The AAFCO has different testing standards for commercial puppy and adult dog foods, and the ingredients in an AAFCO approved puppy food will not continue to meet your dog’s changing nutritional needs. The AAFCO’s Growth testing protocol applies to puppies, and its Adult Maintenance protocol applies to all adult dogs. So if you are enticed by a commercial dog food labeled as “Senior,” don’t think it has been tested by the AAFCO on older dogs.

With your dog coming into adulthood, you will have to change the food from puppy chow to a food formulated for older dogs that is one of the best rated dog food. This should start around the one year mark for your puppy. Changing foods should be done carefully and with great care and consideration.

Pay close attention to your dog’s likes, dislikes, and attitude toward the new food. When choosing the new food, make sure that it contains the six major nutrient groups which will provide your dog with a healthy diet. These groups are the proteins, fats and oils, minerals, water, carbohydrates, and vitamins that can be found listed on the Guaranteed Analysis on the dog food package.

It is also important to consider your dog’s special needs and circumstances while choosing an adult formulated food. Breed and size are two factors as well as any health issues and if your dog is active or inactive. Smaller breeds metabolize much faster than larger breeds and will need twice the calories. Larger breeds will need to eat more and will also need food that helps strengthen their bones and joints. Active dogs will need food with high levels of fat which will not help the inactive dog.

The dietary needs for adult dogs will vary dog to dog depending upon condition, size, and breed. In general, the aim of adult dog food should be the continued maintenance of well being for the immune system, skin, coat and muscles. Always try and buy one of the best rated dog foods.

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No matter what food you choose, whether a commercial food, your own home made dog food recipes or dog biscuits, make sure that it will meet your dog’s dietary needs. Remember that the feeding recommendations below and those found on other food’s labels are merely guidelines. You, as the owner, will be the first to know if your dog is benefiting from the diet or that adjustments are needed. And, as always, do not hesitate to consult with your veterinarian if you should have any questions or concerns.

Adult dogs will be eating less often than their puppies, averaging two servings a day; some breeds will only need one serving a day. It is vital to ensure that your dog is meeting all of the nutritional requirements at each meal to keep it healthy and happy. Routine is also important and allows your dog’s digestion system a sense of regularity.

It is important to remember that with a regular feeding schedule and consultations with veterinarians, feeding your adult dog should not be stressful. Usually, there should be two feeding times for healthy adults; morning and evenings with enough food to sufficiently meet the dog’s daily requirements. To do so, simply divide the daily nutritional requirements in half.

With a stable routine, your dog’s body will come to expect meals at the appointed time which will help the digestion process and even his mental health. When deciding what time to feed your dog, take into consideration your own daily habits and choose times that will allow you to follow through with the plan each and every day. In time, you and your dog will fall into habit of reducing stress and making life much easier for both.

One thing you should keep in mind when feeding your adult dog is that his or her metabolism will begin to slow over time. While properly balanced adult dog foods will not by themselves make your adult dog fat, continuing to feed a dog with a slowing metabolism the same amount of food will. So you should either give your aging pet more exercise to burn off the calories which aren’t being burned by his or her slowing metabolism, or cut back on the portions at meal time.

What you decide to feed your adult dog, whether you go with a commercial food or decide to try the BARF diet or your own home made dog food recipes, will be the single most important factor in his or her continuing health and happiness. So do your research before you make the switch from puppy to adult food, and pay attention to how well your pal is responding to the new food.

It’s perfectly alright to try a variety of adult foods until you discover the one the best rated dog foods which has you dog both thriving, and looking forward to mealtime as the best part of the day! But make an educated choice!

Sharda Baker has published several dog ebook and audios, including the internet best selling “Complete Guide to Your Dog’s Nutrition”.

Visit the link below now for Sharda’s Special Free Dog Food Report.

