With Thousands of Pet Foods on the Market: How Do You Make the Optimal Choice?

With thousands of pet foods on the market, how do you make the optimal choice? Pet food labels are a good place to start. Understanding the label information can help you make informed decisions about what you are feeding your pets.

Which Parts of the Label Help Assess Food Quality?

The following key components of a pet food label can help you evaluate nutritional information:

• A nutritional adequacy statement from the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) 

• A list of ingredients (in descending order by weight)

• A guaranteed analysis

What Does the Nutritional Adequacy Statement Reveal?
The AAFCO nutritional adequacy statement declares if the product or treat is complete and balanced, and whether it should be fed under veterinary supervision. The following types of nutritional adequacy statements can appear on a pet food label:

• Animal feeding trials using AAFCO procedures show that the product provides complete and balanced nutrition for all life stages or a particular stage.

• The product is formulated to meet the nutrient levels established by AAFCO for a particular life stage or for all life stages.

• The product is intended for intermittent or supplemental use only.

The presence of either of the first two statements means that a food can be used as the sole source of nutrition. “Complete and balanced” means that a food has all the recognized, required nutrients in the proper proportions, when fed appropriately.

In a feeding trial, a product is fed to a certain number of dogs or cats for a specified period of time to determine whether it provides adequate nutrition. By conducting feeding trials, pet food companies ensure that animals in a particular life stage (i.e., pregnant, nursing, growing, adult maintenance) will obtain proper nutrition from a food. Feeding trials also provide some assurance of palatability (how good the food tastes to pets) and the availability of nutrients.

When a food is formulated by calculation or chemical analysis, the nutrients may meet the maximum or minimum levels established by AAFCO, but because the finished product is not fed to animals, availability of nutrients and palatability are not assessed.

The nutritional adequacy statement regarding intermittent or supplemental feeding applies to treats, or to special diets that require a veterinarian to monitor the pet.

What Should I Know About the Ingredients?

Here are some important facts about pet food ingredients:

• The ingredient list is of little practical use when determining nutritional value.

• Each ingredient, including additives, must be listed in the ingredients statement.

• Ingredients are listed in descending order by weight. However, this does not reveal the amounts of the ingredients. For example, wheat germ meal, wheat bran, and wheat flour are all components of wheat, but they may provide different nutrients. The ingredient list can be valuable when a pet has a confirmed food allergy and must avoid certain ingredients.

• AAFCO defines how ingredients are named. For example, according to AAFCO, corn gluten is defined as the part of the commercial, shelled corn after removal of the larger portion of the corn’s starch and germ.

What Do the Percentages on the Label Mean?
AAFCO regulations require pet food manufacturers in the United States to include a guaranteed analysis that lists percentages of certain nutrients on pet food labels. These percentages (i.e., minimum protein and fat; maximum fiber and water) are listed on an “as-fed” basis. That simply means the percentage of each nutrient, including water or moisture, contained in the final product consumed by the pet. 

To compare products on a level playing field, it is necessary to convert the information listed in the guaranteed analysis to a “caloric basis”. When not measured on a caloric basis, canned food appears to have a lower concentration of nutrients than dry food because dry food contains approximately 10 percent water, but canned food contains approximately 75 percent water. Even the comparison of the information in the guaranteed analysis of two products that contain the same amount of moisture can be inaccurate if the products differ in caloric density.

What Are the Chemicals in the Ingredients?
Pet owners may be concerned to see “phylloquinone,” “α-tocopherol,” “cobalamin” and “ascorbic acid” listed on their pets’ food until they learn that these are the technical names for vitamins K 1, E, B 12 and C, respectively. α-Tocopherol is also an antioxidant. Antioxidants are added to foods to balance the nutrient profile and preserve fats. Preservatives are not universally bad for pets and, in fact, help prevent foods from becoming rancid.

What Are the By-Products on the Label?
Many questions about pet food result from a misunderstanding of particular ingredients. Pet owners may incorrectly think that by-products are solely the undesirable parts of animals, such as hooves, feathers and beaks. However, as defined by the pet food industry, meat by-products are clean parts other than meat, such as lungs, kidneys and spleens. Therefore, by-products can be an excellent source of amino acids, protein, vitamins and minerals.

