There are four primary dog feeding strategies:
There is no definitive answer as to which dog feeding method is best.
This article summarizes each method, and presents their pros and cons. Based on this, we can decide what to feed our dog, based on his lifestyle and preferences.
1. Dry Dog Food (Kibble)
When considering which kibble to feed our dog, it is important to keep these things in mind –
- Note what the main ingredients are.
- Look for a kibble with meat as its primary source of protein.
- Avoid kibble with wheat, corn, or soy as its main ingredients. For sources of carbohydrates, potatoes and rice are easier to digest. Many dogs are allergic to wheat and corn.
- Avoid any food with wheat or corn gluten. Here’s why.
- Avoid kibble with too many “by-products” in their ingredient list.
- Avoid kibble with many generic ingredients, for example poultry meal or fish meal. Instead, look for chicken meal or salmon meal.
- Avoid kibble with artificial coloring and preservatives, for example BHA or BHT.
- Avoid kibble with too much filler material, such as corn hull.
A good rule of thumb to distinguish the major components of a food is to look for the first named source of fat in the ingredient list. Anything listed before that, and including it, make up the main portion of the food, other items are present in much smaller amounts to add flavor, function as preservatives or because of their dietary benefits (e.g. probiotics, vitamins and minerals).
~~ [ Excerpt from the Dog Food Project ]
I have done a fair amount of research into dry dog food, because both my dogs have sensitive digestive systems. My Shiba Inu is allergic to wheat, and my Siberian Husky is allergic to most types of grains (wheat, corn, oats), as well as some types of fish.
Here are some good kibble brands that are well-reviewed by many dog owners:
- Wellness CORE – My dogs are currently on Wellness CORE. They seem to really love the kibble and are doing well with it.
- Orijen – This was actually my first choice during our kibble switch-over. However, my Sibes are allergic to some types of fish and all their kibble formula contains fish.
- Blue Wilderness – Very well reviewed and the chicken formula has a similar ingredient list to Wellness CORE.
- Nature’s Variety Instinct – This kibble has a simpler ingredient list with two main components – chicken meal and tapioca. It also has a 42% protein content which looks good.
- Taste of the Wild – I have never tried Taste of the Wild, but they also have a well reviewed grain-free kibble with good ingredients. I love their cover art.
- Innova EVO – On March 2013 there was a voluntary recall of EVO products. As a result, we decided to switch over to Wellness CORE.
** Note that all of the above brands are grain-free, high-protein kibble. There may be some concern over high-protein dog food causing kidney disease, but this is a myth that has been debunked.
Just be careful not to give high protein food to large breed puppies as it may cause overly rapid growth, which will stress bones and joints.
Other dry dog food brands:
Canidae is often recommended as a good, medium-cost quality kibble. I have never tried Canidae, but their ingredient list looks sound.
Solid Gold: I did not include Solid Gold because their high protein kibble, Barking to the Moon, contains generic fish meal as its primary ingredient. Instead, we want to look for salmon meal, herring meal, or whitefish meal which is in Orijen 6, and Wellness CORE Ocean.
Pros
- Better for dental health because it is less likely to stick on, and stain teeth.
- Easy to transport and use in dog obedience training, handling, and dog grooming.
- Easy to stuff in dog toys.
- Balanced nutrition for our dog.
- Has good fiber content, resulting in more regular stools.
Cons
- Does not smell or taste as good as the other dog foods.
- Our dog may not want to eat kibble, and instead try to hold-out for something better.
- May make our dog thirsty. Therefore, provide free access to water all day long.
- Cannot be sure about quality of ingredients. There have been a fair number of dog food recalls on kibble.
2. Wet Dog Food
Once we have finished our research on dry dog food, we can just get the wet or canned versions of our favorite kibble brands. Doing this will ensure the same high quality ingredients, and packing process.
I only give my dogs a small amount of wet food everyday. They get their wet dog food in the form of frozen Kongs, which they work on at night while in their crate.
Pros
- Tastes good.
- Will not dehydrate our dog.
- Balanced nutrition for our dog.
Cons
- Difficult to handle and stuff in toys, unless frozen.
- Difficult to use for training, handling, or grooming.
- Not as good for dental health.
- Cannot be sure about quality of ingredients. There have also been some wet food recalls.
- Expensive.
3. Homemade Dog Food
The most difficult part of feeding our dog homemade food, is ensuring that it has the proper nutritional balance.
The American Veterinary Medical Association warns against feeding our dogs table scraps. Table scraps tend to be too rich, and may contain foods that are poisonous to dogs. The AVMA also discourages using homemade food as our dog’s primary feeding method.
