Proper Feeding Habits
If you call your pup "Hoover", then this article is for you. Many people are in doubt about how to properly feed their pet and are doing harm despite their best intentions. Dogs these days have it easy - their food is delivered straight to them and chances are, they haven't had to work for it. Sometimes they even get home-cooked meals and table scraps too! Whatta life!
While they are living the life of luxury, this isn't necessarily the best thing for them. There are too many dogs who are overweight and suffering medical issues that are directly related to diet. How do we feel when we are carrying around extra pounds? We feel lethargic, lazy, chronically fatigued and most likely, still hungry. How are we affected by the extra weight? Perhaps we have sore knees and ankles, back pain, headaches, improper sleep patterns, heart problems, or worse medical conditions. The same goes for dogs - they require a balanced diet just as we do - the only difference is that they don't have the opportunity to control what they eat, and when they eat.
The first step is to find a healthy food that agrees with your dog's system - something that is as natural and as preservative-free as possible, that doesn't include fillers and other ingredients that can cause allergies and aggravation of the bowels. It can take some time to find the right food for your pet, but do your research and ask questions. You can always find a phone number on the packaging where you can call with these questions - take them up on the offer and start a dialogue!
Dogs, as domesticated as they have become, are still animals first and foremost and we must keep that in mind as we care for them. They have a different set of basic needs than humans do and in order to keep them happy and healthy, these basic needs must be followed. We humans need food, water, shelter, clothing, sanitation, education and healthcare. Dogs need food, water, shelter, socialization, structure, discipline and exercise.
Dusk and dawn are dogs' most active times of the day and the reason for that, is that these times are ideal hunting times. How would wild dogs acquire food? They wouldn't have a lovely human to home-cook each meal for them and set it down in front of them on a silver platter, so they would have to work for it. By working for it, I mean "hunting". Chances are, your pet dog does not hunt for his food, but we can certainly imitate this scenario in our everyday lives in order to keep them balanced.
One way of doing this is to "work" them before their meals. Ideally, we would walk them first thing in the morning in order to allow them time to stretch and eliminate after a long sleep, but also get their minds working so that they are not bored during the day while we are at work. When we return home, they should be physically and mentally drained so that they are able to rest quietly until our return. This is the perfect time to feed them - it teaches them that food does not magically appear without some effort; that they have to work for it.
A couple of notes:
- In multiple-dog households, it's ideal to separate the dogs when they are eating in order to avoid any food-related aggression issues, stealing and hoarding.
- For dogs that "inhale" their food too quickly, you can find special bowls on the market that will dispense the food slowly in order to slow down the process.
- If your dog is overweight, try to avoid feeding them "diet" food = instead, feed them according to the measurements on the packaging, for their ideal weight - not their current weight. Increase their exercise and make regular visits to your veterinarian to ensure that they are not losing/gaining weight too rapidly.
A few reasons are:
- by monitoring the intake, you can predict the output;
- you can help them maintain a healthy body weight and prevent over-eating
- for multiple-dog households, you can ensure that the more dominant dog isn't keeping the other from eating
- you can eliminate fights related to food-aggression
- it allows you to control their potty-breaks
- it allows the dog's gastric juices and digestive system to rest between meals
- it will decrease the chances that your dog will become picky about their food
When in doubt, contact us directly and book a time to meet with us.
