Dog Food - Why Are There so Many Choices?

They say that variety is the spice of life, and this would ring true with anything that we do.  It is also very true that we have many choices to make for our dogs.  One of the most important things that we can choose is the type of food that our dog eats.  With so many different types of foods out on the market it is difficult sometimes to know what to do.  One thing is for certain, and that is that we do not want to harm our dogs in any way.  It is therefore best to be informed about each different choice that you could make when feeding your dog.  If you know the facts behind each one then you will be able to make a decision that is best for your dog and helps them to live a happy and full life. 

The first type of product that we will consider is the most popular.  This is the dry dog food that you can find at almost any store.  In fact, in some stores, there are many aisles of different types.  Don't be too misled by the pictures and the colorful packaging.  It's true that you can't judge a book by its cover, and that is also true when you're picking out a bag of dog food.  They will vary in their ingredients just as much as they vary in their colorful packaging.  The best thing that you can do is to pick it up and look at the list of ingredients.  The first ingredient that is listed is the one that the recipe is based on.  One thing that you will find is that many have the main ingredient of corn.  Corn is very difficult to digest and should not be the main thing that your dog eats.  If you must buy a manufactured dry dog food, then try to get one that is organic and that has a healthy base to it. 

Occupying a smaller part of the shelf space will be the wet dog food.  Many dogs will only eat wet food, but unfortunately it does not contain all of the nutrients that are necessary for your dog to live an active and healthy life.  If you find that your dog will only eat wet food then try mixing it in well with some dry food as well.  You could try a 50-50 combination of wet to dry to start.  Wet dog food is not the best choice for your dog to eat on a regular basis.  It should be considered more as a flavor enhancer or perhaps as a treat. 

Some people also make their own dog food.  If you do some research on the subject you will find that dogs are perfectly able to live on a vegetable only diet that is cooked at home.  The only drawback from doing this is that it takes some time to accomplish.  The health benefits for your dog, however, are beyond measure. 

Just as you would not eat everything that is put on your plate, you should not expect your dog to just blindly eat what you put in a bowl.  Make sure of what you are feeding your dog, that it is both healthy and satisfying.  Your dog does not need a lot of variety the same as humans do but it will respond well to a healthy diet.