When it comes to choosing dog food for your dog, it can be a difficult decision. There are so many different dog food brands, flavors, sizes, and shapes of dog food out there that making a choice can be tough. If you are picking out food for your dog, you want to make sure that you get them the best possible food. They should get food that will help keep them healthy, fit, and happy. So, when you are choosing the food for your dog, you’ll have to consider dietary needs, the brands available, your own preferences, and perhaps the cost of the food. However, before you make a final decision, the following are several questions to ask.

Question #1 – What Size is Your Dog? – First of all, you are going to need to ask yourself about the size of your dog. Do you have a very large dog, a medium dog, or perhaps a small or toy dog? The size of your dog is definitely going to influence the type of food that you buy. When you go looking for food, look for dog food that is specific to the size of your dog. Small dogs won’t be able to get their mouths around the food made for large dogs, and large dogs are going to need something more substantial than food designed for smaller dogs.

Question #2 – Does Your Dog Have Allergies? – You should also ask yourself whether your dog has any allergies when you are choosing dog food as well. If there are certain ingredients that your dog is allergic to, you will have to be cautious when making your choice. Make sure that there are no ingredients contained in the dog food that may cause an allergic reaction with your pooch.

Question #3 – What’s Your Dogs Age? – The age of your dog is another important consideration when you are picking out food for your dog. Is your dog an older dog, a young adult dog, or a small puppy? There are different foods available depending on the age of your dog. You can find puppy food for young puppies, adult dog food for adult dogs, and there is senior dog food available for the dogs that are getting older. A dogs needs are different as they age, so you’ll need to get the right dog foods for their age.

Question #4 – Are the Any Health Concerns to Consider? – Any health concerns that your dog may have can influence the type of dog food you purchase for your dog as well. Does your dog need some dog supplements in the food to help with health problems like eye problems, hip dysplasia, or even other joint problems? Also, some ingredients may not be easily digested by dogs that have health issues, so keep this in mind as well.

Question #5 – How Active is the Dog – You should also ask yourself about the activity level of your dog too. Is your dog very active or is your dog more on the sedentary side? There are dog foods available that are specifically for dogs that are very active. However, you won’t want to give this kind of dog food to a dog that is not as active.

Question #6 – Is There Real Meat in the Food? – Another question to ask is whether or not there is any real meat in the food that you choose. The meat should be in the first couple ingredients, and good meat includes fish, lamb, chicken, and duck. If there is no meat, there should at least be “meal” listed in the first couple ingredients.

Question #7 – Is the Food Made by a Quality Company? – The quality of the company that makes the food is definitely important as well. You want to be sure that the food comes from a company that you can trust and that will provide your dog with the nutritious food that is needed. Take the time to check into the company and their history before you choose food from that company.

So, before you choose any kind of food for your dog, be sure to ask all of these questions. If you are sure to ask each of these questions before you choose the dog food, you’ll be sure to get the type of food that your dog enjoys. Also, you’ll get food that is quality and healthy for your dog as well.

Dr. Alfonso

Great article in the Paradise (CA) Post about how easy it is to overfeed your dog and what you can do about it.

I don't know how it's happening, but it seems like all of my dogs are getting bigger and bigger. I had planned to enter Taylor in an upcoming dog show where they will have classes for senior dogs but I took an honest look at him. He's gotten so big that I didn't think he could trot around the ring without huffing and puffing. I didn't think he would enjoy it. Granted, he's going to be 12 years old soon, but he wasn't this big last year. I didn't enter him and that's sad. I wanted people to see him and it's something he would ordinarily enjoy. He loves to go places and stay in a motel overnight. He likes to socialize.

Of course, it's my fault. I leave food out thinking that I'm being kind to my dogs when, in fact, I'm letting them pack on the pounds.

There are some good suggestions for helping your dog slim down and stay at a good weight in this story.

