Dog Food Tips For Preventing Fussy Eaters

By Rebecca Prescott

There is much to recommend feeding your dog homemade dog food if you have the time to prepare it, and make sure you have recipes that give the correct ratio of nutrients, as well as the vitamins and supplements youll need to add. These can be mixed up in a bag, stored, and sprinkled in every meal.

Dogs should have a minimum of 18% protein for maintenance when they are adults, and 22% for reproduction and growth. Fat should be a minimum of 5% for adult dogs, and 8% for reproduction and growth. But the more fat that is in the diet, the more protein there should be. Fat makes dogs, as well as people, eat less by making them feel fuller. If they eat less, and there are less of other essential nutrients like protein and vitamins and minerals, the dog will not get the nourishment it needs.

Generally, commercial pet food is made according to the appropriate guidelines, but care should be taken if significant amounts of other food is added to the diet, and it is high in fat.

But whether youre feeding your dog commercial dog food, or home made dog food, there are a few things to keep in mind so you dont end up with a fussy dog:

* dogs should be fed once a day once they are no longer puppies, or two small meals, no more. Feeding your dog too frequently when he is older can turn him appear like a fussy eater, when he is actually full.

* feeding your dog too regularly can get him into the routine of expecting to eat at those times, too, and may lead to weight gain. Letting him get hungry, and feeding sensibly, will not harm him. In the wild, dogs would eat for once a day until they were completely full.

* Dont stand and stare at your dog waiting for him to eat. He will likely think something is wrong, or something else is coming, and wont eat.

* Dont give into your dog and give him something else straight away if he refuses his meal, as hes effectively training you and not the other way around!

* Theres nothing wrong with feeding your dog a varied diet, but dont keep changing the food because he seems fussy and wont eat it. Make sure nothing is wrong with him physically first, then if he is healthy, take charge of the situation. Put his food down, leave him to it, and then 30 minutes later go and check to see whether its been eaten. If it hasnt, take it away, then at the end of the day put down some fresh food. Repeat the process, and take it away 30 minutes later if it still isnt eaten. This way youll train your dog to eat his food, and not reinforce his behaviour.

Brian Kilcommons has a very interesting method for teaching dogs to eat their food. When the above fails, he prepared the dog food in front of the dog, making lots of yummy noises whilst he did it. He made it slowly, and when the dog still wasnt interested, he put it down in front of his face, then took it straight away and threw it out. He did this first at breakfast, then at dinner. At dinner, the dog in question was more interested, but he still threw it out after putting it in front of him. The next morning, the dog was jumping up and down whilst the food was being prepared. He put it down, pulled it away, then looked at him for about a minute, then left it for him to eat. That dog now eats anything put down for him.

* If your dog suddenly goes off his food, it could be because he has dental problems, or a stomach problem. Get him checked out by the vet.

* Some dogs do actually prefer a certain type of food, just as people do. Try your dog with a variety of foods, and if he only eats one type, and will starve himself if he doesnt get it, the best solution can simply be to feed him that type of food.

* Dont feed your dog a high fat diet, or junk food, including chocolate. Its not good for them.

For more information on feeding your dog a natural dog food diet, see this article. For information on commercial vs non commercial dog food that might shock you, see this article.

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3 Fundamental Steps To Raise A Healthy Dog

By Gerald McNicholl

We all want what is best for our pet. Yet sometimes because of your hectic schedules, we tend to put our dog’s care at the bottom of the list or it just becomes a habit of chores we perform every day without giving it much thought.

We stumble out of bed in the morning, let the dog out, fill the water bowl, dump some food in the dish and go on with our daily routine. Are we really thinking about ways to make our dog healthy and happy?

There are no hard and fast rules to maintain your dog’s health but essentially it comes down to 3 main rules you need to follow:

1. A good diet
2. Plenty of fresh water
3. Exercise

A good diet is essential to your dog’s health. Be careful of what you feed your dog! Your dog has very little sense about what’s good and what’s bad for him to eat. So you have to take charge. An all natural dog food is what you should be looking for, try to avoid reconstituted foods that are packed with fillers and by-products. Remember you get what you pay for.

Although an all natural dog food may be more expensive, studies have shown that your dog will in almost all cases eat more of the “bargain brand” than the all natural, nutritious dog food. The “bargain brands” will pass through your dog more quickly because they do not contain as much of the daily nutrients your dog requires. This leads to your dog being hungrier more often and thereby eating more. Your dog will retain more of the nutrients contained in the all natural food which means they will be less hungry, have healthier coats, more energy and better overall health. Do not over-feed your dog – do not feed him between main meals, except for those small treats you reward your dog during training. Avoid feeding your dog with small bones of any kind from chicken, fish, chops etc as they can splinter in the throat or intestines and seriously hurting your dog in the process. Instead, give your dog a very large marrow or knuckle bone to chew on.

Give your dog plenty of fresh water. Change it as often as you can. A good rule to follow is that every time you get yourself something to drink, add new water to your dog’s bowl.

Exercise your dog daily. Most dogs love having playtime with their owners, take long walks, throw a ball or stick around the backyard or park. Remember your dog’s cardiovascular system, heart and muscles need exercise just like yours.

Also it is important to take your dog for regular checks and treatments with the veterinarian including things like worming, proper vaccinations and teeth cleaning. There are many diseases that you dog could face – fleas, ticks, worms, ear mites and infectious pests or parasites. While most of these afflictions are fairly common, preventative techniques and new treatment methods will reduce the discomfort or pain that your dog suffer from and ensure it leads a healthy life.

It is wise to spay or neuter your dog if you are not a breeder or do not wish to deal with a pregnancy. Neutering your male dog will make him less aggressive towards other male dogs but this reduced aggression does not mean you have impaired his ability to be a guard dog. A trained guard dog will do his job irrespective of whether he has been neutered or not. Other health benefits include eliminating crying, whining and irritability, eliminating the vaginal discharge that accompanies heat for a female dog, reducing territorial marking, minimising dominance issues with your family and reducing sexual mounting behaviour (leg-humping) in your dog.

For more information and tips on Dog advice and care, check out our website: www.dog-advice.net

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