for healthy dog treats, many companies including Distinctive Dog Bakery (www.distinctivedog.com), offer home baked dog treats free from wheat gluten, soy, corn and other harmful ingredients.

Lastly, consider supplementing your dog’s diet with enzymes and probiotics. Probiotics are friendly bacteria that help in digestion and the absorption of nutrients. They prevent harmful bacteria from growing and causing problems including gas, diarrhea and vomiting. Enzymes help complement probiotics during the digestion process. Adding an enzyme-probiotic mix to your dog’s diet can improve digestion, create better hair coats and increase immune function.

Pet owners should realize the importance of dog food in their dog’s health and safety. Without a well balanced diet, your dog is prone to illnesses that may eventually cause his death. Food is the basic needs of dogs and you have to make sure that your dog is properly fed with nutritious food to keep him healthy. Preparing dog food at home is a good option to take control of your dog’s health and safety. Here are the amazing benefits of natural homemade dog food:

Your dog will live longer. Dogs properly fed with natural homemade dog food lives longer than those dogs whose owners feed them commercial dog food. With the absence of dangerous chemicals and preservatives in your homemade dog food, your dog will be healthier, happier and free from all kinds of life threatening diseases.

Your dog will have a perfect slim and attractive weight. Obesity is the number one health disorder of dogs. Commercial dog food is usually high in fat and sugar leading to obesity in dogs. You can prevent obesity and take control of the calorie intake of your dog by preparing natural homemade dog food.

Your dog is not prone to ear and skin infection, worms and fleas. He will look and feel much healthier. With natural homemade dog food, you will save a lot on vet bills with your dog free from all kinds of infections and allergies.

Your dog is well behaved. Chemicals in dog food are proven to cause behavior problems in dogs, including increased aggressiveness. This can be dangerous especially if your dog is around children. Feeding your dog with natural homemade dog food will result to a friendlier and well behaved dog.

Your dog is cleaner and smells better. With natural homemade dog food, you dog’s teeth is much cleaner and his breath smells much better. His poo is smaller and has much less stink. Cleaning up is no longer a stomach-turner chore for you.

Your dog will get closer to you and he will love you more. Making his own food is another way to bond with your loving pet. Your efforts to feed him with nutritious natural homemade dog food will be greatly appreciated by your dog and he will love you more for taking good care of him.

Natural homemade dog food will ensure the safety and health of your dog. Get some healthy, well-balanced dog food recipes and start feeding your dog with natural homemade dog food. Discover a proven survival-guide to a healthier, happier dog that lives up to 8.3 years longer than dogs whose owners feed them commercial dog food. Visit Dogs’ Corner

What’s on your mind when you consider an all natural dog food? Could it be a commercial dog food which has the word ‘natural’ on the packet? Could it be you think of cooking your own dog food from scratch? Do you consider table scraps to be the ideal diet?

Wrong! None of the above will address your dog’s health, Why not?

Well, the commercial dog food starts off with very low grade meat, mostly meat by-products (the better quality going for the higher priced human food), high fat and sometimes euthanased animals, which contain the chemical sodium pentobarbital. Then, to bulk out the already cheap ‘meat’, a non-nutritional filler is added. That can be sugar, as there’s a world glut of it at the moment, or melamine if you live in China.

Then, to keep the product indefinitely at room temperature a preservative is added.

When you see a packet of dried dog food in the shop, with the slogan ‘preservative free’ ask yourself this question – how can dried ‘meat’ be kept indefinitely at room temperature without preservatives? Do you think you wouldn’t have heard of a new way to do this, if there was?

So either there is no ‘meat’ or there is preservative present. Trouble is, the preservatives used are very strong, cause huge health problems and aren’t allowed in human food.

So commercial dog food can be crossed off as an all natural dog food!.

I see quite a lot of ‘dog experts’ on the internet advocating you cook your own dog food. Whilst that is hugely better than commercial pet food, it’s still missing the nutrients that are lost in cooking. Typically these are vitamins and enzymes, both essential for a healthy dog. But other nutrients are altered by cooking. Fat changes during the cooking process from a beneficial food to a harmful one.

So you can cross though this one too, as an all natural dog food.

What about table scraps? That depends so much on the table scraps. If the human food is a good, natural one of lots of raw fruit and veg, with lightly cooked meat, then these table scraps have the potential of being the best dog food out of all three options, as long as there is enough left over to satisfy your dog’s nutritional needs.

If, however, your diet is typically fast food with a lot of processed food, then these table scraps will be little better than the commercial dog food.

