Knowing the Different Nutritional Needs for Different Dog Breeds

With so many different breeds which come in different shapes and sizes, how can you tell whether one food is suitable for the next? The fact is that all breeds of dog have different nutritional needs and it is your job as an owner to do your research and see just what your dog needs.

Diets for Different Dogs

Whilst years ago people used dogs to hunt for their food, these days most people work their dogs for other reasons. We do not need to survive anymore by hunting our food and so the dogs do not necessarily have to work as hard as they used to do. However there is still a need for working and herding dogs to have a higher energy food which will keep them going all day. If you do have a working dog then you will need to ensure that they get the recommended increase in water, B-complex vitamins and minerals.

The only difference between working dogs and non working dogs with the diet should be the energy levels in the food. Nutrient-wise, all dogs require the same and if you give a working dog more food to give them more energy, it is possible that you could overdose them on nutrients. This means that they will not get the necessary benefits required from the food, and it is better to stick with especially designed working dog food so that they do get the right level of nutrients and energy needed.

If you do not use a specialized working dog food then it is possible that your dog will lose quite a lot of weight. This is because physically working dogs cannot really eat more food and that means that they will not be getting the energy that they need and they will lose weight and become weaker and unable to work eventually. In some cases the dog could even die from literally working to the death, so it is a serious situation.

If you own a herding dog then luckily they tend to use the least amount of energy of all working dogs. They only need to work for short periods of time and the only times that they need to work excessively are when they are trying to round up stray animals.

Overall the type of food which you feed your dog will depend entirely upon what they are used for. Do try and do a little research before you purchase a dog so that you know what type of food and how much food you should be feeding your working dog.

Final tip: No matter what breed your dog is, there are major health benefits to feeding him with an elevated feeding station instead of a standard dog bowl. Eating while bent over can increase air ingestion, which can cause digestive problems. It can also create poor spinal alignment and cause pain to dogs suffering from joint ailments.

For more articles by Kelly Marshall on Buzzle, see this interesting article on tips for showing your dog.