Dogs diet differently than humans
By Rebecca Settergren

Overweight dogs have long been a pet peeve of mine. According to recent statistics, being overweight has reached an all time high among the human population in this country and is now considered an epidemic. That fact transfers to our canine population as well. The thing is; it is far easier to keep your dog from getting fat than it is yourself. I have first hand knowledge of this malady and know of which I speak.

It certainly would not hurt me to lose ten pounds. My muffin top or spare tire or, plainly speaking, the fat roll around my middle is disgusting. I do not need to go on a diet, I just need to exercise more and stop eating a handful of chocolate truffles just before I go to bed. My dogs, however, are not overweight. At least they aren't right now. I admit to having a bit of a problem over feeding Big Foot Bob, my schipperke. My other three dogs are considerably bigger than he is so the amount of kibble he gets each evening is minute in comparison.

Bobby's breeder and my best friend pointed out to me frequently that he was too heavy. She also solved the problem by giving me a smaller food bowl for him. Now I can heap the kibble in his bowl, but he maintains a healthy weight. It is all in my mind - by giving him a bowl of food full and literally over flowing, it seems like a lot. When I used a bowl the same size as Rusty's (a 45 pound dog) but tried to just put a bit of kibble in it, I felt like I was not giving Bob enough. My four dogs are of three different sizes: Tommy Tune the golden, is a large dog so his perfect weight is right around 68 pounds. Li'l Russ my adult Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever is a medium sized dog, his best weight is around 44 pounds.

Chili Wili is also a Toller, eight months old right now but I expect him to top out at just about the same as Russ. Bobby, of course, is the smallest at 12 pounds. I learned my lesson: Each dog has a different size food bowl, appropriate for his weight.

When I started flyball and rally training with Bobby I was using a lot of treats. To keep his weight where it should be, I cut down the amount of kibble he gets each evening. I think that is where many owners go wrong. They do not consider the treats they give as part of the dog's daily diet. It has been over four years since I last worked in a veterinary office, but I remember well the comments owners make when the doctor tells them their dog is overweight. Invariably it is "but he only gets a little bit of kibble, hardly anything".

They fail to take into account all the small tidbits handed out indiscriminately throughout the day. The other main problem is that many owners equate food with love and attention. Wrong! Your dog is not going to hate you if you give him less food or fewer treats. By the same token, he is not going to love you more if you let him eat anything and everything he wants.

It is hard for many owners to recognize when their dog is too fat. It really is not hard to figure out, however, by following these two guide lines. 1) When you look straight down on your standing dog, he should have a bit of a "waist." That means there is a slight indentation behind the ribcage and before the flank. 2) You should be able to feel the ribs on a standing dog with just a slight fat pad covering them, without digging in with your finger tips. If you cannot feel the dog's ribs at all, he is definitely over weight.

As far as weight loss goes, an easy way to start is to first put everything your dog eats in one day (including treats) in a bowl. Do not cheat: include every little treat, then reduce the total amount by one quarter. Every morning, before you feed, measure out the day's ration so you can easily dispense it at anytime throughout the day. You do not have to stop giving treats but you must include them in the daily total.

When your dieting dog begs for food, play with him instead. Give him some extra attention: throw his squeaky toy around the livingroom for a few minutes or better yet, take him for a short walk. Another trick is to put the dog outside when you eat. If not outside, then another room or crate him. Avoid a situation that is going to make the dog beg for food.

Also avoid a situation that is going to make you want to give him a treat. If you truly love your dog, stop killing him by feeding too much. A slim dog is a healthy dog and will live longer.

Rebecca Settergren is an AKC approved CGC Evaluator ,a member of the Dog Writers Association of America and a contributing columnist to the Post.

Nice story from the Las Vegas Review-Journal about a woman who has gone into business making organic dog biscuits. She discusses all of the planning and work she's gone through to bring her biscuits to the market. Very interesting, especially for any readers who might be thinking about doing something similar.

NEVADAN AT WORK: Biscuit baker creates right bite to delight dogs everywhere
By JENNIFER ROBISON
REVIEW-JOURNAL

VITAL STATISTICS
Name: Noreen Naidus.

