If we want that the dog survives long time, and that is healthy, it is necessary to begin to give him to eat well. This does not mean to give him to eat too much: it is necessary to consider the quality and the amount than it eats, exactly just as we would do towards a person.

Formerly one considered the dog at least more than the “tin of the sweepings” of the kitchen. It is certain that a dog eats everything (or almost everything) what they give his owners him, but an feeding with surpluses is not exactly the best thing than it is possible to be given him.

So bad because alive of surpluses, it is to only give him to meat and bones. The digestive apparatus of a dog is the one of a carnivorous animal. Nevertheless, the coexistence with the humans has caused who adapt to a diet much more varied, and nowadays need something more than meat.

As this is not a canine cooking encyclopedia, we will not in detail enter of elaboration of menus nor description of diets. What we are going to do is to list a series of details to consider useful, and some advice.

• It is not necessary to be complicated with the menu. Today amount of rations can be found in the commerce sufficient that already are thought so that the dog well is fed. You do not have repairs in asking your favorite veterinarian, or better still, to the breeder that has sold you the dog (if you have obtained to him of this form). They will advise to you well on the basis of their experience. If the dog is of race, he is more interesting to speak with the breeder (this is my personal opinion), since usually it has more detailed knowledge about that race of dog, and can advise to you if he is advisable to add some type of complement to the ration, in agreement with the characteristics of the dog at issue.
  
  
• He always must eat to the same hour. A healthy dog works as a clock and will help you to control the schedule that realises its needs. Of this form you can organize the day (eaten and strolls) with more facility.
  
  
• So bad it is to give too much food him like too much little. In addition, the type and amount of food that is had to give to him vary with its age and its development. It asks the breeder or the veterinarian.
  
  
• You never leave the plate full so that it eats whatever has desire, because a fat dog no longer becomes thin never, and you shorten the life to him. In addition always it is good that it remains with “just a little bit” of hunger (you will have wide-awake a more alert dog and) but without he is starving (because one will go away with first that gives something him to eat).
  
  
• Enséñale to eat as it must. To put the food to him in the plate, and if it does not want to eat, to the 15 minutes the acquittals (without compassion). It will learn to eat without entertaining itself.
  
  
• The daily ration, is advisable to distribute it in three meals (to the puppies) and in two (to the adults). It is normal that in the case of the adults a single daily food occurs them, but I find few advantages and enough disadvantages him. With a single food, of one to the following one they spend 24 hours in which the animal nontest mouthful, and in the short while of after eating mainly has the full stomach until the top, and so it increases the risk of gastric torsion, if is a great dog.
  
  
• The dog always has to have fresh and clean water close. In summer, sometimes, he is advisable to ration it a little, because if it drinks in excess him it can cause diarrhoeas.
  
  
• It does not have to give him eaten outside schedule, or it will be always asking. And food of ours is never due to less still give him while we are in the table, if it is a cachorrito. To make it, cause two problems: 1) always will be requesting whenever you feel to eat (and him no longer exempt the custom in the life), 2) is very probable that it rejects his food; if to eat of your plate it likes, will say in future that “the ration, you eat you”. And to clear this custom to him you will have to make him pass hunger.
  
  
• If the dog is healthy and it has not had bad customs, the fact that noncomma, or comma only starts off than you leave him in the plate, can be due to these causes:
  
  
  • It is already satiated. It is enough with reducing to him a little the daily ration to fix the problem. One knows that it is this case, if aside from the fact of not eating, the dog continues being glad and active.
    
    
  • The dog " sabe" that it has eaten the sufficient thing, in relation to the exercise that does. Possibly you take a walk to him little, and the dog stops eating, very instinctively, when it has already satisfied his needs.
    
    
  • Long ago heat. If it is this case, you do not force to him to eat, or to give the food him after the dusk, when the heat falls.
    
    
  • He is boring of the food. Sometimes it happens. You can “season it” a little, for example, mixing with the food average oil sardine to him (of tin). If it eats like a fierce one, is that it already was very of which the food always tastes the same.
    
    
  • He is ill. Normally there will be other additional signals, besides the lack of appetite. It puts attention in.
    
  When you must change the type to him of food (for example, of ration for puppies to ration for adults) you do not do it in one go but gradually, mixing both types of food and varying the proportion of the mixture, little by little, until the new type of food.
  
  If a day you want to give meat him instead of its ration (I do not advise it to you, but your you will know), never crude. defrost a little, at least. You will avoid digestive problems by the lack customary, besides eliminating the risk of parasites. It remembers in addition that the crude meat leaves a revolting breath him and it causes gases to him, that soon you will have to hold. And it remembers that the next time that you put the ration to him is going to say that “for you”.
  
  You can give bones him to nibble, from time to time (not quite often). That they are great bones: the calf knee is ideal, after cooking it a little (until you can take advantage of the broth, for a soup). Small bones (of chicken, rabbit…) you do not have to never give him it will chip, them and swallow almost whole. If they are not crossed to him in the throat, which will imply visit to the veterinarian of urgencies, suffers later when it is going to defecate.