The Great Food Dilemma

What is the best way to feed your dog? This is one of those subjects that is widely disputed. Ask just about anyone, and they will all tell you something different, something they swear by, and that all other methods of feeding are completely inappropriate for dogs. Even among groups who seemingly have the same ideas, conflict erupts(such as between the BARF and the prey model raw feeders). Beliefs for each diet can be so strong that many people can get quite nasty when you suggest any other way to feed your dog. Go onto any raw feeding group and mention you feed kibble to your dog and be prepared to be bombarded by statements that you are killing your dog, and that you might as well be feeding them dirt. Likewise, tell most any veterinarian that your dog gets a raw diet, and you will get looks of horror and a long string of warnings about how you and your dog are going to be exposed to horrible bacteria, disease, and parasites. For a new dog owner the information on nutrition and feeding out there currently can be baffling and mind boggling.

Dog nutrition has recently become a fascinating subject for me. Growing up it was never much of a concern for our dogs. Dogs ate dog food from a bag, that was all there was to it. It was not until I got interested in the dog training world myself that I began learning there was much more to feeding dogs that I had originally thought. I remember very clearly several years ago chatting with a nice trainer I had just met, and he asked me what I fed my dogs. I told him quite happily that they ate Purina Dog Chow and was quickly chastised for feeding them this horrible food. I was shocked and horrified that I could have done something so wrong for my dogs. after that day I began doing more research on different dog foods. My ideas on good nutrition have changed many times since then, through different brands of kibble, to homemade diets and so on.

Currently I feed my dog Kiba a raw diet based on the whole prey model philosophy. That is the idea that dogs should eat raw meaty bones, muscle meats, and organs, and nothing else. Kiba has been on this diet for about a year now, and really has seemed to do quite well on it. When I get my new puppy though, I have been considering trying some changes in the diet, specifically adding a high quality kibble. I want to do this for a number of reasons. First of all, I find that the raw diet can be time consuming. It is also difficult to always find the right food to feed. Prey model feeders recommend a large variety of meats and organs which can be hard to find. I don't have a butcher convenient so I have to shop for meats at the grocery store, which can be hit or miss. Also lack of freezer space is an issue. Ideally I would have a separate freezer for the dogs' food, but right now that's just not an option financially and space-wise. So I worry about being able to give enough variety and balance in the diet. Prepackaged raw was a consideration, and I do occasionally buy some at the natural pet food store nearby for Kiba, but it is an incredibly expensive way to go. The other problem is that I plan to do a lot of training with my new puppy every day, and I would ideally like to be able to use his food for a large portion of that training. It just wouldn't be very practical or sanitary to be carrying around raw food to use as a training reward. I also like Ian Dunbar's suggestion of hand feeding a new puppy and using the rest of his food to stuff toys with. I am thinking, therefor, that I might try a combination or raw and a good grain free kibble. After reading up a lot on the subject and speaking with a few experienced dog owners, I feel that this is something that will be beneficial. I don't really like the idea of mixing the two together, so my plan is to feed kibble some days, and raw on other days. I found an excellent website that has a large amount of information on dog nutrition, and links to several different websites and e-mail lists on all sorts of different ways to feed. After researching many different dry food brands I have found a few that I like. This website has a great section that reviews different dog food brands. I particularly like the Orijen dog food.

I joined a dog nutrition mailing list so I could learn even more about feeding dogs. In the meantime I've decided to make the transition with Kiba. I bought a bag of the Orijen 6 Fresh Fish and she really loves it. I'm using it for her training sessions and she's working for me better than she ever has. Yay!