The AVMA does not recommend that people attempt to prepare home-cooked meals for their pets because pet nutrition is very complicated and unique to species and individual animals.
~~ [ Excerpt from Tips On Cooking Your Pet A Home-Cooked Meal, AVMA ]
If we absolutely want to try this dog feeding method, the AVMA recommends the book Home-Prepared Dog & Cat Diets: the Healthful Alternative
by Dr. Donald Strombeck, or the www.petdiets.com website.
I will sometimes microwave some simple people food for my dogs, but only as a supplement to their mostly dry dog diet. In particular, my dogs really like melted cheese, boiled chicken, microwave sausage, and bacon.
When I need my dogs to endure an unpleasant dog grooming session, e.g. nail grinding or teeth brushing, I will sometimes microwave them a mix of salad greens (lettuce, and carrots), boiled chicken, vienna sausage, cheese, and a very small amount of bacon bits.
Pros
- Very tasty.
- Our dog will probably work hard for homemade food.
- High quality, human grade ingredients.
Cons
- May not have balanced nutrition for our dog.
- Difficult and dirty to stuff in toys.
- May be time-consuming to prepare.
- Expensive.
4. Raw Diet (BARF)
A raw diet consists primarily of uncooked meat, edible bones, and organs. Sometimes eggs, vegetables, fruits, and vitamin supplements are added to create a more balanced meal.
Whether to feed our dogs a raw food diet, is a hot debate with strong proponents and opponents.
Pros
- Very tasty.
- Bones help to clean teeth.
- Nutrients are not destroyed by cooking.
- May lead to better health.
Cons
- May not have balanced nutrition for our dog.
- Bones can splinter and become a choking hazard or cause intestinal perforations.
- Raw food may carry bacteria like Salmonella and E. coli.
- Difficult to use in training, or to stuff in food toys.
For a more comprehensive discussion on the pros and cons of a raw diet, check out this wonderfully researched article by Alisa, or refer to the links below:
- Wikipedia: Raw Feeding.
- SPCA International: Understanding Homemade Diets and the Pros/Cons of a Raw Food (BARF) Diet.
Useful Dog Feeding Sites
Good morning I have a two year old shiba he has his own personality that is for sure. I have some concerns and would like to know if anyone else went through this with their Shibas. My boy named Stig seems to not eat much of his food during the day so we leave it. In the mean time he tries to eat anything made of leather in the house shoes, belts, and gloves. Then we go outside and he wants to eat grass his poop is hard no diarrhea unless hes passing something he ate that he shouldnt of and hes constantly licking the couch, rug, and my bed. Then he will only really eat at night. Im currently feeding him Iams he loved at first could this be the bored you guys are talking about so hes eating evetything else to try to fill his tummy. He truly is my baby boy and im a little worried any advise is appreciated
thank you
worried momma
Shannon and stig
I feed my Shiba a high protein, grain-free kibble, and he seems to do well on that. I stay away from kibble that has a lot of fillers. I talk more about how I pick my dog’s kibble in the article above.
What is your Shiba’s daily routine like? What type of chew toys does he enjoy? Is he showing any signs of digestive distress? Does he vomit out the grass? When was his last vet visit? How was his physical weight and health? When did the behaviors start?
Hello!
I have the pleasure of being the fur mom to Odin, a 7-month old male, black/tan Shiba. I adopted him at 10 weeks from a yucky place and he has been growing like a weed and learning about the world as a normal pup. š I read your article about your Shiba becoming “bored” with kibble and also being allergic to wheat. Odin eats Wellness for puppies… I am curious how you confirmed the wheat allergy and and what age this was confirmed? And at what age did your pup become “bored” and learn that he will receive yummier foods if he skips his meals on purpose? š Thanks! Shannon
When I first got Sephy, I fed him Eukanuba because that was what his breeder was feeding him. I then noticed that he started getting itchy all over his body, and his poop was also not great. Therefore, I put him on a bland diet to see if the symptoms would go away. They did, so I had narrowed things down to his food.
Then, I slowly introduced his regular food back one by one, and in that way I realized it was a kibble issue. At the same time, I was also reading up on food ingredients, so my first guess was the wheat in his kibble. I changed to a wheat free kibble, and things got better, so I further narrowed things down. Later on, when we went to puppy class, he got treats from the class instructor which also contained some wheat, and his poop got bad again. So through several of these experiences, it became pretty clear that he has an issue with wheat.
In terms of the boredom with food, that all occurred within his first year, but it had more to do with me rather than with Sephy. I didn’t know much about training at the time, and I was giving him too much extra stuff, so he would try to skip meals and just hold out for dessert. š With Sephy, I always follow the Nothing in Life is Free program and I make sure not to give him too much extra.
