The Best Dog Food Also Includes 100% ALL NATURAL Ingredients!

Today it is no wonder pet owners are overwhelmed by what the best dog food and diets are for their dog.

Their is a vast amount of information available regarding what is considered a healthy diet for dogs. With Veterinarians, Breeders and Universities all disagreeing on what is the healthiest diet for dogs, most will agree that All Natural and Holistic diets are best.

While we can't possibly cover every aspect of feeding on this page, we will do our best to provide the essentials. Whether you are considering feeding dry dog food, canned, raw or homecooked; our goal is to furnish you with enough information that will hopefully aid in feeding the best dog food possible.

There are considerations when determining the best dog food diet for your furry famiy member, yet if you care about your best friend, you must never sacrifice his nutrition. Time, convenience and cost are the three determining factors for most pet diets. It's important that consumers realize that many pet stores and especially the large chains, DO NOT automatically carry the best dog food.

It is our experience that the smaller pet stores actually carry some of the absolute best dog food brands of all natural, holistic meat based foods. Once armed with the knowledge of what to look for on the label, pet owners can then compare for themselves the best foods available.

Dogs live longer, healthier lives with less visits to the Veterinarian when fed the best dog food and wholesome natural diet.

The Best Dog Food - Fancy Advertising Vs The Truth

One of the most powerful tools in business is good advertising and marketing. Think about this for a minute. As human beings, how do we learn? We learn by reading, hearing and seeing the same things repetitively. While this technique is essential for the learning process; this same technique is how consumers are often roped into believing things that are not always true.

Human beings are very visual creatures and we're attracted to color and things that look good and touch the heart as well. Couple that with the "right words" (the words the consumer wants hear) and big business often has a winner.

That's why packaging is created with lots of color and the perfect images, because companies know the convincing effect that these tactics have on the average consumer. Everytime you shop, whether for dog food or other items, there's a powerful visual message at work on the label along side the written text.

Example; dogs love and need meat; healthy veggies are a plus, so why not show a nice image of meat along with some healthy veggies and of course a picture of a cute, healthy looking dog. Unfortunately, for most consumers, the visual images along with some very believable words is all it takes to be convinced that what they're getting inside the package is quality.

Then by repeating the process via ads and commercials routinely, the company locks the consumer in by reinforcing over and over that they are giving them a superior product by showing an image and repeating their slogan. From the time we're born through adulthood, this is how we learn and good marketing and advertising companies know this.

The information doesn't always have to be truthful or correct; when we see and hear somthing enough, we start to believe it. Don't be fooled by marketing ploys. Your dog deserves better; know for sure if you're really feeding one of the best dog food brands or not.

Check out our Top 10 Dog Food selections:

Raw Dog Food - A Brand All Its Own

Understand that raw feeding isn't necessarily the same as the B.A.R.F. diet. Although very similar, the B.A.R.F. diet includes feeding the bones in the diet whereas Raw feeding is often boneless meat with added vegetables and other supplements.

We believe that a raw diet in either form when done correctly, can be the best dog food and healthiest diet that you can feed your dog. We also believe that raw meat alone without a healthy supply of fruits, vegetables and other supplements IS NOT a healthy diet for dogs.

Remember, wild animals hunt and kill their food. They consume their prey and immediately eat the organs, muscle and bones which all provide vital nutrients because the food is fresh. The reason that supplements must be added is because the meat is not fresh (freshly killed prey).

Before attempting a raw diet, dog and cat owners must first educate themselves about the importance of balancing the raw meat with other ingredients including supplements. When feeding the B.A.R.F. diet, your dog gets his calcium from the bones included in the diet as part of the meal.

However, when feeding a raw diet, calcium MUST BE added to the diet usually in the form of egg shells or calcium powder. Calcium is critical to your dog's diet when you prepare your dog's food yourself whether your feeding home cooked meals, raw or a B.A.R.F. diet.

The biggest concern for many regarding raw dog food is whether or not their dog will get sick due to salmonella or other bacteria's. A dog's digestive tract is smaller compared to humans and unlike us the additional acid in their bellies that nature gives them, provides a higher tolerance for bacteria than we have. It makes perfect sense. Most holistic veterinarians and advocates of a raw diet deem that the natural design of the canine intestinal tract and stomach make it very hard for unhealthy bacteria to survive.

Although a raw diet works best for many dogs, other dogs might not do well on it. Keep in mind that ONLY HEALTHY DOGS should be fed a raw diet. We DO NOT RECOMMEND placing an older dog or a sickly dog on raw diet. Regardless whether the diet is raw or cooked, the ingredients should be premium. The following page will provide you with a better understanding of what to look for in a premium highly reputable commercial dog food: What Ingredients To Look For In Dog Foods.

If you are considering feeding the B.A.R.F. diet, this is an excellent source to The Correct Way To Feed The BARF Diet.