Homemade Dog Food Recipes

It started with scrambled eggs.  The mornings we made eggs for our own breakfast seemed Tommy’s most favorite mornings too.  Yes, he did get his normal dog food and kibble combo, but without fail, we’d hand over a small portion of our eggs to him.   We asked our vet if this was a food that was okay to give Tommy, and he laughed and said “…as long as you don’t mind cooking for him!”

Tommy has always been a finicky eater.  We have become concerned over time whether he’s getting enough nutrients.  No matter what foods we offered him – pet store foods, organic foods, expensive brands, supermarket foods, name-brands, no-name brands – most of the time he’d just walk away.  If he did eat, it was only one or two cans at best over a few days. This walk-away tactic didn’t mean he automatically get “human food”, we know that trick!  But days would pass and he’d bearly eat anything.  At 8 pounds, it didn’t take long for him to become too skinny.  We were at a loss of what to do — there aren’t many foods or even treats we didn’t try.

We were really concerned about him and finally looked into making his dog food.  We researched what nutrients, supplements, and types of food would be best for his health and well-being. We recall times over the past years when a vet recommended a bland diet of boiled hamburger or lamb and rice for a dog that was not feeling good.  If this is what is at times prescribed for an ill dog, maybe human food can be the foundation of a good dog food too.

Through our research we found the Dog Treat Recipes ebooks by Justin Bryce which includes over 400 Recipes of full meals, treats, and snacks!  Besides the dog food recipes, the author includes cooking tips, health tips, training ideas and other facts in a digital format at a very reasonable price.  The one recipe per page format makes for easy reading and the recipes are not hard to make.

Right after downloading the ebooks, we immediately looked through the pantry and decided we’d make a half batch of the PB Crunchies.

Homemade Peanut Butter Dog Cookies

Quick and simple to make, we used the smallest cookie cutter we had and Voila! – we had about 3 dozen treats in less than 40 minutes!  They did smell good from the oven – but the test was in the tasting!  Tommy loved them!  Thank goodness – at last a protein-rich treat!  (We admit to trying these treats ourselves – and yes, they are good – a little dry for human’s – but tasty!)

Since downloading the Dog Treat Recipe ebooks, so far we’ve made Fin and Feather, and Nutri-Bars meals.  The Fin and Feather is a Tommy favorite with nutritious tuna fish, hard cooked eggs, peas, and whole wheat pasta.  The Nutri-Bars are a hit with beef liver, hamburger, and veggies over a little cottage cheese!  The wheat germ, brewer’s yeast, and sea kelp mixed in assures us this meal is packed with nutrients!  We’re relieved that finally Tommy is eating regularly and we know exactly what is in his food.  We’re looking forward to making even more nutritous, tasty meals for our best friend and companion. Try these yourself!

Please note, that if your dog has eating issues, it is always best to talk with your veterinarian to determine if there are medical issues before starting on a new food regime.

To download Dog Treat Recipes by Justin Bryce click here!

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Dog Life Jacket

This dog life jacket is comfortable and well designed. Our Snazzy Dog, Tommy, loves his life jacket and is comfortable in it for hours!  There are a number of features that the Outward Hound Dog Life Jacket has that we particularly like in comparison to the other life jackets we’ve tried.  This dog life jacket has reflective stripes for high visibility, D-ring for a leash, and for double security, latch closures under the neck and body, as well as, velcro closures.  The large grab-handle on the top of the jacket is a must for “Dog Overboard!” conditions.   There is floatation not only on the body, but also under the chin area which helps to keep your little one’s head above water!  This life jacket can take a beating.  Ours has been in use every summer for over three years and still looks new!

The Kyjen Outward Hound Dog Life Jacket is well designed and comfortable for our Snazzy Dog.  Read the customer reviews and you’ll see that it is an essential for your small dog’s safety while in or on the water.

P.S.  Tommy wears an X-Small and he is a Papillon that weighs 8.5 lbs.  You can find them in our store in the following sizes:

XX-Small Dog Life Jacket

X-Small Dog Life Jacket

Small Dog Life Jacket

Medium Dog Life Jacket