Page 144 - ShowSight, March 2020

But back to the point; wild canines are known to be long-lived if not injured, trapped, or shot. Wolves, coyotes, foxes; they all eat a natural diet and in order to do that, they are in superb physical and mental condition. They bring down “food” four times their size after running for miles. Is there a show dog out there that could do that? My Akitas couldn’t have done it and they were in superb condition.
We’re told that stress takes a heavy toll on physical health. Could it be that wild animals don’t worry? They don’t “think” about the weather or how hard it will be to get a meal during a blizzard. Unlike humans, wolves have no reason to worry about fidelity. One gets the impression that their station in the pack and loyalty to each other is a big factor in low-stress social engagement whereas our show dogs are deprived of that interaction.
Dogs love us humans, but is it really the same as bonding with a mate or being part of the wolf pack? Do our show dogs have a natural buddy? Many do not. Family dogs probably look forward to Obedience classes or dog shows more than we do. It is their chance to “meet and greet” others of their own kind.
Do dogs worry about their next meal? Only domestic dogs watch the clock. Wild canines can go days without a big meal. They can travel miles hunting food. Find- ing game, they chase at full speed, and then they gorge themselves with no risk of bloat. Oh, I forgot. They eat meat.
Personally, I believe that only a burst of strenuous exercise properly prepares a carni- vore’s digestive system for a big meal. Think about that. I’ve had dogs that actually
yawned and “thought about it” before checking out the food bowl I just set down. No wild canine ever ate corn, wheat, or soy- beans. They do however, nibble on carefully selected grass, herbs, or weeds.
Does your urban dog have that opportu- nity and is the grass pesticide-free?
Meat should be fed raw with the excep- tion of fish. Note: canned mackerel is cheap and greatly appreciated by all Northern breed dogs. Malamute, Siberian, Chow dog owners—do you feed your dogs fish? Even desert-bred dogs love fish.
What about beef, pork or chicken liver? Organic livers only! The liver is the body’s filtration system, the organ that detoxifies chemicals and drugs. Organic beef, poul- try, lamb or chicken means the animal has not received any growth hormones nor has it been sick and required antibiotics. It is a more expensive, but well worth it for organ meats.
Milk is not at all “natural” for adult dogs, but cottage cheese, yogurt, and whole buttermilk (how can butter-milk be low- fat?) are well tolerated in a natural canine diet. Perhaps because farm dogs have rel- ished fresh or soured milk for centuries, the canine digestive system handles “ferment- ed” dairy products even as it often rejects today’s “fresh milk.”
Do you keep canned Goat Milk in case nursing puppies (or elderly dogs) need supplementing? A tiny drop of Karo Syrup makes it as sweet as mommy-milk.
All canine diet advice should come with a big chunk of common sense. You can spend a fortune in “coat conditioners”, vitamins, and food additives or you can skip the “supplements” and feed what has
nourished carnivores since prehistoric times. See me smile?
The message here is that many ken- nel dogs and working-owner house dogs are seriously deprived, both physically and mentally. They become food-obsessed (and owners love to indulge them) but as car- nivores they would hunt, often over long distances and sometimes unsuccessfully. They are deprived of that genetically pro- grammed physical exertion and adrena- line rush. They accept us as their “pack”, but still. Then when they try to sniff our butt we rudely shove them away. Don’t laugh, think about what they are missing as regards social interaction and gossip.
More so than the average “yard dog” our show dogs and breeding stock are often deprived of things that matter to a dog. Sure they love us and they prove it every day. But think for just a minute. How long would a wolf last if crated for hours, day after day?
What dogs do for us is more than amaz- ing. No other animal and few humans would be so utterly loyal, so loving, and about all, so forgiving.
So when you come home from work and just want to “relax” look down at your dog. He is looking at you with no-conditions love. Forget the treats. Take him for a walk or a jog and let him smell the scenery. It is like you reading the paper or watching TV, meeting friends at church or going out for a drink. His life revolves around you, but he still wants to know what other dogs are doing.
I reckon he still has a little wolf left in his psyche. Personally, I believe God made the dog, but okay, maybe He used a little snippet of wolf.
ON THE LINE: A LESSON IN DIET AND CONDITION
I feed raw chicken legs or wings at least once a week. Raw chicken bones are soft and the marrow is extremely nutritious.
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