Best Dog Food For Dobermans?
—
Just like we humans need proper nutrition to be healthy and happy so too do our dogs.But the decision on what to feed our dogs can be a confusing one. Grocery stores usually have a whole aisle dedicated to pet food with a large assortment of products. The fact that there lacks regulations in pet food labelling only makes things harder for consumers.But with the very real concern of contaminated food from bacteria and chemicals, we need to put some effort into educating ourselves for the sake of our pet’s well-being. So what doberman food should we consider?
Ideally we would want to feed our dogs home-made meals but this is just not practical for most people. My personal recommendation if you are going to feed a commercial food, is to find a good quality kibble and supplement it with other “real” goodies to ensure your dog is getting a well-rounded diet. Also consider alternating between dry and canned food. Canned food is usually more nutritious than dry dog food since it contains less preservatives and grain ingredients. When looking for a good dog food, you want to avoid kibbles high in grains (corn, flour,etc) and choose one with a meat in the first three ingredients. Also look for chicken meat instead of chicken by-product for example. To help you compare different dog food brands, you can read our previous post for more tips.
Here are some ideas to boost the nutrition and flavour of a boring dry dog food.
- Add chicken broth or natural gravy to dry kibble.
- Sprinkle some parmesan cheese on top.
- Add full-fat plain yogurt to the dish.
- Add a teaspoon or two (depending on your dogs size) of flaxseed oil or fish oil to the kibble (omega-3 acids)
As for treats, if you can’t find a product that has organic, human-grade ingredients then try a home-made cookie recipe. But if you hate cooking, an easy alternative is to give your dog veggie treats like carrots and green beans. Chopped fruits like pears and apples are another healthy alternative to high carb, poor quality store-bought treats.
Instead of rawhides that may have preservatives, are bleached, have artificial flavours and colors, ask a butcher for marrow or knuckle bones. To kill any surface bacteria, submerge the bones in boiling water for about 30 seconds, just long enough to kill the bacteria. Remember that cooking bones makes them easier to splinter so avoid giving your dog cooked bones.
Foods you should avoid include: chocolate, onions, macadamia nuts, grapes/raisins, soy and citrus.
I don’t recommend vegetarian diets for dogs. Dogs are omnivores who favour meat. In the wild, dogs naturally eat meat, bones, vegetables and grains.You should aim to give your domestic dog the same diet as their wild family members eat.
In tommorow’s post I’ll provide you with guidelines to find good quality dog food at the store for your doberman.
August 19th, 2009 at 2:51 pm
me and my husband just got a baby doberman.
we are reaserching and trying to find the best food for our baby, if you can please let me know what you think is good.
i wouldnt mind cooking for my baby either, so if you know any good recipes for dobermands i would love to get some answers… thank you so much
October 26th, 2009 at 11:08 am
I totally disagree with feeding any kind of commercially produced dog foods – especially for Dobes.
The best diet you can feed a dobe is BARF based so please avoid the poisons that they mask ask “dog food” and take the time to feed a raw natural diet.
As for putting bones into boiling water! DON’T!! Also Marrow & knuckle bones are the worst kind you can get – try beef brisket or lamb brisket , lamb neck, lamb chine bones, chicken frames and chicken necks – these bones can be consumed in their entirity and never splinter – they provide the best source of calcium for a growing pup and naturally keep the teeth clean. Bones do not need to be boiled at all as a dog as very strong acids and is not susceptable to food poisonings as humans – fresh human grade bones should be fine for any dog!
As a dog owner it is your obligation to feed your dog the best you can – feeding a BARF diet doesn’t cost any more than those over priced packaged poisons and it offers you dog the best chance for a healthy life, it takes a little planning and preparation – but if you can’t be bothered to prepare you dogs food – you probably shouldn’t have a dog & are the type of person who only eats food they can get served at them in a drive-thru!
Yes I am a BARF NAZI – but I love my dogs and want them to live happy healthy long lives.
December 30th, 2010 at 11:19 pm
Tengo un Doberman de 2 anos, y quiero saber cual de estas marcas son las mas convenientes para su salud (Dow Chow, Eukanuba).