If contemplating a Raw Dog Food Diet, we suggest reading this Great Guide For Caring For Your Dog or Cat Naturally. The book includes recipes and supplements needed in the diet. *Note: Dr. Pitcairn's Book recommends including regular amounts of grains in your dog's diet. Read more about grains below.

Keep in mind that there are several manufacturers that provide an already prepared and nutritionally balanced raw dog food diet making it a healthy and convenient option for dog and owner.

What About Grains?

Many question the need for grains in the canine diet. Oats, rice, barley, wheat, corn and soy are primarily made of complex carbohydrates. Very little grains are included in the diet of any wild animal, including dogs and cats.

Although they provide little nutritional value, grains and carbohydrates do provide energy which is one reason why companies like to use grains as the primary ingredient. Grains are cheap and they provide energy. We don't believe that LIMITED amounts are neither beneficial or harmful. Many grain free diets include potatoes in replace of grains. This is fine, but if your dog has yeast problems, then potatoes should be avoided.

Some manufacturers would like pet owners to believe that grains including corn are an excellent source of protein. While they may deliver protein; they shouldn't be a dog's primary source of protein - EVER! Dogs and cats should receive their protein from a high quality meat source and this is ESPECIALLY TRUE FOR CATS.

Follow These Tips Regarding Grains when choosing the best dog food:

•  AVOID any dry dog food that lists any grain as the primary ingredient.
•  AVOID any dog food that lists more than one source of grain in the first three-four ingredients. Again, dogs and cats should get their protein from meat, NOT GRAIN!

Our dogs eat very little grain (if any) in their daily diet. Except for occasional bouts of soft stool due to tummy issues when we might add a little whole grain brown rice or sticky white jasmine rice to boiled chicken or ground beef until we notice a firmer stool. This is known as a "bland diet".

Many would have you believe that dogs should never have grains, however, the truth of the matter is that some dogs may actually do better with a little quality cooked whole grain included in their diet on occasion. Moderation is key when including grain in the diet. Each dog is individual, however, MEAT should be first for EVERY dog unless directed otherwise by your dog's vet.

Home Cooking For Your Dog

Like raw dog food diets, a home cooked dog food diet must also include vegetables and supplements. Once the meat is cooked, it loses all its nutrients. Steamed vegetables and supplemental vitamins and minerals should be added back to make up for the lost vitamins and minerals.

We recommend this awesome book for those who want to homecook for their dog, but need some Simple Recipes For Canine Homemade Meals which not only includes excellent recipes, but it makes the process easier by seeing you through the entire process of home cooking for your dog.

A Guide To The Best Dog Food Brands

Whether dry dog food or canned, use the following tips to guide you towards the best dog food for your pet:

•  Meat MUST always be the primary and first ingredient on the label. Remember, dogs should get their protein (energy) from meat - not grain. Believe it or not, but meat meal is better than just meat (ie; chicken meal is better than chicken). Why you wonder? Because chicken meal is void of excess water, whereas chicken isn't and this is another tactic that dog food companies use to take advantage of the unsuspecting consumer. The meat is weighed while it holds alot of water content.
•  The source of the meat should be clear (example: lamb or lamb meal, never lamb by-products).
•  By now you probably know to avoid preservatives such as BHT, BHA or Ethoxyquin in your pet's food. Look for 100% ALL NATURAL.
•  Citric Acid, Vitamin C and Vitamin E (mixed tocopherols) are "natural" and acceptable preservatives.
•  Avoid foods containing wheat, corn, soy, artificial flavoring, coloring, or by-products.
•  Look for Omega 3 and Omega 6 fatty acids included in the ingredients for a healthy skin and coat.
•  Although it doesn't sound like it, Guar gum is actually a natural ingredient that is used to thicken foods.
•  The best dog food offers a blend of fruits and vegetables to provide natural antioxidents.
•  There are some excellent alternative diets to a "Raw Dog Food Diet" that offer all natural, holistic meat based diets. Look for manufacturers of all natural raw (frozen), freeze-dried or dehydrated foods. See our link for a list of recommended best dog food brands above.

Vegetarian Diets Are NOT Recommended

There are many debates on whether or not a dog is considered to be an "omnivore" which survives on both plants and animals or a "carnivore" which needs meat to survive. Surviving and thriving are two different things and unfortunately many pets today are simply surviving.

Wolves are the ancestors to the modern and domesticated dog of today and much of their prey consists of meat from the cervidae species (deer, moose, etc.). They kill their prey and consume the organs, muscles and bones for the necessary vitamins and nutrients their body needs.

While a dog can exist on either form of diet, again, meat must always be included in your dog's diet for him to thrive like his ancestors thrive as wolves. This is infact the way nature intended it to be. Since humans domesticated the dog, it is our job to include in his diet the nutritional balance necessary for him to flourish. Meatless diets are very hard on the canine heart and other organs.

Dogs ARE NOT meant to be vegans; don't try and make him into one!

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