Homemade Dog Food: How Can It Affect Your Dog's Behavior?
Rosana Hart
Does your dog have behavior problems? I don't mean the ordinary things any dog owner can expect, such as a puppy who isn't yet housetrained, a dog who loves to jump up on you when you return home, or other things of this sort. But if your dog does things which appear to you to be abnormal, you may be concerned or even worried.
Normally one of the first things dog owners do in a case like this is to learn more about dog training and apply it to their situation. They might do this through classes, trainers, books, or internet websites and forums. The quality of the advice found can be rather hit-and-miss, but often this approach is adequate and the behavior issue is solved, more or less.
Do take your dog to your vet for an exam, to be sure there aren't any health problems the veterinarian will find. For example, a dog with an abscessed tooth could suddenly became very grouchy.
Consider how much exercise your dog gets. Is it really enough? In today's world, few dog owners give their dogs enough exercise. If you and your buddy go out for long walks together, chances are you will both benefit. You may notice significant diminishment in behavior problems if your dog is tired out in this way.
But in many cases none of these approaches will solve the behavior problem.
I once had a lengthy email correspondence with a dog owner who found herself in this situation. She had already tried everything I've described above, but none of it solved the problem of her large puppy attacking and biting her and her children. She was an outstanding sleuth and ultimately she triumphed. Who'd have guessed that the beet pulp often used in commercial dog food was triggering allergic reactions? Once she only used dog food without that ingredient, the puppy became the dog of their dreams, sweet and loving.
Beet pulp is not at the top of the list of foods dogs are allergic to, but do remember that what you feed your dog may be affecting his behavior. This concept is quite common when thinking of people, but less widespread when thinking of dogs.
In general, veterinarians are not particularly well informed about the pros and cons of feeding dog foods that contain additives and other questionable ingredients. They received little training back in vet school and most are far too busy to explore the topic now. Also, if they sell dog food in their clinics, their inclination is going to be to trust that they made a good choice of food to sell.
I'm happy to report that some veterinarians have made a specialty of studying these matters closely, as have some dog breeders. Their recommendations are to feed your dog homemade dog food within guidelines they provide.
By feeding a homemade diet to your dogs, you may well be enhancing not only their behavior but also their health. One breeder has seen the longevity of her dogs increase gradually over the more than thirty years that she has been developing a natural diet which she shares freely on her website.
For any dog with behavior problems, it's an excellent idea to try a homemade dog food diet and observe any differences that may turn up over time!
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