Position: Founder and owner, Alaska's Bakery.

Quotable: "I basically said, 'This is me, this is who I am, this is what I do,' and while I was talking, I had my friend take a bag of biscuits and, without saying a word, totally straight-faced, he opened it, took a biscuit out and started eating it."

Family: Single.

Education: Studied at the Academy of Dramatic Arts, New York.

Work history: Before opening Alaska's Bakery, traveled the world as a professional singer.

Hobbies: Music, film, theater, cooking, reading.

Favorite book: Too many to list.

Hometown: New York.

In Las Vegas since: 2001.

Alaska's Bakery is at 6130 W. Tropicana Ave., Suite 258, and can be reached at 362-4466.

Noreen Naidus, owner of Alaska's Bakery, displays her organic dog biscuits at home with her dog, Alaska, who inspired the business. Naidus uses organic and raw ingredients for her healthy treats.
Photo by Clint Karlsen.

When Noreen Naidus began making organic dog biscuits for sale in 2004, business was a little slow.

Her company, Alaska's Bakery, was small at first, selling a few bags a week mostly through the office of a local holistic veterinarian. Sales in the first year were strictly through word-of-mouth, and the company, named after Naidus' miniature American Eskimo dog, sold just $2,000 in biscuits in 2004.

Alaska's Bakery has enjoyed a whirlwind of activity since September, though, with an appearance on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno," a deal to sell biscuits through local Whole Foods Market and Wild Oats stores and an agreement to make biscuits for a private label on the East Coast. She's negotiating with a co-packer to boost production capacity from 4,000 biscuits a week to as many as 20,000 pounds of biscuits a day, and 37 Whole Foods stores in the West are scheduled to begin selling Alaska's Bakery products in the next one to two months. Naidus is projecting about $125,000 in sales in 2008.

Naidus is also a professional singer who still performs local shows at the Santa Fe and Gordon Biersch.

Question: What prompted you to start Alaska's Bakery?

Answer: Alaska did. I wanted him to live a very long life, so I started researching and found out organic and raw were the best ways to feed an animal. I love to bake cookies and cakes and make gourmet meals, so I thought, Why not start making some biscuits and see what happens? I formulated a couple of recipes and Alaska went crazy for them.

Of course, one batch would make too many biscuits for Alaska, so I started giving samples to neighbors, or to people with dogs at the park. I wanted to turn a passion for cooking and baking into a business making healthy food for dogs, and I wanted to make it easier for other people to find healthy treats for animals.

Question: Talk about the process of opening a pet-food manufacturing business. How complicated was it?

Answer: The first thing I had to do was call the health department and find out what legal permits or documents I needed. Then I called the city to ask about licenses. I checked with a prominent local holistic veterinarian on all the ingredients I wanted to use, and I asked her for an endorsement.

Then I had to think about packaging and how the biscuits would stay fresh, so I decided to vacuum-seal them. I bought the bags and a vacuum-seal machine, but the biscuits would break during sealing, so I had to change to resealable bags. I also had to test biscuits for shelf life. Then as things progressed, I knew I would need a crude analysis. So I sent samples to a lab in the Midwest that does crude analysis. I needed liability insurance.

I needed pricing. I had to educate myself in exactly what it cost to make the biscuits and what would be a fair profit for me and what would be a fair price for the consumer, as well as try to figure out a wholesale price where the retailer would make their margin. I knew I would also need UPC codes to be in supermarkets, where I could compete with the big guys. I got my codes from the Uniform Code Council. Getting the codes also meant I had to get software for printing the bar codes on my package labels.

And I promoted the business. Wherever I was — Starbucks, dog parks, the supermarket, the mall, even singing performances — it didn't matter. I told everybody about it and gave them samples and business cards.

Question: How long did it take you from the time you decided to open a business to find distribution in local grocery stores?

Answer: I decided to launch the business in 2004, but I continued to work in music and did odd day jobs to pay my bills and put gas in my car. At the end of 2006, I realized that if I continued working that way, my business would stay small, so I quit the day jobs to do this full time.

