Choosing The Best Dog Food For Your Pet
Dogs have been our closest companions for over 15 000 years. However, it was not until 150 years ago that someone had the idea to produce a food specifically for dogs. And this early venture into commercializing dog food was hardly a runaway success. It was only after WWII that people really bought into the idea of buying food specifically for their dogs.
So what were dogs fed for the thousands of years before then? The truth is they were pretty much left to scrounge or hunt for their own meals. Occasionally, they may have been thrown a bone from the master’s table or given a treat by a kindly soul.
As dogs became more popular as pets, they would have been fed more regular meals by their human guardians. These meals though would still have been table scraps, perhaps supplemented by some dry or tinned dog food.
As information has become more accessible, via television and, especially, the internet, there has been an increased interest in dog health and nutrition. This has seen a dramatic increase in the number of TV programs, websites and magazines about dogs.
We’ve seen the introduction of specialized, size specific, breed specific and age specific canine diets, as well as things like the BARF diet. Small wonder the average pet owner is confused about what to feed his dog.
So what is the best dog food?
That depends on who you’re listening to. Many experts insist that premium brand dry kibble is the way to go, others are equally adamant that dog’s should be fed raw meat, while still others would never feed their dogs anything but a home cooked meal.
The truth is that all of these are okay, provided there is balance in the diet. As omnivores dogs need to eat both meat and vegetables. Raw food diets recognize this and quality dog food companies incorporate it into their ingredients. And even If you’re going the home cooked route, you’ll need to take this into account.
As a rough rule of thumb you should feed your dog 1/3 meat, 1/3 vegetables, and 1/3 fiber. You can also increase the meat percentage slightly at the expense of the other two components.
If you’re like most dog owners though, time is an issue. In that case the best way to ensure that your dog gets a healthy, balanced, nutritious diet is to feed a vet approved, premium or super premium dog food.
There are a number of options available to you including specially formulated brands for puppies, seniors, dogs with allergies, dogs with sensitive stomachs and so on. You can even get brands formulated for the needs of specific dog breeds.
What you should definitely avoid is the cheap commercial dog food brands, while feeding table scraps is another no-no.
The cheap brands available on most supermarket shelves are packed with grains and thus of low nutritional value. They may also be behind numerous ailments ranging from allergies to more serious diseases like cancers.
You should also avoid feeding your dog table scraps. Human food is generally not good for a dog as it is high in fat and may contain harmful ingredients like garlic or onions. A dog that is regularly fed from the table is also likely to become a habitual beggar.
Visit www.dogsanddogtraining.com to learnmore about best dog food, dog care, dog training and other helpful dog information.

