Susanna Smith (00:09):
Nutrition is one of the key pillars of any bird dog’s success. That’s why we feed all of our dogs Pro Plan, but there is so much more to our dogs’ nutrition in feeding routine than picking the right high quality food. Here’s how we approach feeding to help keep our dogs energized, comfortable, and well-behaved. We think it’s important to shape your dog’s behavior at feeding time. We want our dogs to eat in one meal, maybe in about a 15-minute period so that they get all the calories they need at that time. We don’t really like the idea of free feeding because it teaches the dog to take feed a few nibbles at a time throughout the day. And then if you’re on an adventure, on a hunt, on a hike, your dog may not get the nutrition that it needs in the amount of time that it has available.
Ronnie Smith (01:00):
Right. And that intensifies and accumulates over time. You go along three or four or five days on a long hunting trip with a dog that’s just nibbling their food. Pretty soon there’s deficiency in calories and you don’t have enough dog to go to the field with. Another thing that we do is add water to our dry kibble. There are many reasons why you would float your feed or pour water in your kibble. One is if you have a dog that eats real fast and sucks a lot of air-floating the feed will slow him down, and that’s better for his health. Two, it can ensure that a dog’s properly hydrated, they’re ingesting water as they’re eating; and three, it speeds up digestion. Another thing is we really care about the behavior when it comes to feeding. We don’t want a dog jumping up trying to get to the feed or putting their feet on us. They need to be calm and composed and stand there or sit there, whatever it is that you teach your dog, especially the ones that are the most hyperactive or anxious or enthusiastic about eating.
Susanna Smith (02:05):
So again, bird dogs should be composed in moments of excitement, whether in the field when a bird flushes or the excitement of having a food bowl put in front of them, they need to develop that skill of composure.