Who Ensures the Quality of Pet Foods?
Several governing agencies have a role in regulating pet food. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has authority over pet foods. The FDA establishes certain labeling regulations for animal food and enforces regulations about contamination. Feed control officials from the state departments of agriculture work with the FDA to inspect facilities and enforce regulations within each state. The Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) defines ingredients and has an agreement to work with FDA scientists to ensure the safety of ingredients. Consumers can voluntarily submit reports using the FDA Safety Reporting Portal: www.safetyreporting.hhs.gov.

Are Organic or Natural Ingredients Better?
Pet food labels are factual, but they are also used to attract consumers. Terms such as organic and natural, and unregulated terms such as human grade, premium and holistic are of little use when determining nutritional value. As more pet foods are manufactured to meet the demand for organic and natural ingredients, pet owners need to understand these terms. 

AAFCO defines natural as “originating from animals or plants.” AAFCO has no regulatory definition for organic, which refers to the procedure by which organic ingredients are grown, harvested and processed. 

There is no evidence that organic food is more beneficial to animals than nonorganic food. Pet foods that meet the human standard for organic (at least 95 percent of the content by weight, excluding salt and water, must be organic) may display the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) organic seal on their packaging. The FDA uses natural to describe food, and organic to describe both the food and the way in which it was processed.

Are the Feeding Guidelines Right for My Pet?
Complete and balanced pet foods must include feeding directions on their labels. However, one set of feeding guidelines cannot account for the great variation in metabolic rates and nutritional needs among individual pets. In addition, breed, temperament, environment and many other factors can influence food intake. Feeding guidelines provide a good starting point but may overestimate the needs of some pets, leading to weight gain. Therefore, pet owners (with guidance from a veterinary professional) may have to adjust the feeding guidelines on a case-by-case basis to achieve a healthy, lean body condition for their pets.

Why Aren’t Calories Listed on All Pet Food Labels?
Caloric content is not included on most pet food labels, but that may be changing. The format of pet food labels was derived from large animal feed packaging, which does not legally require the inclusion of caloric content. AAFCO has voted to mandate the inclusion of caloric content on pet food labels. In January 2013, the rule was approved, and the transition to revised labeling will occur from 2016 to 2017, for full enforcement.

For more information on pet food labels, visit the FDA website:  www.fda.gov/animalveterinary/resourcesforyou/ucm047113.htm. FOLLOW US!

Two Senators Are Urging the Food & Drug Administration to Open an Investigation into the Purina’s Beneful Brand Dog Food Allegations

A lawsuit filed in California claimed that thousands of dogs became ill or died after eating Purina’s Beneful kibble. Two senators are urging the Food & Drug Administration to open an investigation into the allegations.

Illinois Senator Dick Durbin, along with California Senator Dianne Feinstein, sent a letter [PDF] to the FDA calling for the agency to quickly investigate claims that Purina PetCare Company’s Beneful brand dry dog food contains toxins.

The senators also called for immediate updates on the implementation of FDA
requirements that could prevent such harmful contamination from occurring in pet foods.

In late February, it was revealed that a California man had filed a class action-seeking lawsuit against Purina saying the company’s dry dog food contains substances that are known to be toxic to animals and can lead to internal bleeding and other serious health issues for pets.

The man alleges that less than a month after beginning to exclusively feed his dogs Beneful dry kibble, all three became ill and his 8-year-old English Bulldog eventually died.

According to the lawsuit, illnesses experienced by thousands of dogs across the country were a result of toxins in Beneful such as, but not limited to, Propylene glycol and Mycotoxins.

Propylene glycol, the lawsuit states, is an automotive antifreeze component that is a known animal toxin. However, the substance is also an FDA-approved food additive for humans.

As for Mycotoxins, the lawsuit states they are a group of toxins produced by fungus that occurs in grains.

Representatives for Purina have said that the lawsuit was “without merit” and that the company would vigorously defend itself.

In their letter to the FDA, Durbin and Feinstein are asking for updates to the agency’s implementation of a 2007 law enacted to help prevent contaminated pet food from reaching animals.

Under the 2007 law, the FDA is required to ensure that pet food companies report to the agency within 24 hours of determining they have an adulterated product in their supply chain.

Additionally, the law requires the FDA to set ingredient and processing standards for pet food, strengthen labeling requirements, establish early warning systems for contaminated products and mandate that companies report contaminated food and make key records available during investigations.

