YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT!!
Diet is the single most important part of your dog's quality of life., Over the years I have made many observations and taken part in several nutritional studies and field trials and always return to Natural RAW foods. Dogs born and raised on raw foods simply do not suffer the illnesses and diseases that dogs eating processed foods suffer. Yes in some countries fresh raw foods can be expensive but the cost is minimal compared to Vet visits and ongoing medical care suffered by dogs who are fed processed foods and that is before we even consider the dogs personal suffering and our own heart ache watching our beloved dog die a slow miserable death,
Dogs ARE what they EAT! For more detail visit the education - Health page
Dogs ARE what they EAT! For more detail visit the education - Health page
The diet is simple and easy and can be prepared in batches and frozen for convenience.
the most common question is how much to feed, that is a bit like asking how long is a piece of string!
But I can give you a guide for the average Cobberdog, They are not a greedy breed so rarely over eat.
Just remember puppies grow, stop growing then grow some more, so their food intake can vary from day to day. Your guide is the left overs!! if their is a bit left over they have been given enough, if the bowl is cleaned give some more or another feed in the afternoon.
A puppy can eat almost as much and sometimes as much as they will as an adult so a small puppy does not equal a small feed.
Our miniature 8-9 week olds will eat roughly 200g of red meat plus the extras
Our smaller mediums about 300g of red meat plus the extras
our larger mediums and our standards will eat up to 500g of red meat plus the extras.
as they get older they will eat a lot less usually you should reassess your puppy`s body weight at 16 weeks and reduce amounts as needed to maintain a healthy body weight, overweight puppies and young dogs will sustain skeletal damage particularly Hip joints if allowed to carry excess weight.
You should always be able to feel their ribs easily and just slightly their hip [pin] bones, If you can feel their back bone they are too thin.
1/4 to 1 cup of yogurt 3 or 3 times a week
Appetites will vary from day to day due to growth, weather, or dietary balance so it is not uncommon for a healthy dog to choose to miss a meal, don`t try to tempt them to eat something else, let them be if they change their minds later on they can nibble some kibble. If they are a puppy and their toilets are normal and their play and joy for life is normal it is fine for them to skip a 1 to 2 meals meal too! It is normal and natural. Adults will often skip 3 meals. [3 days]
Stay away from chicken too many dogs these days are allergic to chicken protein, Turkey is also a problem with many. The way chickens are genetically modified, raised and fed poorly resulting in health problems for both dogs, cats and humans.
While your puppy is young [under 6 months of age] We always have Meals for Mutts or Life Wise puppy stage 1 grain free single protein kibble to nibble, Most Cobberdogs are not " foody" so will not over eat however there are exceptions to this rule.
Feeding suggestion Providing you include the variety listed below each week, it does not matter how you mix and match.
There are some really good Raw food feeding Facebook pages so join a couple for guidance and inspiration.
the most common question is how much to feed, that is a bit like asking how long is a piece of string!
But I can give you a guide for the average Cobberdog, They are not a greedy breed so rarely over eat.
Just remember puppies grow, stop growing then grow some more, so their food intake can vary from day to day. Your guide is the left overs!! if their is a bit left over they have been given enough, if the bowl is cleaned give some more or another feed in the afternoon.
A puppy can eat almost as much and sometimes as much as they will as an adult so a small puppy does not equal a small feed.
Our miniature 8-9 week olds will eat roughly 200g of red meat plus the extras
Our smaller mediums about 300g of red meat plus the extras
our larger mediums and our standards will eat up to 500g of red meat plus the extras.
as they get older they will eat a lot less usually you should reassess your puppy`s body weight at 16 weeks and reduce amounts as needed to maintain a healthy body weight, overweight puppies and young dogs will sustain skeletal damage particularly Hip joints if allowed to carry excess weight.
You should always be able to feel their ribs easily and just slightly their hip [pin] bones, If you can feel their back bone they are too thin.
1/4 to 1 cup of yogurt 3 or 3 times a week
Appetites will vary from day to day due to growth, weather, or dietary balance so it is not uncommon for a healthy dog to choose to miss a meal, don`t try to tempt them to eat something else, let them be if they change their minds later on they can nibble some kibble. If they are a puppy and their toilets are normal and their play and joy for life is normal it is fine for them to skip a 1 to 2 meals meal too! It is normal and natural. Adults will often skip 3 meals. [3 days]
Stay away from chicken too many dogs these days are allergic to chicken protein, Turkey is also a problem with many. The way chickens are genetically modified, raised and fed poorly resulting in health problems for both dogs, cats and humans.