Yet another cross through.

There is only one all natural dog food and that’s the one dogs evolved on. Nothing that mankind has done has improved one iota on that. And considerable decline has occurred.

Dogs have evolved over millions of years on an all natural dog food and it keeps them happy and healthy.

Once you get to grips with the idea of how dogs evolved, duplicating that diet within the constraints of what is available and the limits on your time, is not that difficult. However, there are a few important things you need to know such as:

what food should not be given more than once a week should bones be given what carbohydrates are the best ones and how much are there any fruit or vegetables that shouldn’t be given what amino acid is essential to a dog’s healthy skin should you supplement the diet how do you convert the diet of an elderly or sick dog safely

When you change the diet of your dog from a commercial pet food to an all natural dog food, there may initially be a de-toxing period. This is normal and natural, but can seem a bit scary to you if you don’t understand why it’s happening and the symptoms. It should be of short duration, depending on your dog’s age and level of health.

Dogs digestion is robust. They have evolved on eating raw meat and carrion. They can’t cope with preservatives, fillers, high fat or low grade protein, none of which occurs (at least in high proportions) in nature.

Once you have your dog on an all natural dog food, you’ll find fewer and fewer health problems. I’m sure you’d be as happy as anyone, to cut your dog’s professional health fees.

If you want your dogs to remain happy and content then you have to feed them with the best dog food. This in turn means that you will have to consider a few things that will help you pick the best foods for your dog, especially when you are planning on buying dry dog food. Though it is quite possible that your dog(s) might not have any preference between dry and wet dog foods it still pays to see which type your dog loves the most. In case of most dogs they do tend to be picky and so you have to use trial and error methods to establish which kind your dog loves the best.

Regulate His Diet

It is also a good idea to ensure feeding your dog with regulated diet so that you can choose certain dog foods that the dog will relish and eat happily. It also means avoiding feeding him with human food as this can give rise to numerous health concerns including stomach aches and obesity as too problems with behavior.

Another important consideration related to dog food is that you must ensure feeding him according to his body weight and for more information you must check the dog food label to see how much of a portion is safe for feeding your pet dog. Even when starting your pet on a new dog food it pays to start off slowly to ensure that the food goes down well with your dog and does not make him feel sick.

If you want your pet to feed on moist food you can add a little water to his dry dog food and get the desired results though be careful that by adding water to his food, it can spoil the smell of his food. And, after having fed your pet dog it is also necessary that you ensure that he gets his fair share of exercise so that he remains in shape.

It pays to also select dog food that has enough vitamin content as this will help to create a shinier coat and his nails too will grow stronger. When picking his food, you should check the major dog food brands which are well known for having a lot of nutritious content and which also come in many flavors that will appeal to your dog’s senses. Some dog lamb accompanied by rice is OK for your dog.

Choosing the right dog food can often be confusing because of the different ingredients used as too because of the terminology used. There are also foods that are suited for puppies and those that are suited for larger sized dog breeds and you will also come across foods that help control your pet’s weight and there are also wellness dog foods that suit pets that have allergies or some other kind of health problems.

Times have indeed changed since the beginning of the nineteenth century before which dogs generally subsisted on wheat, bread and barley and rye. Only rarely did dog owners feed their dogs with meat. During the nineteenth century feeding dogs with meat was something that signified the dog owner’s status – that is until the first dog food was introduced in the year 1860 when in England an American called James Spratt founded his own dog food company.

Since then dog food has become big business and of course many changes have taken place in what we can and cannot feed our pets. The fifties saw the advent of dry dog food and today there is much variety in the type of commercially produced dog food that is available on the market.

The bottom line is that you should only feed your dog the correct type and amount of food. For a ten pound dog it is necessary that he gets 850 calories on a daily basis; for a twenty pound dog the number of calories should not exceed 1400 per day while a thirty pound dog must not be fed more than 1800 calories on a daily basis and a fifty pound dog should get at most 2700 calories per day.

Dog food aggression is one of those dog behavior problems that is difficult for us humans to fully understand. It just doesn’t seem to make sense that your dog would consider you a threat to his/her food resource. I mean you gave him the food in the first place, and if you feed your dog’s the same kinds of foods that I do, it’s not all that appealing anyway!

But, what is your dog thinking?

If your dog glares at you, snarls, growls and positions himself between you and the food he is actually saying to you “this is mine, go away, find your own”. He is basically telling you that he considers himself as the leader or alpha dog in your household. Dog food aggression (sometimes called canine possession aggression) is a dominance issue, it is serious and needs to be addressed immediately, it won’t just go away.