“The components of the law that FDA has implemented are important to the public and veterinarians, namely the searchable online recall list posted on the agency’s website,” the letter states. “We appreciate that FDA has implemented an online database to inform consumers of pet food recalls. However, eight years later, most provisions of the pet food safety law have not been implemented and protections Congress enacted are not in place.” FOLLOW US!

Meet Dennis, The Miniature Dachshund That Lost 44 Pounds

Columbus, Ohio - Meet Dennis, the Miniature Dachshund that once weighed 56 pounds. He was put on a diet, and lost more than 75 percent of his body weight.

Less than two years ago, Dennis weighed in at a whopping 56 pounds, about the size of four or five miniature dachshunds. A series of "before" photos show Dennis resting on rolls of fat, his head seemingly too little for his blob of a body. He couldn't take more than a few steps without being out of breath.

Brooke Burton adopted him from a relative who had fed him White Castle burgers, pizza and other human food, and didn't pay much attention to the dog's burgeoning belly.

Burton, a 26-year-old nursing student, recalls how emotional she became when she first saw Dennis in June 2013, and then persuaded her relative to give him up.

"Out comes Dennis, and I couldn't believe it," Burton says. "I wasn't even sure what breed of dog he was supposed to be because he was so large."

Burton put him on diet of dry dog food, plus lots of walks and affection. Now the 6-year-old wiener dog is a svelte 12 pounds and happily chasing squirrels in the backyard, playing fetch and bossing around the other three rescue dogs that live with him.

"In the beginning, you could tell he was very depressed, that he really didn't feel good at all," Burton says. "He didn't have much of a personality. After he lost weight, this bossy little demanding man popped out. He's into everything, he wants to play with everybody."

Dennis lost so much weight that he started tripping over the folds of excess skin that were left over and getting infections. He has had three surgeries at the Ohio State University Veterinary Medical Center to get rid of it.

Dr. Kathleen Ham, the veterinary surgeon who performed the operations, says Dennis' story is a good lesson for pet owners who might feed their animals too much.

"We have an expression: food is not love," Ham says. "Most of what your pet wants from you is affection and attention."

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Dog Owners Alarmed at Beneful Lawsuit as Purina Denies Claims

Pet owners are wondering what's really going into their dog bowls.

After NBC News reported on a recent lawsuit claiming that Nestle Purina PetCare Company's Beneful dry kibble dog food contains toxins that may have killed thousands of dogs, readers across the country — via over 100 emails and scores of social media posts — voiced their concerns that the trusted brand may have harmed their pets as well.

"My little boy had been healthy and all of a sudden within a week got super sick and passed away," Morgan Malone, 19, of North Carolina said of her miniature dachshund, Doc, in an email. "He had been eating Purina Beneful dry dog food."

To read more on this story, click here: Dog Owners Alarmed at Beneful Lawsuit as Purina Denies Claims FOLLOW US!

Beneful Press Statement 2-25-2015: Frequently Asked Questions

Beneful is a high-quality, nutritious food enjoyed by millions of dogs everyday. Recently, Beneful has been the subject of class action lawsuits that contain baseless, unfounded allegations about our Beneful product. These allegations are simply untrue.

We continually work closely with the FDA to ensure the quality of every Purina product. We use only safe ingredients to ensure that all of our products meet or exceed FDA, USDA and AAFCO standards. In addition, our products are formulated by pet nutritionists, scientists and veterinarians to provide complete and balanced nutrition, and millions of healthy dogs eat Beneful each year.

As pet owners ourselves, our priority is the health and well-being of the millions of dogs who enjoy Beneful. We take these allegations very seriously and stand by our product, which is backed by Purina's strict quality controls and comprehensive food safety program.

Unfortunately, class action suits are common these days. They are not indicative of a product issue. In fact, we've faced two such suits in the past with similar allegations. Both were found to be baseless and were subsequently dismissed by the courts.

Adding to the confusion, social media outlets can be a source of false or incomplete information, as many other pet food brands have experienced themselves.

We at Beneful want you, our valued customers, to know that this lawsuit is baseless; you can continue to feel confident feeding your dogs our food. We stand committed to our Brand, our products and your pets.

We encourage you to reach out to us at any time with any questions at 1–888-236-3385. Or, visit https://www.beneful.com/our-people to get a behind the scenes look into how the Purina Nutrition Research team evaluates the safety and ingredients of Beneful dog food.

