Happy Meals
6 Tips for less stress, better health and behavior
1. Let your pup eat in peace. You may have heard somewhere that you should be petting her, sticking your hand in the bowl, or even taking it away, just to show that you “own” it. These are all not only extremely annoying and stressful to your dog (has a server ever whisked away a dish before you were finished?), but worse, may teach him that you cannot be trusted around his food. This is how resource guarding often starts. Watch out for stiffening and freezing, even if there’s no growling. It’s both rude and risky for humans (especially kids) to disturb dogs at mealtime.
2. Feed at least one meal a day in a food-dispensing toy or snuffle mat. Slow-feeder bowls are fine for dogs who bolt their food, but they don’t call for any problem-solving skills. You may be surprised at how many different toys are available these days (Kong started it all in the 1970s) that work in various ways to engage the dog’s brain and satisfy scavenging and foraging instincts. For timid or shy dogs, learning that they can make food happen builds confidence. For this reason and others, feeding this way can help with many behavior issues. Some of my--and more importantly, my clients’--favorite toys are made by Planet Dog, West Paw, Soda Pup, and Outward Hound (Nina Ottosson puzzles).
3. Separate two or more dogs. I’ve seen housemates who had to eat out of dishes side-by-side, and their people thought they were “fine” with it. But that wouldn’t be the dogs’ choice. Moving them apart, giving them some personal space, is bound to reduce tension and stress. Dogs, like other animals, regard food as a primary resource.
4. Don’t leave it out for hours. Feeding on a consistent schedule is more desirable than “free feeding.” If he isn’t eating it at once, find out when he’s hungry and just feed at that time of day. Some dogs would eat four times a day if they could, while others prefer to eat just once. And maybe that food just isn’t appetizing to this individual. Offer new foods--even if your other dogs enjoyed the same diet. Food is an individual taste, and there’s enormous variety in what individual dogs prefer and thrive on.
5. Find a high-quality food that your dog loves. We have an overwhelming number of choices these days: kibble, canned, air-dried, freeze-dried, dehydrated, frozen, human grade, home-cooked and fresh-delivered. Breeders and vets are not necessarily the best source of information here; they often have a bias or incentive to recommend certain inferior brands.
Diet influences behavior along with health. Dogs, like people, do better on fresh, real, whole foods. The less processing, the better. Kibble and canned foods are ultra-processed with extremely high heat.
Avoid foods (including treats) made with byproducts, corn, wheat, soy, sugar, food coloring, or lots of carbs and legumes. Replace treats like Milkbones and Pupperoni with fruits and vegetables your dog likes. Don’t believe the myth that dogs shouldn’t get “people food.”
6. Change food every so often. Eating the same diet for months (or years!) can cause allergies to develop. Rotating regularly is recommended by holistic vets for more complete nutrition, as well.
For a full list of nutritious, quality foods--and more useful and reliable information--turn to The Whole Dog Journal. Also check out the wonderful new book by Rodney Habib and Dr Karen Shaw Becker, The Forever Dog: Surprising new science to help your canine companion live younger, healthier & longer.
Copyright Lisa Benshoff 2022