Dog Behavior and Dog Food

Have you heard the old saying “you are what you eat?” We eat what and when we want to eat. Dogs eat what you feed them, when you feed them. What you feed your dog could be contributing to his bad dog behavior.

When I speak with clients about “out of control”, “rowdy” “jumping” dogs, one of the things on my check list is diet. Now, don’t get me wrong, here. I am NOT saying “change the diet, fix the dog!” What I am saying is simply this: carbohydrates (wheat, flour, or corn) can increase the serotonin levels in your dog’s brain. Increased serotonin levels can cause excitability in dogs and you get a wild, rowdy dog.

While diet can be one of the contributors to excitability and bad behavior in dogs, changing your dog’s diet can be “part” of the cure.

Look for premium dog food that is high in quality protein and low in carbohydrates. You CAN NOT find a healthy, premium dog food at the supermarket or Walmart or Sams! I repeat, you can not find a healthy, premium dog food at the supermarket, Sams, Walmart or other such places. Go to good Pet Resorts, private pet stores etc.

Don’t expect to see immediate changes in your dog’s behavior. It can take from 4 days to 4 weeks to see change. This is also assuming that your dog is getting adequate amounts of exercise AND you are working on dog training to redirect the bad behavior to good behavior.

Next post we will talk about feeding one time a day vs. twice a day. I’ll also throw in some names of good dog foods and how to read the labels. Stay tuned!

Jim Burwell, Jim Burwell’s Petiquette