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Purina Beneful Dog Food Kills Dogs, Class Action Says

Nestle Purina Petcare Company was hit with a class action lawsuit alleging that its Beneful dog food includes toxic substances which are capable of killing dogs.

According to the Beneful class action lawsuit filed in a California federal court by plaintiff Frank Lucido on Feb. 5, Beneful is responsible for making thousands of dogs either seriously ill or causing them to die, which happened to one of his own dogs.

Lucido owned three dogs — a German Shepherd, an English Bulldog and a Labrador. He bought a bag of Beneful for the first time in late December 2014 or early January 2015 and each dog began eating Beneful exclusively, the Beneful class action lawsuit explains.

To read more on this story, click here: Purina Beneful Dog Food Kills Dogs, Class Action Says FOLLOW US!

Healthy Weight Calculator For Cats And Dogs - Use To Find Out If Your Pet Is At Their Ideal Weight

Do you know your pet's weight? Use this healthy weight calculator to find out if your pet is at their ideal weight.

Obesity in pets is common in many countries. Rates of overweight and obesity in dogs in the United States ranges from 23% to 41% with about 5.1% obese. Rates of obesity in cats was slightly higher at 6.4%.[1] In Australia, the rate of obesity among dogs in a veterinary setting has been found to be 7.6%. The risk of obesity in dogs but not cats is related to whether or not their owners are obese.


To check your pet's weight, click here: Calculator FOLLOW US!

How To Get Your Dog In Shape

 Weight loss is tough for anyone - two or four-legged. But losing weight and getting in shape not only adds years to your pet's life, it can also make those extra years more enjoyable!

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Tuffy's Pet Foods, Inc. Issues Voluntary Recall of a Limited Quantity of Nutrisca Dry Dog Food Because of Possible Health Risk

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – February 11, 2015 – Perham, MN – Tuffy's Pet Foods, Inc. of Perham, MN is voluntarily recalling specific lots of 4 lb. bags of Nutrisca Chicken and Chick Pea Recipe Dry Dog Food because they have the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella. Tuffy's manufactured the product for Nutrisca.

To read more on this story, click here: Tuffy's Pet Foods, Inc. Issues Voluntary Recall of a Limited Quantity of Nutrisca Dry Dog Food Because of Possible Health Risk

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The FDA Issued a Warning Letter to a Purina Pet Food Canning Facility Finding 'Significant Deviations' from Pet Food Regulations

The FDA issued a Warning Letter to a Purina Pet Food canning facility finding 'significant deviations' from pet food regulations. Though no recalls have been issued, FDA had serious concerns about this pet food plant.

The FDA Warning Letter stated their inspection lasted for two weeks – from September 15, 2014 through October 1, 2014. Inspection revealed “that your facility has significant deviations from the LACF (low-acid can food) regulations.”

The inspection found that this Purina plant deviated from the required processing of the pet food – and further did not document the deviation (as required by law). The FDA Warning Letter stated “your firm did not provide documentation associated with the evaluation of the entire lot of product affected by the process deviation and did not provide documentation and/or the specifics of your corrective action plan in order to ensure that your firm will prevent these occurrences in the future.”

FDA also found temperature drop concerns with the pet food manufactured at this plant. Law requires canned pet food to be heated to specific temperatures and any variations of these required temperatures are required to be noted in a log. This Purina plant did not document the drop in temperatures.

FDA “observed” that the conveyor system in this plant did “not have adequate protection in place to prevent an unprocessed can” from ultimately reaching the consumer. An ‘unprocessed can’ of pet food would be an uncooked can of pet food – uncooked can of feed grade ingredients that could be full of dangerous bacteria. Purina responded to FDA they are in the process of correcting this issue, however FDA stated “We do not consider this response acceptable because you did not provide specifics of your corrective action plan in order to INSURE that your firm will prevent these occurrences in the future.”

The public FDA Warning Letter to Purina  – posted on the FDA website – does not provide lot numbers of products involved. The only information consumers have is product names – listed below. All of these products are canned/moist foods.

