Labrador Training – Feeding Fido

When it comes to buying or getting a dog, such as a Labrador, many things need to be taken into account and given serious consideration. Puppies are cute but they tend to grow into big dogs very quickly. They can, just as quickly, start to lose their appeal. Owning a dog is a big commitment and it doesn’t come cheap. Vet bills, insurance and purchase costs are just the beginning. By far the largest ongoing cost will be feeding the animal. This alone should be enough to turn off some potential owners. Feeding your pet the cheapest food money can buy is not necessarily the way to ensure your dog lives a long and healthy life. The cheapest cans at your local grocery store may not have the right balance of nutrients your particular breed needs.

All breeds are susceptible to unique, breed-specific health conditions throughout their lives and should therefore be fed with these conditions in mind, along with size and lifestyle. For example, working dogs, such as the American Labrador hunting line, will need a different type of feeding regimen and nutritional content than, say, their ‘show breed’ English equivalent. This is because the latter is more suited to a less active lifestyle. It’s not enough to buy a dog with the sole intention of buying the cheapest cans or dry mix off the shelf. This attitude will only condemn the animal to a worse quality of life and, perhaps, to a shorter life expectancy. Many of the cheaper brands of canned dog food, for example, are full of chemicals and fillers to bulk up the food. What will be the effect on the dog’s stomach? Well, flatulence, runny poop, and an unhealthy-looking coat, to name a few.

Owning a dog should be like raising a child and for some owners it is just that. We as humans wouldn’t want, in an ideal world, to be raised on the cheapest porridge we can buy, so why should our pets? Nowadays, we spend a lot of time in supermarkets looking at the labels and checking the fat content of this, the caloric value of that. It’s not much more work looking at the same information on dog food on supermarket shelves. Dogs require a balanced diet of not just meat (unlike cats) but lots of vegetables, certain fruits, and some types of fish. But it doesn’t end there. The bottom line is that when you’re considering buying a Labrador, do your research on what their dietary requirements will be. There are many opinions and advice on the Internet; There are also local veterinarians, the Kennel Club, local dog breeders and local pet stores with enough information to allow you to make an informed decision about the best diet for your dog.