While your puppy is young [under 6 months of age] We always have Meals for Mutts or Life Wise puppy stage 1 grain free single protein kibble to nibble, Most Cobberdogs are not " foody" so will not over eat however there are exceptions to this rule.
Feeding suggestion Providing you include the variety listed below each week, it does not matter how you mix and match.
- fresh raw meaty rib and brisket bones, ..........................................1 day a week just them nothing else.
- fresh raw chicken backs/frames/Legs [Legs are best] etc, ..................1 to 2 days a week. In summer I often feed frozen! Note many dogs are allergic to chicken protein so if your puppy/dog has gas after eating chicken or becomes itchy and or inflamed ears, maybe a bit over reactive in personality these are all possible signs of allergy. Delete all chicken products from the diet. Duck is usually ok.
- cheese, [low salt] .................great cut in small squares for treats and grated in food ...2-3 days a week
- plain natural unsweetened yogurt .........at least a desert spoon full 2 times a week ..........more the better. Great meal mixed with cooked rice 1/4 to 1/2 cup yogurt more for bigger dogs. we give a whole litter of 6 babies 1kg to share
- chopped/ground or minced raw RED meat with at LEAST 25% fat [and not more than 35%] ............2-3 days a week
- High oil type Fish, Sardines are great, Pilchards etc fresh, frozen or tinned ......... at least 1 day a week
- A variety of Offal like liver, heart kidney tryp at least 2 times a week
- A pure no additives tomato based Vegetable juice a little poured over the meat feed or home steamed and raw veg and fresh or frozen fruit.
- Wholemeal bread and seeds like sunflower, Millet, pumpkin Legumes like chic peas, lentils etc
- Boiled Brown Rice and or cooked mashed potato, sweet potato, carrot and pumpkin, mash in the cooking water too!
- Eggs, either raw, scrambled or boiled......1-2 times a week Turmeric, barley, alfalfa, boon etc sprouts, parsely.
- Family dinner leftovers [NO Cooked Bone of ANY Kind]
There are some really good Raw food feeding Facebook pages so join a couple for guidance and inspiration.
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WHAT WE DO
We usually feed in the Mornings so that the dog can sleep through the night comfortably
WHAT WE DO
We usually feed in the Mornings so that the dog can sleep through the night comfortably
- I feed puppies over 10 weeks a large main meal in the morning as much as they want to eat, and most times and a snack [or mornings left overs]
- For puppies under 6 months of age I allow some grain free kibble for snacking all the time.
- For adult dogs I give grain free kibble as a junk food treat when I have forgotten to take fresh food out of the freezer, I also allow kibble when traveling [we all eat junk food on holidays!!!] If they are not overweight we leave a small bowl down all the time.
- During summer I feed FROZEN Raw Rib/Brisket bones, it is cleaner with no risk of bacteria while defrosting and the dogs get a lot more chewing time and enjoyment.
- I package ground,minced,chopped Red meat [NOT from Supermarket as it is gassed most dogs can smell it and do not want to eat it.] into daily serves with 1-2 slices of wholemeal bread, the bread soaks up the thaw juices so no nutrition is lost. seeds and legumes in the bread mimics partially digested stomach contents of a herbivore the canines natural food sauce.
- Before serving I will mix through the bread a splash Veg juice, some days I will sprinkle cheese through the meal, other days Yoghurt and some days offal or vegies or fruit, go ahead and mix it up.
- For a warm winter meal I will add hot cooked legumes or brown rice or Potato and pumpkin and stir until eating temperature.
- 1 day a week for dogs older than 4 months of age I will feed ONLY Yogurt
- ALWAYS allow your dog as much fresh water as they want WHEN they want.
Dry Kibble when traveling or as an occasional meal is ok but despite the label it is processed junk food so go easy most important is to choose a kibble that has NO grain and no chicken by products including chicken fat..
The cost of feeding a Cobberdog will be anywhere from $5 to $10 per day