Alpo PRIME Cuts with Beef
Alpo Chop House Originals Filet Mignon
Alpo Chop House Originals roasted Chicken
Friskies Mariner’s Catch
Friskies Mixed Grill
Friskies Gravy Sensations with Turkey and Giblets
Friskies Supreme Supper
Friskies Indoor Chicken
Friskies Salmon Dinner
Mighty Dog Chicken Egg & Bacon Country Platter
Mighty Dog Chop House Originals Filet Mignon
Mighty Dog Lamb and Rice
ProPlan Senior Beef and Rice Entrée

If you are feeding your pet one of these products – please pay close attention to your pet’s health. Should any illness occur, notify your veterinarian first, the FDA second.

You can report a pet illness to the FDA here: http://www.fda.gov/AnimalVeterinary/SafetyHealth/ReportaProblem/ucm182403.htm

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10 Fruits and Vegetables That Are Toxic to Dogs

We love to share food with our dogs, and since fruits and vegetables are healthy for us, we often assume they’re healthy for our pets too. This is often the case, but that certainly doesn’t mean it’s always the case. In fact, there are some fruits and vegetables that are toxic to our dogs. So if you plan on sharing some snacks with your pup, make sure you don’t feed anything you find on this list!

To read more on this story, click here: 10 Fruits and Vegetables That Are Toxic to Dogs FOLLOW US!

Nestle Purina PetCare is Offering a Service Allowing Dog Owners to Customize Food for Their Pets

St. Louis, Missouri -  Nestle Purina PetCare is offering a service allowing dog owners to customize food for their pets.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that the new Just Right by Purina service allows customers to formulate dog food based on specific characteristics of their dog — age, breed and activity level. St. Louis-based Purina is a unit of Switzerland-based Nestle.

Purina makes the Beneful, Apo and Dog Chow brands. It says it is the first major pet food maker to produce a personalized dog food in the U.S.

Purina began sales in March as a testing phase. The product launched nationwide Oct. 28.

"So far people have responded well to it," said Brian Lester, director of marketing for Just Right by Purina. "As you look at the many other categories that consumers are in, there are more and more customized features that are being offered every day."

Customers log in at JustRightPetFood.com and enter information that begins with the dog's name. Users are asked protein preference with options that include chicken, salmon and lamb.

Pet owners are asked if their dog has dry skin, whether its coat is shiny, and whether the dog is over- or underweight. In fact, a photo of the dog can be put on the personalized bag if the owner chooses.

It doesn't come cheap — the price is higher than Purina's standard dog food. A 6-pound bag is $24.99; a 12-pound bag is $37.99.

Lester said Purina is deciding whether to make a similar offering for cats.

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5 Ways You Might Be Unknowingly Crushing Your Dog's Spirit

We all love our dogs and want to do what’s best for them, which also means keeping them as happy as possible! But what if we’re doing something that’s unknowingly making them unhappy or crushing their spirit? It’s likely you’re not, but just in case you’re unsure or want to help someone who might be stressing their dog, be sure to check out this list below!

To read more on this story, click here: 5 Ways You Might Be Unknowingly Crushing Your Dog's Spirit

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Fitzgerald Auto Mall "Fall In Love" Adoption Event - Washington Animal Rescue League - October 18th

Washington, DC  -- Fitzgerald AutoMall in North Bethesda and the Washington Animal Rescue League will team up once again for a special “Fall in Love” pet adoption event on Saturday, October 18th from 10:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m.  Adoptable dogs, cats, puppies and kittens will be on-site, hoping to go home with a new forever family.
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“This is the season when we gather as family and friends, and we want our four legged friends to be included” said Dottie Fitzgerald, President at Fitzgerald Auto Malls.  “At Fitzgerald, we are proud to partner with WARL to continue to find excellent homes for our furry friends.”

The Washington Animal Rescue League will have adoptions counselors on site to help adopters meet their perfect match.  All available pets have been spayed/neutered, microchipped and are up-to-date on vaccines.

The event is open to the public and all are invited to come out and meet the animals.  In addition, the public is encourages to bring pet food and pet supplies for the Washington Animal Rescue League’s “Rescuer’s Food Bank.”  The food bank helps families facing financial difficulty hold on to and care for their pets

“We’re thrilled to once again partner with our friends at Fitzgerald Auto Mall on a great adoption event,” said Bob Ramin, CEO of the Washington Animal Rescue League.  “Our shelter is absolutely full of great dogs and cats who desperately need homes, and we’re once again thankful to Dottie Fitzgerald and her fantastic staff for providing the opportunity to showcase our animals and collect food for our pet food bank.  We hope everyone comes out to ‘Fall in Love’ with a new furry friend.”
                                                   
Fitzgerald Auto Mall is located in North Bethesda at 11411 Rockville Pike, North Bethesda, Md.  For more information, visit www.warl.org.  All currently available animals can be seen on the website.