He is definitely the type where if I give him an inch, he will try to take a mile, so I have to be very consistent with him. š
Hi Shibashake,
My husband and I are welcoming our first puppy on Feb 18th and she’s a Shiba Inu, we will name her Akira. She will be 8 weeks old by that time. I am looking at the Wellness Core Puppy formula. I looked through the ingredients and it seems well thought of…Do you have any advice on this particular brand for puppies? Any suggestions would be much appreciated! š
Btw, Thank you for this amazing blog!!! It is very well-written, entertaining, honest, and very informative! I’ve been through so many websites and this is the best!
Much love,
Denise
Congratulations on your upcoming puppy!
Yeah, I also like the ingredients for Wellness CORE. I am currently using it for all of my dogs. I also used the Wellness puppy kibble and wet food for my youngest Husky (Lara) when she was young.
Give your furry girl a bunch of cuddles from me when you get her. š
I have a question.. I’m preparing to get a new puppy soon and I am concerned about how much serving a puppy should be getting.. I know it depends on their current size and how much they will actually weigh as an adult but I was wondering how you personally feed your youngest or how you did feed your puppy in the beginning like at 8 weeks old? BTW, love your blogs and dogs!!!
When I first got my youngest Husky, Lara (8 weeks old), I gave her a lot of Frozen Kongs, with wet Wellness puppy food. I also used some kibble for various training tasks and some plain microwave chicken breast (deboned and cut into small pieces). In terms of total food, I used what was needed to keep her occupied and engaged. Then, I adjust accordingly, depending on how she is doing. One time I fed her too much, and she had a slight tummy upset, so I knew to adjust things down a little bit. The amount fed will also depend on the type of food used.
The frozen Kongs were great because they helped her settle down before nap-time, slows down how her eating speed, and teaches her good eating habits. Initially, I would help her get the stuff out from the toy, because she can’t do it all herself with puppy teeth. This also helps her associate people and eating in a positive context.
We did about 2 hours of training, play, and one or two frozen Kongs at the end, followed by about 1.5 hours of nap-time and so on during the day. At night, she slept for about 8-10 hours with one or two potty breaks in the middle. The schedule will depend on the individual puppy.
Congrats on your upcoming puppy!
Hi, i have a shiba inu of 5 months, i use a mix of royal canin and pedigree kiddle, but im planning to use blue wilderness or blue freedom, what do you think in about to change blue brand instead royal canin?
I like the ingredients in Blue Wilderness.
My Shiba is allergic to wheat, and I especially stay away from wheat gluten. I talk more about what I look for in kibble ingredients in the article above.
http://shibashake.com/dog/feeding-your-dog-a-healthy-diet#dry_food
Don’t feed purina I think it contains by products
Hello from Sansa and I. My little girl named Sansa is almost 5 months old. I have a big concern about her appetite. When my husband and I just got her, she was 7 weeks old and was on taste of wild puppy food, she was ok with that until she was 12 weeks old, she became picky. After some consultation with a staff from pet market, I slowly switched her food to orijen puppy food. She was supper happy at the beginning but eventually, she got tired and didn’t eat as much as she used to. A couple days ago, she got diarrhea, I looked for the information on the internet and tried to treat her at home, it turned out just fine. I fed her with boiled white rice mixed with boiled chicken and regular puppy food for 3 days. Then when I only give her regular puppy food, she is no long interested at all. I tried to force her to eat sometimes by hand feeding, but nothing worked. I am worried a lot as I will have to go back to work in 2 weeks, she will be just by herself all day long, I am afraid she will not eat her food at all. Is there anything that I can do to bring her appetite back? or should I change the food again? Ton of thanks in advance.
I forgot to mention that my girl is shiba inu breed.
Hmmm, do you know what was the cause of the diarrhea? I change my dog’s food *if* he has allergies to his current food.
My Shiba, Sephy, was extremely picky over his food when he was young. He quickly got bored of his kibble and would just hold out for the good stuff. At first, he would only eat wet food, so I ground up his kibble and mixed it in with the wet food. After a bit, he got bored with wet food, so I would mix in boiled chicken with his kibble. That was good for a while, then he got bored again and would just pick out the boiled chicken pieces.