The turning point was in September, when I did my first trade show, SuperZoo at Mandalay Bay. Jay Leno had producers there looking for companies to have on "The Tonight Show" during an opening segment. Out of hundreds of companies there, my company was one of about five selected to be on. Our show aired in October.

Question: How were you chosen for the show?

Answer: Being in the entertainment business, I knew I had to think of what I could do that would be different from these hundreds of other people there. So I decided I would play it straight, and I had my best friend stand behind me while I talked. I basically said, "This is me, this is who I am, this is what I do," and while I was talking, I had my friend take a bag of biscuits and, without saying a word, totally straight-faced, he opened it, took a biscuit out and started eating it. (To see the "Tonight Show" clip, go to www.alaskasbakery.com.)

September was also when local Whole Foods stores started stocking our biscuits on their shelves.

Question: How did you get the deal with Whole Foods?

Answer: I've shopped at Whole Foods for years. When I'd go, I'd pass out samples to customers and stock people. The stock people told me I should talk to the grocery manager, because they have local vendors. So I called the grocery manager in June and introduced myself over the phone. I told him I was a local vendor, and that my biscuits were the best he'd find anywhere. He agreed to meet with me.

At the meeting, I brought a couple of bags of competitors' biscuits I'd bought off the shelf. I had him smell mine and theirs, and I showed him the ingredients on both. He fell in love with the smell of my peanut-butter biscuits, and said he felt like eating one. I told him he could, because they were made from human ingredients I'd bought at Whole Foods. So he tried one, said it wasn't bad, and took another to put in his pocket. He called me in September, on the last day of SuperZoo, to tell me I was approved to sell at the store and to place his first order.

Question: What advice would you give other entrepreneurs who want to launch a new product?

Answer: You have to love what you're doing. This doesn't even feel like work for me and I'm working harder than I ever have in my life. Get prepared with everything you think you need and just go for it. You can be scared. Do it anyway. Talk to store managers, talk to other people in business, read the paper, read trade magazines and ask lots of questions. You need determination and perseverance.

Question: What was your best source for research?

Answer: There was no best source. I did it all. I went to the library. I bought books, I read magazines, I asked my veterinarian questions. I'm not afraid to ask questions. I learn from other people's failures and successes. I seek out people who are wiser than I am to find out what I should do. I have no ego. All I want to do is learn, and I believe there is enough success and money for everybody.

Question: What are your future plans for growth?

Answer: I'd like to be in Whole Foods stores nationally, and I'd love to be in all the supermarkets and pet stores. As many places as there are to reach the dogs, that's where I want to be.

Contact reporter Jennifer Robison at jrobison@reviewjournal.com or (702) 380-4512.

Every dog owners know that most dogs love to eat, but often they see themselves trying to figure out which dog food to buy. It has been said for the longest time that dogs are our best friends, but reality now is that dogs have jump from the best friend category to the family member category. As another member of our family we want to give our pets the best care and that also includes the best food.

Many dogs over time get tired of eating the same food, and they become fussy. The food that one day they loved to eat, they don’t even want to smell now. It's natural for dog owners to look for dog food alternatives when their dogs do not want to eat their regular food. This is when trouble can begin. This is when the dog owners might decide to start giving their pet’s table food, and by doing so they might compromise their dog’s nutrition.

When a dog owner is changing their dog’s diet they are vulnerable to giving their dogs extra treats and snacks. Doing this could cause the dog to become overweight. In addition, if the dog owner does not over compensate by giving his dog these treats or snacks, the dog will be forced to accept what is served to him at mealtimes. Do not give your dog any snacks or treats when your dog isn’t eating. This will just encourages his fussy eating and will perpetuate the fussiness.

Feeding the dog the best food will ensure that he remains happy and healthy, and it also keeps the dog’s coat shiny. Among the ingredients in about 99% of dog foods are sugar, corn, salt, phosphates, colorings and artificial flavors.

