Is dog food just dog food?
In the world of dog nutrition today, it is amazing to step back and look at the choices dog owners have when it comes to what bag of food to buy. There are foods designed for specific breeds, foods designed for sporting/nonsporting dogs, hypo-allergenic foods, lamb and rice, chicken and rice, and on and on. However, lets face it, many folks walk into their local Supercenter and buy whatever “chow” is cheapest. I tend to look at it a little differently though, if I am goign to invest countless hours into training a dog, then why would I not make an effort to be sure that dog gets the proper nutrition it needs to perform. I don’t think Michael Jordan would scarf down Mickey D’s every day of the season, but yet many folks rarely looka the ingredient list they are feeding their dog.
There are some great tutorials on reading dog food labels on the internet ( http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/CONSUMER/CON0290e.html ), is one I found from the FDA with loads of basic information.
Hard working hutning dogs need to be fed a diet that will ensure their nutritional needs are met. There are tons of great dog foods available. Personally I use Diamond foods (www.diamondpet.com), and have for years. They recently asked me to be a part of their Pro Staff, but I fed and recommended them long before that. I feed Diamond Adult Premium during the off season, and Diamond Performance during hunting season.
Do your dog a favor and get educated on K-9 nutrition, and then choose a food that will meet the requirements of your dog. A good premium feed is a little more expensive than the “chow” found at the local Supercenter, but it is amazing how much more energy it will have and how much longer a dog can work. In the coming weeks I will have some nutritional facts and information to post, slong with some comparison charts of different foods/ingredients.