About the Washington Animal Rescue League
Celebrating its Centennial Anniversary in 2014, the Washington Animal Rescue League is the oldest animal shelter in the District of Columbia.  Its mission continues to evolve as conditions change and animals face new and different challenges, but the core of that mission remains unchanged:  to honor and strengthen the human-animal bond by providing the best quality care for homeless dogs and cats, and supporting companion animals in their homes through affordable veterinary care, community outreach, and education.

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31 Problems Only Dog Owners Understand

Early-morning walks in freezing weather. You have to put on so many layers just to go around the block, and he'll be sure to stop and sniff every single tree, fire hydrant, and trash can as you shiver.

The cost of walks, grooming, boarding, and vet visits. You're not going to be stingy about taking care of him, and the people who run these businesses totally know that.

To read more on this story, click here: 31 Problems Only Dog Owners Understand

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11 Human Foods Dogs Can Eat and 5 They Shouldn't

Whether you're tempted to feed your pet the occasional table scrap or simply looking to supplement his doggie diet, here are good foods and bad foods for Fido.

We know it's best to avoid feeding man's best friend with table scraps, but sometimes those puppy-dog eyes get the best of us and we can't resist slipping them a treat from our plates.


To read more on this story, click here: 11 Human Foods Dogs Can Eat and 5 They Shouldn't

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Foods to Avoid Feeding Your Dog

Some foods which are edible for humans, and even other species of animals, can pose hazards for dogs because of their different metabolism. Some may cause only mild digestive upsets, whereas, others can cause severe illness, and even death. The following common food items should not be fed (intentionally or unintentionally) to dogs. This list is, of course, incomplete because we can not possibly list everything your dog should not eat.


To read more on this story, click here: Foods to Avoid Feeding Your Dog

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Vending Machines Encourage Recycling, Feed Stray Animals in Istanbul - The Bottle-Powered Dispensers Dish Out Pet Food Every Time Someone Places a Plastic Bottle Inside the Machine

Istanbul is Turkey’s largest city with a population of 14 million, but it also has one of the world’s largest stray animal populations at around 150,000. Instead of overlooking the problem as is all too common, the Turkish company Pugedon has struck a deal with the government to place food dispensaries around the city. Not only do these provide food and water, but they also help to promote recycling.

The bottle-powered dispensers dish out pet food every time someone places a plastic bottle inside the machine. It also has a container where you can pour the remainder of your water to make sure stray cats and dogs also have something to drink. Apart from keeping the urban animals alive, the vending machine also makes people stop and think about their plight and could perhaps be enough to make some consider adopting an animal to help deal with the problem.

As far as solutions go, this one is a much more humane option when you consider those that have occurred before. In 2012, the government drafted a law that allowed city dogs to be sent to “wildlife parks” on city outskirts. This outraged animal rights activists who referenced a brutal act of animal cruelty in 1910 when the city’s stray dogs were sent to an island and forced to eat each other for survival.

While the solution is a good one, it’s worth noting that it only targets the symptoms of the stray animal problem. Animal smuggling, illegal pet shops, and the desire to have the latest “fashionable” animal are all factors. As pointed out on BigThink by Ahmet Senpolat, an Istanbul-based animal rights lawyer:

Animal smugglers only face a fine of a few hundred euros at worst, they continue to bring expensive pure-bred puppies and sell them to pet stores. People often buy the puppies from pet stores, and abandon them when they become too tough to handle.

Facing up to problems is harder because it usually requires doing something about them, but it’s still a better option than ignoring them altogether.

Plastic for pet food is a better option than sending dogs to isolated islands.

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Does Your Dog Snap/Growl When You Reach for Their Food/Toy?

Five things to do when your dog guards a toy, bone, treat, or bed.