There is nothing wrong by feeding your dog homemade food but the dog owner has to be certain to feed the dog with food that will provide him with adequate nutrition. Many dog owners have even chosen to feed their dogs’ vegetarian food. This is even more challenging for many because cooking vegetarian food for your dog could be very time consuming.

When incorporating home cooked dog food to your dog, the dog owner might need to include corn, rice, wheat or oatmeal. These are all good carbohydrates sources.

An option that dog owners could consider is to add the home made food to a medium quality food. If you decide to go this route, you might need to add some kind of nutritional supplement or vitamins. In that way you can ensure good nutrition at all times.

Make certain that you read the labels of the dog food before you buy it. It is advisable that the food has as main ingredient chicken, turkey, or beef. Try to avoid vegetable protein as the main ingredient for the dog food. Vegetable protein, which includes wheat shorts and middling’s, soybean meal, peanut meal, peanut shells (same as cellulose), ground yellow corn and rice husks, is the mainstay of dry dog foods.

Dr. Alfonso

There are many people who are beginning to put their dogs on vegetarian diets. Interestingly enough, most people don’t actually realize that dogs are not really true carnivores, but they are actually omnivores. So, this means that your dog really can get along with out having meat as a part of their diet. However, if you want to start your dog on a vegetarian diet of vegetarian dog food, you’ll want to do it carefully. So, if you are ready to take your dog down the vegan road, the following are a few tips that will help you do so.

Tip #1 – Read Books – First of all, if you want your dog to start eating vegetarian dog food as a part of a vegan diet, then you need to start out by doing some reading. Reading books is one way to do some research and the internet can be helpful as well. Read up on foods for dogs that are healthy and find out more about vegetarian diets for dogs. Then you’ll know more about what your dog needs and learn how to easily bring them over to a vegetarian diet.

Tip #2 – Be Sure that Your Dog Gets Amino Acids and Vitamins – Another thing you need to do if you want to get your dog on a vegetarian diet, is to make sure that they get all the amino acids that they need as well as the vitamins that are needed. Especially make sure that your dog is getting plenty of Vitamin B12 as well. This makes it especially important to be well versed in the nutrition that your dog needs in order to be healthy.

Tip #3 – Have Your Dog’s Urine Tested – If you are putting your dog on a vegetarian diet, you will want to have your dog’s urine tested on a regular basis. You can do this at home; however, you may get better results if you have your vet do this. When your dog eats vegetarian dog food, it can make the urine of your dog a bit more alkaline, which can make your dog more susceptible to urinary tract infections. So, keep a close watch on your dog so you can prevent this from happening.

Tip #4 – Get a High Quality Vegetarian Dog Food – If you are going to start your dog on vegetarian dog food, you need to be sure that you only pick out a high quality dog food that is from a quality company. While you can make your dogs meals at home that are vegetarian, it is easier to go with a good dog food. Check into the food and read reviews on the food before you buy it so you can be sure that it will do a good job for your dog and provide him with all the nutrition that he needs.

Tip #5 – Supplement the Diet – You may want to also supplement your dog’s diet with some doggie biscuits and treats as well. There are a variety of vegetarian dog biscuits and treats that you can purchase to give to your dog. This will provide them with even more nutrition and help keep your dog healthy as you begin to make this big change in their diet.

Tip #6 – Consult with a Vet – Before you decide to put your dog on a vegetarian diet that includes vegetarian dog food, take the time to consult with your dog’s vet. There may be some serious consequences to making this change too fast, and your vet can give you some guidelines that will be helpful as you make the change. They can also give you a good idea of how to keep your dog’s diet supplemented so that they get all of the nutrients they need in their diet.

If you plan on starting your dog on a vegetarian diet in the near future, it is important that you keep these tips in mind. Sure, vegetarian dog food can be a great choice for your dog, but the change needs to be done slowly. Take care when making the change and keep your dogs’ health in mind so that you keep your dog happy and healthy during this huge change in his diet.

Dr. Alfonso