In recent years, dog owners have started to demand more transparency from pet food manufacturers (a needed change, in my opinion). Many are interested in selecting new types of foods for their dogs and prefer products that are less highly processed. In direct response to these trends, nutrition researchers have been studying the ingredients that… Continue reading Tastes Like Chicken
Clown Fear
Like many dog training schools, AutumnGold includes an orientation night each session. Owners attend without dogs to learn about our training philosophy and methods. Because it is not unusual for young dogs to react with a bit of anxiety on the first night of class, we teach students how to reduce their dogs' stress and provide methods for helping dogs to feel secure and… Continue reading Clown Fear
A Few Raw Facts
Raw feeding has increased in popularity in recent years. While still a small portion of the pet food market, raw foods are definitely here to stay. Perhaps more so than any other type of feeding regimen, dog owners who feed raw are highly dedicated to this form of feeding. To test this premise, try separating… Continue reading A Few Raw Facts
Mind Your Peas and Potatoes
The source and quality of a food's protein sources are important features to consider when selecting a dog food. Dog folks who care about these things often agonize over how to differentiate among foods in terms of both protein level and quality. These concerns are justified because the protein ingredients found in pet foods vary dramatically.… Continue reading Mind Your Peas and Potatoes
The Heart of the Matter
In mid-July, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released an alert to veterinarians and pet owners regarding reports of increased incidence of a heart disease called canine dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). This disorder is characterized by weakening of the heart muscle, which leads to a decreased ability of the heart to pump, and if untreated,… Continue reading The Heart of the Matter
Dogs and Carbs – Its Complicated
The question of how best to feed dogs stimulates great debate and evokes strong emotions among dog folks. (Yes, this an intended understatement). One of the most contentiously defended viewpoints in recent years is that dogs should not be fed diets that contain digestible carbohydrate (starch). Two primary arguments are used to defend this position. These… Continue reading Dogs and Carbs – Its Complicated
Choosing Kindly – An Excerpt
This week's Science Dog essay is an excerpt from Chapter 8 of "Dog Smart: Evidence-based Training with The Science Dog". I introduced the previous chapter with a story about starting each orientation class at AutumnGold with a version of the training game. While I emphasized that our students are usually impressed by these demonstrations and… Continue reading Choosing Kindly – An Excerpt
