Dog Food and Feeding Schedule


Your dog should be walked before feeding. 

Your dog should be fed the same amount of food at the same times every day:

Ideally, you should feed your dog once in the morning and once in the evening.  

The proper amount of food to serve should be listed on the food container and it should be according to the dog’s weight;
age and daily activity level. 

You should use a measuring cup to pour the food into the dog bowl. 
Do not use plastic food or water bowls; only use metal food/water bowls.

Feeding should be ritualized:

Make sure your dog is in the sit/stay position before you place any food or water bowls on the floor.  The dog should not
break his sit/stay until you give the command:  “OKAY.”
It would be best to place its food in its crate.
Stay in the room while the dog is eating.

Once the dog has finished eating or fifteen minutes has passed (which ever comes first) – pick up the food bowl and
discard any remaining amount.  This will teach the dog to eat immediately when the food is served and subtracts the
       possibility of it becoming a picky eater. 
Do not re-use food – your dog deserves fresh food at every meal.
If your dog does not eat; it is OKAY!  We are trying to teach it good eating habits and it will learn within a few days
to eat when the meal is served.
If your dog exhibits any food aggression please make a note of it and consult with me.
After your dog has finished its meal, it should be either crated or supervised to make sure it is resting
for two hours.       
It should not engage in any play or running around – this can lead the dog to suffer from bloat (which can be
fatal!)

Choosing the right dog food:

Every dog is different and has different needs.

The best diet would consist of food especially prepared for the dog by the owner

For more information regarding natural diets please consult with either me or your veterinarian.

Do not feed your dog any dog food that has BHA; BHT; Ethoxyquin; or Propylene Glycol.

BHA and BHT:Common dog food preservatives that have been associated with liver damage, fetal abnormalities,
     metabolic stress and have a questionable relationship to cancer.
Ethoxyquin:    A highly suspect preservative that is under debate.  It is alleged that it has caused cancer, liver,
     kidney and thyroid dysfunctions; reproductive failure and more. 
Propylene Glycol:Common food ingredient that is closely related to antifreeze which is known to cause
     destruction of red blood cells.

It is okay to feed your dog only dry food – as long as your dry food has all the dog’s necessary nutrients.

If your dog is not chewing its food than it is good to add hot water to the dry food.  This will expand the dry food in the
bowl rather than expanding in the dog’s stomach.  This has many benefits; i.e. can help prevent bloat; helps digestion….

Please understand that the major dog food companies promote heavily through veterinarians and pet stores –
hence you may often get poor advice on which food brand to use.




Please locate below your current dog food and decide for yourself whether or not it is a good brand. 

I often recommend Merrick Homestyle Blends for adult dogs and Wellness for puppies.  If a dog
has a recurring diarrhea problem (after consulting with the veterinarian) than I recommend
Canidae All Stages.  


This food scoring guideline was found and is still posted at:  http://largedog.meetup.com/boards/thread/2914614

How to grade your dog's food:

Start with a grade of 100:
1) For every listing of "by-product", subtract 10 points
2) For every non-specific animal source ("meat" or "poultry", meat, meal or fat) reference, subtract 10 points
3) If the food contains BHA, BHT, or ethoxyquin, subtract 10 points
4) For every grain "mill run" or non-specific grain source, subtract 5 points
5) If the same grain ingredient is used 2 or more times in the first five ingredients (i.e. "ground brown rice", "brewerâs rice", "rice flour" are all the same grain), subtract 5 points
6) If the protein sources are not meat meal and there are less than 2 meats in the top 3 ingredients, subtract 3 points
7) If it contains any artificial colorants, subtract 3 points
8 ) If it contains ground corn or whole grain corn, subtract 3 points
9) If corn is listed in the top 5 ingredients, subtract 2 more points
10) If the food contains any animal fat other than fish oil, subtract 2 points
11) If lamb is the only animal protein source (unless your dog is allergic to other protein sources), subtract 2 points
12) If it contains soy or soybeans, subtract 2 points
13) If it contains wheat (unless you know that your dog isnât allergic to wheat), subtract 2 points
14) If it contains beef (unless you know that your dog isnât allergic to beef), subtract 1 point
15) If it contains salt, subtract 1 point
Extra Credit:
1) If any of the meat sources are organic, add 5 points
2) If the food is endorsed by any major breed group or nutritionist, add 5 points
3) If the food is baked not extruded, add 5 points
4) If the food contains probiotics, add 3 points
5) If the food contains fruit, add 3 points
6) If the food contains vegetables (NOT corn or other grains), add 3 points
7) If the animal sources are hormone-free and antibiotic-free, add 2 points
8 ) If the food contains barley, add 2 points
9) If the food contains flax seed oil (not just the seeds), add 2 points
10) If the food contains oats or oatmeal, add 1 point
11) If the food contains sunflower oil, add 1 point
12) For every different specific animal protein source (other than the first one; count "chicken" and "chicken meal" as only one protein source, but "chicken" and "" as 2 different sources), add 1 point
13) If it contains glucosamine and chondroitin, add 1 point
14) If the vegetables have been tested for pesticides and are pesticide-free, add 1 point


