Nutrition and Training  

   Nutrition plays a big role in the training of your dog. Why? Because nutrition not only has an effect on the physical aspects of your dog, but also affects his or her mental state. This means that if your buddy is not receiving proper nutrition, he or she can have a hard time focusing on the task at hand, as well as can easily be distracted, which makes training more difficult.

   Quality food manufacturers spend many dollars researching nutrition for dogs, and it shows in the wide availability of quality foods on the market today. In addition to the low-grade dog foods found in grocery stores and supermarkets, pet specialty shops and feed stores often carry a wide range of foods designed to address everything from specific activity levels to food allergies.

   It is important to feed the right type of food to your best friend. For example, if your dog spends its typical day hanging out in the back yard and lounging around the house, and goes for walks around the neighborhood 2-3 times a day, that's not really considered an active lifestyle, for a dog. If you feed a food designed for active dogs, your dog will have an abundance of energy that isn't burned up, and will likely have a hard time focusing during training.

   On the other hand, if you feed a low-protein diet to an active dog that goes on hikes or is involved with rigorous activities on a daily basis, the low nutritional value of the food may leave your pal mentally drained, so he or she can't focus during training, even if he or she wants to.

   Quite a few dogs also have food allergies, and common food allergens are grains, which is not surprising given the fact that a dog's natural diet does not include grains, yet many dog foods include grains in their ingredients. If your dog is allergic to grains, symptoms commonly manifest themselves as digestive tract issues and/or skin irritations. Imagine how tough it would be to try to learn something while you had an upset stomach, or while you kept having to lick your paws because they itched so much.

   If you suspect that your dog may have a food allergy, you might want to consider switching to a grain-free food. While you might experience "sticker shock" when you first see the higher price of grain-free foods, take comfort in the fact that most grain-free foods are typically manufactured using higher quality ingredients. Because nutritional values in these foods are significantly higher than lower-quality foods, you would feed less of a high-quality food to maintain balanced nutrition. Thus, the higher price per bag is largely offset. An added bonus is that the higher quality food is better assimilated by your dog's digestive system, so he or she will excrete less, which results in less clean-up for you!

   While we're not saying that nutrition is the answer to all training, it only makes sense that proper nutrition results in a healthier dog, which can make a difference in your dog's ability to learn what you are trying to teach him or her.

   It is surprising how few trade professionals know the value of correct nutrition. In our experience, only a select few really know about nutrition, and that includes veterinarians! Below are folks we recommend that you consult to help you determine the right food for your best friend, especially if he or she is sensitive or allergic to certain ingredients.

   In Placer County, California, contact Sherrie or Melisse at The Doggie Bag pet boutique, at 916-786-9003.

   In El Dorado County, California, contact Ken or Robin at Bark Avenue, at 916-941-7400.

   In Sacramento County, California, contact John or Bob at sBarkles, at 916-984-0102.

   To find our more about how we can help you, contact us today.

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