Commercial Hype or Superior Nutrition? By now, I would venture that almost every dog person on the planet has seen the 2023 Superbowl commercial "Forever", produced by The Farmer's Dog pet food company. (For the three people who have not yet seen it, here you go. Tip: Have a tissue box handy). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pjlnjOMBCok This commercial … Continue reading Fresh-Cooked Dog Foods
What Do You Know……
About Canine Communication Signals? Do Dogs Enjoy Hugs? The question of whether or not dogs enjoy being hugged by humans tends to spark a great deal of discussion and controversy. While there are some who state that dogs do not naturally enjoy the intense physical closeness of a hug (and may even perceive hugs as … Continue reading What Do You Know……
Do Human-Grade Dog Foods Improve Dogs’ Skin Health?
Human-grade pet foods are becoming increasingly popular. I have written about this category of foods on several occasions and have reviewed recent studies of how these food tend to perform when fed to dogs. MILDLY- COOKED, HUMAN-GRADE DOG FOOD What do we currently know? To date, we know a few things about human-grade dog foods: … Continue reading Do Human-Grade Dog Foods Improve Dogs’ Skin Health?
Are You Interested in Cats?
New Cat-Centered Offerings from The Science Dog Courses! Feeding Felines: An Evidence-Based Feline Nutrition Course A Science Dog CORE course that focuses on our other best friend, the domestic cat. Learn why cats cannot be treated or fed as if they are "small dogs'! Students who complete the course receive a personalized Science Dog Courses … Continue reading Are You Interested in Cats?
What Dog Owners Think about Lead-Pulling
(And why it is such a common problem.....) One of the many joys of living with dogs is going for walks. In our family, all of our dogs have loved to hike and run, and Mike and I spend time together almost every morning with our dogs at our local forest preserve. The dogs enjoy … Continue reading What Dog Owners Think about Lead-Pulling
Are There Benefits of Insect-Based Dog Foods?
Insect-based dog treats and foods were first introduced into the commercial pet food market quite recently - about 6 years ago. While early products were primarily offered as treats, complete and balanced dog foods that contain various types of insect meals are increasingly available. I have written about the insect species that have been studied … Continue reading Are There Benefits of Insect-Based Dog Foods?
A New Scoop for Citizen Scientists
In recent years, the expansion of citizen scientist experiments to include owners and their dogs has been instrumental in furthering our understanding of canine behavior, social cognition, emotional responses and training. Not only are these studies of great practical importance, they also provide information about the complexities of dogs lives in ways that laboratory experiments … Continue reading A New Scoop for Citizen Scientists
Does Your Dog Love You More than He Loves Food?
(Do you want to know?) Our Dogs Love Us Of this, we are pretty certain. Of course, this is the science dog, so we like evidence. One of the ways in which researchers study dogs' relationships with owners is to measure dogs' preferences - called differential responses - in a variety of situations. In many … Continue reading Does Your Dog Love You More than He Loves Food?
Protein Quality of Freeze-Dried Foods
I have written about freeze-dried pet food safety in a previous Science Dog essay. While we have a bit of evidence regarding risks of pathogen contamination in freeze-dried products, there has been little published research regarding the nutritional quality of freeze-dried foods or treats. This is an important question because freeze-dried foods and treats are … Continue reading Protein Quality of Freeze-Dried Foods
Diet and Your Dog’s Skin Microbiome
The word "microbiome" is all the rage among dog researchers and dog folks these days. In most instances when you hear this term, it refers to a dog's gut microbiome. However, another important microbiome system in the dog's body is the skin. Similar to the gut, the skin's bacterial makeup is comprised of multiple species, … Continue reading Diet and Your Dog’s Skin Microbiome
Teasing is Bad.
(Science Says So). My dogs are retrieving maniacs; always have been. This is not surprising seeing that we live with Goldens and Tollers. Throw something (literally anything) and they will happily race after it, pick it up, and bring it back to you. We LOVE this about our dogs and they adore playing this game. … Continue reading Teasing is Bad.
FDA Guidelines? Who Knew?
I have been in the pet food industry, in some capacity, for my entire working life. Today, I learned about a set of FDA Guidelines that are written to help to keep our dogs (and us) safe. Until recently, I had no idea that these even existed. Apparently, I am not alone. A recent study, … Continue reading FDA Guidelines? Who Knew?
If you don’t eat yer meat, you can’t have any pudding!
This week's blog is an excerpt from "Dog Smart: Evidence-based Training with The Science Dog." Even those who are not Pink Floyd fans understand this principle. “You cannot have dessert until you first eat your vegetables” This common admonition means that you can only have the thing that you really want if you first complete … Continue reading If you don’t eat yer meat, you can’t have any pudding!
What Do You Know about Canine Nutrition?
TAKE THE QUIZ! Nutrition Courses and Webinars for Dog People Basics of Canine Nutrition Puppies to Seniors Dog Food Smarts Master's Class Certificate Program Other Popular Courses and Webinars: Nutrition Controversies in the Dog World Feeding Puppies for Health and Longevity Dogs are Carnivores, Right? Understanding Canine Body Signals Human Grade: Meaningful Distinction or Marketing … Continue reading What Do You Know about Canine Nutrition?
Enrichment Activities
(Are Not All Created Equal) Enrichment is a popular term these days in the dog training and dog care world. And for good reason. At its most basic, environmental enrichment refers to a variety of techniques and interventions that are intended to enhance the physical and emotional well being of animals who live under human … Continue reading Enrichment Activities
The Science Dog 