We’ve all made the mistake of laughing and even encouraging our feisty little dogs when they first display the “cute” signs of dog food aggression. Don’t fall into this trap! Food or toy aggression in dogs should never be tolerated as you never know when it can escalate into something more dangerous for you or a family member.

Why Does Your Dog Display Dog Food Aggression?

Canine possession aggression can be triggered by any number of factors but in most cases it can be attributed to one of these common causes:

- Your dog is desperate for this food, in his mind he doesn’t know if or when he will get more food. Therefore he protects or guards his food, just like he would have done in a pack situation in the wild.

- Your dog may begin to see you as someone who is always taking good stuff away. He comes to view you more as a threat than a provider (you’ve got to turn this thinking around).

- Dog food aggression can be part of the general confusion regarding who the leader is in your owner – dog relationship. Often it is not an isolated incident, it’s something you need to rectify.

- It’s possible that your dog doesn’t even understand that his dog food aggression is unacceptable behavior. In such cases there is an obvious communication breakdown between human and dog.

General Rules For Correcting Food Aggression In Dogs

- If your dog is directing his aggression towards other dogs the best solution is to simply separate them at meal times. Feed them in different rooms or in their crates.

- Involve all of your family members in this dog food aggression training.

- Take control of feeding time. You control the time and place of dinner time – own the food!

- Make your dog earn any food. Just simple tasks like sit or a down stay is fine.

- Make it clear to your young puppies that it’s good to have people around when they are eating. If you do this from day one you will almost certainly prevent dog food aggression problems.

- If you encounter dog food aggression it is a good idea to feed your dog after you and your family eat. This again is a throwback to your dogs pack mentality where the alpha dog or leader of the pack (which is you) eats first – your dog will understand this technique.

- Don’t let your dog “win” the food through his growling, this would reward the very behavior you are trying to eradicate. Don’t bully or intimidate your dog though, it’s much better to make him actually like having you around at meal time (follow the tips below to achieve this).

- Never respond to canine possession aggression with aggression of your own. In essence what this does is to lock you and your dog into a battle of wills. Your dogs next move will most likely be to step up his level of aggression to counter your action.

Dog Food Aggression Training Techniques

Firstly, be careful. If you believe your dog poses any real physical threat to you or family members I’d advise getting professional help. Speak to a professional dog trainer or animal behaviorist.

Below is a list of training techniques which could help your dog overcome his dog food aggression. Remember all of these techniques are designed to work towards reconditioning your dog to enjoy having you around anytime. Mix it up, show your dog who is boss.

- Hand feed your dogs, even stick your hands into your dogs bowl while he is eating.

- Stroke and pet your dog while he is eating and at the same time talk to him in a calming tone. All you are doing at this point is showing your dog that it is a good thing for you to be around.

- Stand at a distance your dog is comfortable with, then gradually reduce this distance over time. You can flick a few treats in (or near) the bowl as you slowly reduce the distance.

- Put your dogs bowl down with nothing in it, your dog will look back at you as though you are crazy. He’ll then literally beg you to come over and fill his bowl.

- Feed your dog as normal but hold back a few pieces of his meal. When he is finished licking the bowl, he’ll look back up at you, then you can come over and give him the remaining food.

- Drop a few of your dogs very favorite treats into his bowl each time you walk past it. After a while of this your dog will welcome the sight of you approaching the bowl.

- When your dog is eating, call him over to you, when he gets to you reward him, make it worth his while then let him back to the food bowl.

- While you are preparing your dogs meal put him in a down-stay or sit position, only release him from your command once you have put his bowl down. By doing this you are controlling meal time and establishing (or re-establishing) your role as your dogs leader.

- Work with another family member on this technique. Put your dog in his collar and leash and have him sit with your helper while you prepare the food. When you are ready release your dog and allow him his food. Again you are controlling the situation.

- Try the “Trade Up Method”. What you do is take away the food or toy your dog is guarding, and replace it with something better. You can use an obedience command such as “give” or “leave it” to encourage your dog to release the precious resource he is guarding. You then take this resource (the food or toy) and give the trade up item to your dog. Once your dog has finished with the new item, you can then give back the resource you took away. This technique proves to your dog that he will receive something great for giving something up, it will recondition his thinking.

- Every time you are with your dog have him in a pinch or prong collar with a leash attached. Whenever he displays any signs of dog food aggression you immediately administer a correction to your dog by snapping on the leash. What this does to your dog is build a negative association to the act of his food guarding antics.

Good luck with your training efforts.