Dog feeding--What should I know?

Knowing what to feed your dog starts with the basics. Dogs, like us, are omnivores. They're able to eat and digest many different types of food. If your providing your dog with a daily diet that is well balanced, containing both proteins, and carbohydrates, fats, minerals and vitamins in the right proportions--then your doing the right thing by your dog.

Most people lead busy lives, and the supermarkets know that. They provide pet owners with a solution--the canine take-away solution.

There is a lot of controversy concerning mass produced pet food. A lot of it misplaced. Providing your buying your dog a high quality, premium brand food, from a recognised manufacturer, then you should have no problems whatsoever.

You need to read the manufacturers' guidelines, and then adapt them to suit the particular circumstances of your dog. Consider his age, breed, his personal stage of development, how active he is, and his health.

Many people overfeed their dogs, and under exercise them--which is obviously detrimental to a dog's health. If you believe that your dog isn't get the recommended amount of exercise for his breed--feed him slightly less than the label advises.

The main benefit of feeding your dog with a high grade dog food, wet or dry, is that they are made to a fixed recipe. This fact alone virtually guarantees that your puppy, adult, or older dog will get the right combination of approved nutrients on a consistent basis. You simply need to combine this with a bowl of fresh water, and regular dental care, either brushing or by special dental chews.

You can take the boredom out of some of these prepared meals by adding some raw carrot. Also, why not feed your pet some fruit, mine enjoy an apple core a day, pips and all. Add some of your vegetable left-overs, cooked brown rice, or raw veg to their dish. Don't give them any leftovers that are high in fat--unless you want a fat dog. Treats, apart from chocolate, have a joint purpose, as a training device, and as a dental aid.

So what else can I feed my dog?

The alternative to these ready meals are scraps conjured up from left-overs, homemade, and raw diets. It doesn't take a degree in nutrition to be able to balance the ingredients to provide a wholesome--and if varied--interesting diet for your dog.

Like us dog's appreciate variety in their food. This is a well trodden route--long before the pet manufacturing industry came about--and for the diligent pet owner, one that your dog would probably favour. A common sense approach to feeding this way is really all that is required.

Giving a dog bones to chew on is much appreciated by the dog, but bones are sharp, can splinter, and consequently can cause some nasty injuries. Is it worth it then? You can counteract much of the associated problems by giving your dog only raw shin bones, and marrow bones. Don't give them cooked bones, which are not only liable to splinter, but also cause constipation.

Providing that overall your dog looks healthy, eats his food with gusto, is physically and mentally active, then your almost certainly feeding your dog the right diet.

Following on from Dog Feeding--Your going to need to know How to Brush a Dog's Teeth