JOSE GOMEZ
January 27th, 2011 at 6:45 pm
I brought my dobie home on Iams. He later starting having terrible flatulence. So I did some research and learned that Iams wasnt a great food and that I should by kibble with a meat as its first 2-3 ingredients and that even better avoid foods with corn, wheat etc. Well I tried that and I’m still buying it to give it more time, but it hasnt changed one bit. He is on Taste of the Wild, which is rated 5 stars and has been on it since Dec 10th. My thoughts on dog food is that it doesnt seem to matter. He actually favors my yorkies Purina One, so if this doesnt work, he may end up on that.
February 3rd, 2011 at 4:34 am
Tricia my dog also had bad flatulence when he was younger. He was on good food as well. I haven’t changed his food and he seems to be having less stink bombs now that he’s older.
Along with poor quality food, other causes for flatulence include eating to fast, swallowing air. Or it may be a side effect of medication or allergies. If you’re dog eats to fast you may wish to try one the special bowls for slowing them down.
February 10th, 2011 at 5:30 am
My doberman is 2 months old. Does non-cook chicken neck means raw chicken neck? Not even boil? Brisket seems doesn’t suit her. Is it ok if i mix the chicken with cooked rice?
March 4th, 2011 at 4:56 am
We have two dobs that are huge. Best dogs ever. We use to have boxers and feed them Iams. Once they passed away we tried to switch it up.to eukanouba, which by far is the best and probably the most expensive. You pay for what you get . We spend twoo hundred dollars on food per months but its well worth it.. After all, they would do anything for you, do treat them like gold because there the shortest living best friend, yet the longest memorie
April 19th, 2011 at 12:34 pm
It really doesn’t matter what I give to Diva. She stinks up the house all the time but it’s worth it for her companionship.
August 16th, 2011 at 7:49 am
my jimmy is six yrs old and he is very special to me and my family.a few days ago he was in a dying condition and we were puzzled.but mr.brojen roy has saved our jimmy and now he is free from danger.now i have come to know that dobs need light food and not the heavy.
October 13th, 2011 at 4:26 pm
hello frds,
plz help me i can’t able to stop the hair fall of my dog so tell the way to stop…………and food will good for him….. send ur usefull thought to me…………………….
October 13th, 2011 at 6:24 pm
are you sure it’s not normal dog hair shedding??
if not you should see a vet.
October 15th, 2011 at 3:56 am
Can a dog eat egg?is there any problem….
October 15th, 2011 at 4:02 am
yes, eggs are nutritious, but I would avoid raw eggs.
October 15th, 2011 at 8:49 am
Saxi boy loves his eggs,and it keeps his coat Slick…!
November 15th, 2011 at 1:14 pm
My dobe girl 11mths is very loose and flatulant, when we got her, she was on pedigree so I immediately weaned her to red mills mother and pup. This seemed to suit her but I was very aware that there was too much corn in the kibble. I now have her on purina beta large breed puppy, but I am looking for a new food as she is very flatulant and in the last few weeks she has gotten very loose. I had her on royal canine for 2 months but she was having terrible diorrea so I took her off it. I have always supplimented her diet with cod liver oil, vitamin e oil (high quality human consumption grade) and cooked lean beef, duck, chicken, etc, that we have left over from dinner, only the meat with no seasonings is put in with her food. She also eats way too fast and has almost choked a few times. I tried an anti bloat bowl but it didnt help, a friend told me to put a large clean rock in her bowl so she has to eat around it, iI tried that, but she tried to eat the rock and chipped a tooth. It’s gotten to the point that I have to put a small handfull of kibble on the ground for her to eat and space out her feeding over a few minites like so, can anyone help me with these problems as I am very worried about my girl?
December 11th, 2011 at 8:35 am
HI my name is abilash i`ve bought a baby doberman 2 months old we got it just 2 days back n its not eating anything from then on and it`s not even drinking water,milk i`ve tried all kinds of puppy dog foods and i`m now that he`ll starve if he doesn`t eat anything pls help!!!!!!!!!!
December 11th, 2011 at 2:42 pm
if he’s not drinking you should take him to vet and ask breeder for help
February 7th, 2012 at 5:35 pm
We feed our three Dobes Natural Balance Limited Ingredient Diet. It’s got a very short list of ingredients (as the name indicates) and is grain-free and low on other allergens, which is important as one of our dogs is prone to allergies. It’s rather expensive ($45 for a 30lb bag) but good dog food is pricey – you’re paying for quality ingredients and lack of fillers and other unhealthy stuff. We also supplement with multivitamins and glucosamine. I know Dobe owners who prefer a raw meat diet, but that’s quite a bit more expensive. Maybe one day!