As a professional dog trainer, I also regularly assist owners with questions about their dog’s lifestyle and health. A very common question is “What should I feed my dog?” Unfortunately, choosing the right foods is not always an easy and straightforward decision. There are many factors to consider, from your budget to your dog’s breed, age, and health, to the ease of using a particular food. Today we want to look at different dog foods and see which is best for which dog!
photo taken by Maksym Kaharlytskyi above Unplug
Dry food – “kibble”
Dry food is the most commonly used dog food. It is conveniently available in any pet store or supermarket, can be stored for long periods of time, and comes in a variety of flavors. It is also the most affordable food on the market. This makes it an excellent choice for most healthy, adult dogs. Especially owners of large or giant breeds like Great Pyrenees or King Shepherd will be able to save a lot of money by choosing wet food or raw food.
However, dry food is – obviously – dry and hard and therefore not suitable for older dogs or dogs with dental problems. Your dog needs to be able to chew very well if you give junk food. This can also be a problem for young puppies, whose small teeth are not yet able to break large pieces of food.
- Medium and large varieties
- Mature and healthy dog with strong teeth
- Owners of many dogs must watch their monthly food costs
Unprocessed food
In the old days, all dogs were more or less given raw food (200 years ago no one bought their dog junk food – that doesn’t exist! Dogs would get table leftovers and game pieces simple).
Finally, feeding dogs raw food has become popular again. The reasoning behind that is that this is the most natural way for dogs to eat and is the foundation of good health.
If coarse feeding is done well, it can really contribute to a dog’s overall health. Especially highly athletic dogs benefit from roughage as it gives them extra energy. And – of course the dog will love the taste of raw meat.
One great danger, however, lies in not being able to balance all the necessary ingredients well. Dogs can’t just eat raw chicken – they need organ meats, muscle meats, bones… and all of this needs to be fed with the right nutritional balance. Neglecting to research the different amounts of meat your dog needs can quickly lead to malnutrition and do more harm than good.
If you want to discover how to feed your dog raw, be prepared for a steep learning curve.
An alternative is to buy ready-to-eat raw foods. Pet food companies sell this food in pet stores or large supermarket chains. This food has been nutritionally balanced and contains all the necessary ingredients. It’s quite expensive, though – if you have a medium or large breed dog, it can easily cost you up to $300/month to feed your dog pre-made roughage.
Raw foods can be especially good for:
- Working dogs like K9 police or military dogs
- Dogs participate in canine sports and require a lot of energy – such as agility dogs or diving dogs
- Dogs that go hiking or hiking with people
Wet food
Canned wet food is a popular food choice – it’s easy to store and often the only food that an older dog or dog with a tooth problem will accept. It comes in many different flavors and sizes.
On the other hand, wet food is more expensive than roughage and can be difficult to buy, especially with a large breed dog or a puppy that is growing and eating a lot!
Wet foods are easy to chew and often come with “gravy,” especially popular with picky or sick dogs.
While you can pamper your dog by feeding wet food as a main food, this is not necessary for most healthy, adult dogs.
Don’t worry if you can’t afford a whole wet food diet. A good alternative is to mix two tablespoons of wet food with dog food. That way, he’ll still enjoy the taste of wet food, but a can will last a lot longer!
Wet foods are especially good for:
- Old dog
- The dog has a tooth problem or the dog has had a tooth extracted
- Puppy
- Many small breed dogs tend to not chew well, such as Chihuahuas or Crests
- Dogs that have just had surgery or been injured
Food conversion
If you want to switch from one food to another, don’t quickly change your dog’s diet. This can upset his stomach and cause vomiting and diarrhea.
Instead, gradually replace the current food. For example, if you’re switching from wet food to crumbs, mix some crumbs into your dog’s wet food for a few days. Gradually you increase the amount of crumbs and decrease the amount of wet food. The more sensitive a dog’s stomach is, the longer this process will take. Some dogs need several weeks to fully transition from one food to another.
Key point
Which food is best for your dog will depend on your dog’s breed, age, health, and also your food budget. Many dogs eat different foods at different times in their lives. They may start eating wet food as a puppy, transitioning to food at an early age; were given roughage during the particularly active period and switched back to wet food in old age.
You can always consult your veterinarian for more information and help choosing the correct food for your dog. If you’re contemplating a food switch, make sure to gradually introduce them to new foods over a period of days or weeks – otherwise your puppy’s stomach could get upset!
Author’s biography:
Steffi Trott is the owner and founder of SpiritDog Training. Originally an in-person dog trainer, she added online training in 2018 to her business. Steffi strives to provide active, game-based training solutions for owners and their dogs.
When not training other owners’ dogs, she competes in dog agility or hikes in the New Mexico and Colorado wilderness with 4 dogs of her own.