Resource guarding may be a natural, normal dog behavior, but it’s alarming when your own dog growls – or worse, snaps – at you over his resource. Resist your first impulse to snap back at your dog. Instead, do this:

A fake hand, mounted on the end of a stick, is used to safely assess whether this dog guards his food – obviously, he does! If a dog habitually or intensely guards food or other resources like this, find an experienced, positive behavior professional to help you. And employ scrupulous management to keep everyone safe!

1) Stop. Whatever you did that caused your dog to growl, stop doing it. Immediately. If you were walking toward him, stand still. If you were reaching toward him, stop reaching. If you were trying to take the toy or bone away from him, stop trying.

2) Analyze. Your next action depends on your lightning-fast analysis of the situation. If your dog is about to bite you, retreat. Quickly. If you’re confident he won’t escalate, stay still. If you aren’t sure, retreat. Err on the side of caution. Complete your analysis by identifying what resource he had that was valuable enough to guard, and what you were doing that caused him to guard.

3) Retreat. If you already retreated because you feared a bite, go on to #4. If you stayed still, wait for some lessening of his tension and then retreat. Here’s the dilemma: dogs give off guarding signals – a freeze, a hard stare, stiffening of the body, a growl, snarl, snap, or bite – to make you go away and leave them alone with their valuable objects.

Your safety is the number one priority, so if a bite is imminent, it’s appropriate to skedaddle. However, by doing so you reinforce the guarding behavior. “Yes!” says Dog. “That freeze worked; it made my human go away.” Reinforced behaviors are likely to repeat or increase, so you can expect more guarding next time.

If, instead, you are safe to stay still and wait for some relaxation of tension and then leave, you reinforce calmer behavior. “Hmmmmm,” says Dog. “Relaxing made my human go away.” If you can do this safely, you increase his relaxation when you are near him and decrease his guarding behavior.

4) Manage. Give your dog guardable things only when you won’t have to take them away. Crates are good places for a resource guarder to enjoy his valuable objects. When he’s crated with good stuff, don’t mess with him, and don’t let anyone else mess with him. When small children are around, put him away – for his sake and theirs – since you may not always know what he’ll decide to guard, especially when kids bring their own toys to play with.

5) Train. Work with a good, positive behavior professional to modify your dog’s guarding behavior so he no longer feels stressed when humans are around his good stuff. Teach him to “trade” on verbal cue for a high value treat such as chicken, starting with low value objects and working up to high value, so he’ll happily give you his things on cue when you need him to. Out-think your dog. Resource guarding behavior is not a good place for a battle of wills.

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The Owner of Paws Natural Pet Emporium in Richland, Washington, is on a 30-Day Mission to Eat Nothing But Pet Food

Dorothy Hunter embarked on the bizarre diet June 19 while stocking shelves at her business, Paws Natural Pet Emporium.

"I didn't have time to go get a snack, so I grabbed a bag of treats off the counter, and I was like, wow, you know, these read better than normal people treats," she told KNDO TV. "So I started eating the treats and I was like, you know, I could do this for 30 days."

So far, she doesn't have a bone to pick with the foods she's eating -- to a point.

"I've also been doing our oven baked blueberry treats, as well as freeze dried green beans, carrots," she told the station. "I'm even doing some canned cat food, one is a succulent chicken, and it actually tastes really good. So I'm really happy with that one. I don't do raw bones or meat products like that, or the frozen because I'm just not into raw."

MY DINNER WITH ALPO: Pet Store Owner Eats Dog Food For 30 Days. Why? Cuz.

Hunter has lost at least two pounds eating pet food, and gained a dining partner in employee Amanda Kempf, who has been feeding the pet food to her kids as well.

"My kids love the dog treats as well, and I don't mind them eating those because they are nutritious," Kempf told the Tri-City Herald. "They even told their teachers, who then asked me if it was true. Everything is labeled here so you know what you're buying, and you're buying nutrition."

Like human food, pet food is required to be compliant with food additive regulations and be free of pathogens. Still, consuming kibble comes at a risk, according to nutrition expert Madelyn Fernstrom.

"Choosing to experiment with pet food as a long term option is a nutritional negative and might make you sick," she told Today.com.

Hunter's 30-day pet food gorge mission just happens to coincide with the expansion of her store, but Mike Rylander of WTFark.com hopes it coincides with something that makes more sense.

"Please tell me this has something to do with the legalization of weed in Washington and not that she was just hungry and lazy," he said.











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