DOG FOOD This information is designed to give you some background about the feeding of your dog and some of the options you have in choosing a food. It is important to remember that most dogs do better while eating one food. People enjoy variety, but dogs’ systems do not seem to tolerate sudden food changes well. If your dog is doing well on a particular food, he is generally happy and healthier eating that food day after day. If you decide to change your dog’s food for any reason, it is best to make the change gradually. This allows the dog’s intestinal tract to get accustomed to the new food a little at a time. The best method is to replace a small amount of the old food with the same amount of the new food. Each day, you can gradually increase the amount of the new food while removing a comparable amount of the old. Over 5-7 days, you make an easy change to the desired new food ~ typically with no intestinal upset. It is extremely important to keep your dog fit and in good shape to do their jobs. Nothing will shorten a dog’s working life faster than having to carry around extra weight. Your dog is currently fit and will work best by staying at a good weight throughout his working years. To keep your dog at his optimum weight and condition, you can follow a few simple guidelines: 1. As part of your daily routine, grooming and going over your dog’s body, check your dog’s body condition. With your dog standing up, looking straight ahead, you can run your hands down both sides of his body. You should be able to feel and count ribs under a thin layer of pliable skin. You do not want the ribs sticking out, but you also don’t want to have to press hard through a thick layer of fat to determine that your dog actually has ribs! There should also be an indentation or “waist” at the end of the rib cage. This is an extremely effective way to monitor your dog’s weight without the use of a scale. 2. Be sure that you measure out your dog’s meal accurately. Some measuring cups have quite a bit of extra room at the top, above the 8 oz mark. If you give your dog the extra food above that mark each time you measure their meal, you could be adding a significant amount of food twice a day! 3. The amount of food your dog is eating now is based on his activity level while in training and living in the kennel. As you take your dog home into his new routine, his needs could change. It is important to adjust the amount of food if you feel that your dog is losing or, more commonly, gaining weight as he settles into his new life. Sometimes just dropping or increasing a ¼ or ½ cup at one meal can make the difference. 4. Limit your dog’s access to treats. The dog’s major source of nutrition should come from a quality dog food. It is important not to add extra “empty” calories by loading on the treats. It is also important to know that these are often labeled “nutritionally complete”, meaning they are just like food. This means that lots of treats means loads of extra calories. If you would like to give your dog a treat, pick a time for one a day, for example, at bedtime. Remember that a small treat will excite and interest your dog as much as a large one. He doesn’t get disappointed by the size, he’s excited about getting something. Save yourself some money and your dog the calories by buying only small biscuits. 5. Remember that dog food and biscuit manufacturers want to sell their food. Don’t be fooled by amounts or suggestions on the food or biscuit packages. They tend to have a heavy hand when recommending amounts.....that sells more food! By following these suggestions, you should be able to keep your dog at his optimum weight. This can have long-term benefits and is well worth the effort. Your dog is probably currently eating either Iams or Eukanuba. Both of these foods are made by the Iams Company. We feed the adult maintenance chicken and rice formula for both foods. Iams is considered to be one of many “premium” dog foods available on the market today. Eukanuba is a step above Iams, with the inclusion of Omega 3 and 6 fatty acids in a special ratio to benefit skin and coat and intestinal tract. Feeding a “premium” level food gives you several benefits. The dog food will be the same formula every time it is made. This is not true of the average dog food found in the grocery store. In those foods, the companies can substitute ingredients as long as they fulfill the percentages written on the label. With a consistent formula for the food, you will generally avoid the intestinal upset that comes with food changes. Another benefit of premium foods is that they are generally “lower bulk”, meaning the nutrients are in a form the dog can use more readily and there are less fillers. This should result in less stool ~ a nice benefit since you will be picking up after your dog. Although a premium level food is a bit more expensive up-front, the amount you feed can be less than an average food, making it not quite as costly in the end. Buying in larger quantities (40 lbs) can also reduce the end cost, but proper storage in a cool, dry place is important. A 40 lb. bag will last between six to eight weeks, perhaps a bit more. Most premium level foods are available only in pet supply stores, feed stores, or at your veterinarian. With the advent of large pet supply stores, these foods are now very accessible in most areas. Another source for these foods is the internet. There are several sites (Petfooddirect.com, Petsmart.com, Petco.com) where foods can be purchased and delivered, even on a timed, regular schedule. It is important to factor in the delivery cost to be sure that it is worth the convenience of delivery to your door. Iams, in particular, is now available in grocery stores and wholesale clubs, as well as the other locations. Eukanuba is only available where premium foods are more typically sold. The Seeing Eye fed Purina products for years prior to the switch to Iams. This was not a switch away from Purina, but a choice of convenience. We were using Eukanuba for some dogs, so it made sense to get all the food from the same company. Purina makes ProPlan, their premium food ~ which is also a fine choice. Purina O.N.E. is the grocery store version. The chicken and rice, adult maintenance food would be appropriate. Other nationally known premium foods are: Nutro, Wellness, Innova, Merrick and ScienceDiet, to name a few. There also may be some good regional brand names available to you locally. There are several Dog Food Companies that we know will offer discount coupons on their food. This is not an exclusive list ~ if you feed a different food, you could always call the company and ask if they offer coupons or have a discount for working dogs. Iams/Eukanuba (800) 255-4738 or (800) 525-4267 for phone contact www.iams.com for Internet contact ~ Go to “contact us or e-mail us” section of the page. In either case, provide full name and address, as well as the name and breed of your dog. Use The Seeing Eye as a reference and a book of coupons will be mailed to you. Hill’s/Science Diet/Prescription Diet (785) 368-5639 The contact person for Hills’ is Joyce Waida. She reported that Hill’s has always provided discount coupons for working dogs. Provide your name and address and she will send a booklet of coupons. Purina (800) Pro-Plan (776-7526) Purina no longer has a Companion Dog program, so there is no booklet of coupons, but if you feed Purina foods, you can call them and request coupons towards their food. They will take your name and address and mail you two $2 coupons. You can call every six weeks to get more coupons sent to you. Now that you know about the food options you have, it is important to mention a word about the toys you choose for your dog. Because there are lots of edible toys, it is appropriate to include this in the discussion of food. There are also toys which are not designed to be eaten, but some dogs get into trouble because they do eat them. We strongly recommend you avoid any rawhide, cow hooves, or pig ear-type chew toys. These can be of questionable quality and can make your dog sick or give him diarrhea. Many dogs get so excited about rawhides that they ingest large hunks and get blockages, requiring surgery to remove. With other toys, the rule of thumb is to interact with your dog until you know your particular dog’s habits. The nylabone and kongs you have received are generally safe to leave with your dog, but with different types of toys it is worth knowing your dog’s tendencies better before leaving them to entertain themselves. Hopefully, this has given you some good information to help ensure that you make good food choices and your dog is kept healthy throughout his life with you. While you are here, please feel free to ask your Instructors or the veterinarians any additional questions you might have in this area. 07/2007 LJ/ncn