94-100+ = A 86-93 = B 78-85 = C 70-77 = D <70 = F



Dog Food scores:

Alpo Prime Cuts / Score 81 C
Artemis Large/Medium Breed Puppy / Score 114 A+
Authority Harvest Baked / Score 116 A+
Authority Harvest Baked Less Active / Score 93 B
Beowulf Back to Basics / Score 101 A+
Bil-Jac Select / Score 68 F
Blackwood 3000 Lamb and Rice / Score 83 C
Blue Buffalo Chicken and Rice / Score 106 A+
Burns Chicken and Brown Rice / Score 107 A+
Canidae / Score 112 A+
Chicken Soup Senior / Score 115 A+
Diamond Maintenance / Score 64 F
Diamond Lamb Meal & Rice / Score 92 B
Diamond Large Breed 60+ Formula / Score 99 A
Diamond Performance / Score 85 C
Dick Van Patten's Natural Balance Ultra Premium / Score 122 A+
Dick Van Patten?s Natural Balance Venison and Brown Rice / Score 106 A+
Dick Van Patten's Duck and Potato / Score 106 A+
EaglePack Holistic / Score 102 A+
Eukanuba Adult / Score 81 C
Eukanuba Puppy / Score 79 C
Flint River Senior / Score 101 A+
Foundations / Score 106 A+
Hund-n-Flocken Adult Dog (lamb) by Solid Gold / Score 93 B
Iams Lamb Meal & Rice Formula Premium / Score 73 D
Innova Dog / Score 114 A+
Innova Evo / Score 114 A+
Innova Large Breed Puppy / Score 122 A+
Kirkland Signature Chicken, Rice, and Vegetables / Score 110 A+
Member?s Mark Chicken and Rice / Score 84 C
Merrick Wilderness Blend / Score 127 A+
Merrick HomeStyle Blends / Average Score 125 A+
Merrick Beef N More / Score 125 A+
Nature?s Recipe / Score 100 A
Nature?s Recipe Healthy Skin Venison and Rice / Score 116 A+
Nature?s Variety Raw Instinct / Score 122 A+
Nutra Nuggets Super Premium Lamb Meal and Rice / Score 81 C
Nutrience Junior Medium Breed Puppy / Score 101 A+
Nutrisource Lamb and Rice / Score 87 B
Nutro Max Adult / Score 93 B
Nutro Natural Choice Lamb and Rice / Score 98 A
Nutro Natural Choice Large Breed Puppy / Score 87 B
Nutro Natural Choice Puppy Wheat Free / Score 86 B
Nutro Natural Choice Senior / Score 95 A
Nutro Ultra Adult / Score 104 A+
Pet Gold Adult with Lamb & Rice / Score 23 F
Premium Edge Chicken, Rice and Vegetables Adult Dry / Score 109 A+
Pro Nature Puppy / Score 80 C
Pro Plan Sensitive Stomach / Score 94 A
Purina Benful / Score 17 F
Purina Dog / Score 62 F
Purina Come-n-Get It / Score 16 F
Purina One Large Breed Puppy / Score 62 F
Royal Canin Boxer / Score 103 A+
Royal Canin Bulldog / Score 100 A+
Royal Canin Natural Blend Adult / Score 106 A+
Science Diet Advanced Protein Senior 7+ / Score 63 F
Science Diet for Large Breed Puppies / Score 69 F
Sensible Choice Chicken and Rice / Score 97 A
Solid Gold / Score 99 A
Summit / Score 99 A
Timberwolf Organics Wild & Natural Dry / Score 120 A+
Wellness Super5 Mix Chicken / Score 110 A+
Wolfking Adult Dog (bison) by Solid Gold / Score 97 A

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