I can’t believe I’m now on Lesson 7 out of 12 of the Make Dogs Your Life course for dog trainers!
This week’s lesson was on one of the most hotly-debated subjects (outside of training!) in the dog world: nutrition. Dog nutrition is one area that always, always draws interest whenever we bring it up on the site, on Facebook, or on Twitter.
A former trainer and nutritionist for humans, Fernando Camacho covers dog nutrition in this lesson, starting with the raw diet:
Many great companies make completely balanced frozen raw foods that you simply defrost and serve (although most dogs will be more than happy to scoff them down fully frozen). They come in the form of individual patties and medallions, as well as rolls. Although they do contain some fruit and vegetables, most contain about 95% meat.
This lesson’s coverage extends to treats and chews:
I predict that within the next five to ten years there will be freezers of raw dog food in every pet shop and rawhide bones will finally be extinct. I already see bully sticks replacing rawhide and grain-free foods moving their way up the pet store shelves. The pet industry is changing almost daily as we learn how to take better care of our dogs, and by refusing to settle for anything that might not be in our dogs’ best interest.
I loved Camacho’s advice on nutrition and the raw diet. (As for ourselves, we feed our dogs on a rotation diet, switching from usually grain-free kibble to raw to wet, supplemented with raw bones, their favorite. I’ve tried making the homemade diet for Irie and Tiki and still do it on occasion, but, time-wise, it’s difficult.) As a dog professional, I know one of the most commonly-asked questions we’re asked when people meet us in person is about diet. In today’s economy, it can be difficult but, with rotation of foods and careful shopping, it can be done.
For more information, visit the Make Dogs Your Life course for dog trainers website and be sure to follow Make Dogs Your Life on Facebook and Twitter.
The FernDog Trainer Academy Review Series:
- Lesson Twelve & Final
- Lesson Eleven
- Lesson Ten
- Lesson Nine
- Lesson Eight
- Lesson Seven
- Lesson Six
- Lesson Five
- Lesson Four
- Lesson Three
- Lesson Two
- Lesson One
- Introduction
Disclosure: We are receiving the Make Dogs Your Life course for review; we are not paid for our review and all statements and opinions are entirely our own.
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