The thing with Sephy is that he is very clever and he learned that if he didn’t eat his kibble or regular food, he would get much better stuff instead – e.g. boiled chicken, cheese, etc. By giving him better stuff to encourage him to eat his kibble, I was actually teaching him not to eat his kibble, because if he waits, he will eventually get better stuff. š
Finally, I put him on a fixed schedule and I also follow the Nothing in Life is Free program, so he works for all of his food. I feed my adult dogs twice a day, and I feed a puppy more often depending on age. However, I always do feedings on a fixed schedule. I make sure not to overfeed.
I use Sephy’s kibble as rewards for simple commands, following rules, and other more simple tasks throughout the day. Whatever is left over, I put in a kibble ball for him to work on during meal times. If he doesn’t want to work on it, then I take it away after a certain amount of time. I *do not* free feed. He skipped a few meals and sometimes, he still skips meals but very rarely so now.
With consistent and fixed feedings, he knows exactly what type of of food he will get for doing various tasks, how much food he will get in a day, and when meal times are. I used fixed feedings on Sephy because his issue was a behavioral one, where he learned that he could get better rewards by not eating his regular food.
Note however, that loss of appetite can also be the result of physical issues, allergies, stress, or other factors. Therefore, the first thing that I always do when trying to change my dog’s behavior is to identify the source of the behavior. Different causes will require different strategies for rehabilitation.
Some posts from other Shiba owners about picky eating-
http://shibashake.com/dog/feeding-your-dog-a-healthy-diet/comment-page-1#comment-38956
http://shibashake.com/dog/stop-food-aggression-stop-resource-guarding/comment-page-1#comment-90746
Hope this helps. Big hugs to Sansa!
Hello again from Sammi and I š
My little man has decided to get picky about his food now. Before he used to literally spin and jump over breakfast and dinner but now he doesn’t seem to as motivated.
In the morning we give him kibble (http://www.eaglepack.com/product-orignal-dog.aspx?product=81) and then for dinner, Sammi gets kibble as well as some wet food.
We tried to get him to eat his kibble by adding some gravy to it for some more taste and initially he liked then but soon enough grew tired of it.
Did Sephy start to get picky as he grew older? Samurai turned 9 months yesterday and his tastes certainly are changing. Even when trying to teach him tricks, he’ll only do them for “good” treats or before he’s eaten because he tends to pay more attention if he’s “starved”. haha.
As always, your help is very much appreciated.
Many thanks,
Frances and Sammi
Heh, Sephy has always been a very picky eater. He may get excited about a particular type of food for a while, then he loses interest.
As you say, Sephy also responds best to working for food right before dinner. š That is when I do his teeth brushing. He doesn’t get dinner until after I brush him.
Recently, Sephy has gotten a bit squidgy around the edges, so I cut back some on his daily rations. I have noticed that he is a lot more motivated about food now, even his kibble. With Sephy, he will be picky if he can be picky. However, if he gets hungry, he will motivate himself and actually work for his supper. He always reminds me of Wimpy from the old Popeye cartoons. I can almost hear him saying ..
š
I switched to Halo Natural Holistic kibble (I alternate lamb/chicken/fish) a few years ago and have had great success with it. It seems to go along with everything I’ve studied and with your thoughts as well. It’s pricey, but I really don’t care about price when it comes to my “kids”…only quality and that I’m doing the best I can for them. The new doctor at my vet called me when my 11 1/2 year old Shiba Inu was getting his comprehensive exam because he thought he read the chart wrong…he said inside and out my Shiba looks like a 4-5 year old.
I would like to get your thoughts on this food if possible please:
http://shop.halopets.com/Adult-Dog-Dry-Lamb-28lb
Thank you š
Hello Dwayne,
So glad to hear that Frodo-San is in such good health. Sounds like your 3 have a lot of fun together! š
As for kibble, my Shiba, Sephy, is allergic to wheat and one of my Sibes is allergic to oats so they do best on grain-free kibble. I am currently giving them Innova EVO and they all seem happy with it.
The Halo brand kibble looks like it also has a good ingredient list. Hugs to your whole pack!
Update: you are going to laugh at this. Sammi won’t eat the kibble straight out of the ball but he’ll eat it out of a rollee ball… *rolls eyes
Variety is the spice of life it seems as we find that if we do one meal with gravy, the another one with meat or cheese, he seems to eat it all.
But now we give him breakfast in his rollee ball so not only does he exercise but he eats!!! Success haha
Oh Shiba indeed.
Hope all is well with you and Sephy š
LOL! The things we do for our little foxes. š
Sephy’s new thing is biting at our carpet pads. He thinks he is very clever because he has to nudge up a bit of the carpet first, before he can get at the pads. And throughout it all, he has to use his ninja stealth skills so that he can tear off a chunk of pad, before he gets caught. He is very silly!
Big hugs to Sammi!