HUNGER GAMES: BE SMART FEEDING GUN DOGS

A healthy diet and constant exercise are critical for optimizing your dog’s health and in-the-field performance. (SCOTT HAUGEN)

MORE TO FEEDING DOGS THAN JUST FILLING A BOWL

By Scott Haugen

“Wow, your dog looks great, and by dropping that extra 2 pounds, you just extended her life by a year or more,” my vet stated, looking me straight in the eye.

“One of the most frustrating parts of my job is seeing overweight dogs,” he added.

He was referring to my then-5-yearold dog, Echo, a pudelpointer who had put on too much weight following waterfowl season. The statement was a compliment to me, not Echo, but in retrospect it also meant she was overweight, and that was my fault, initially. Overweight dogs are not to blame for their problems, owners are, and we owe it to our hunting companions to make sure they are in the best shape possible.

WHAT YOU FEED your dog and how often you feed them comes down to knowledge of food and knowing your dog’s metabolism. It also comes down to consistent exercise. We exercise our dogs a minimum of one hour every day; 30 minutes in the morning, 30 minutes in the evening, and often another 15 to 20 minutes midday.

We have two pudelpointers, Echo, a female that is 6, and Kona, a 4-year-old male. Echo puts on weight much more easily than Kona. Kona’s metabolism is much higher than Echo’s and I struggled keeping his weight up. Once I switched their dry food from a boxstore brand to a high-quality brand, their lives dramatically improved.

Two years ago I switched to NutriSource dog food, a high-quality food I can’t say enough good things about. At first glance people often comment on the cost of this food, but when you read the labels and serving size, it’s actually a very affordable food because serving portions are smaller than foods of lesser quality. In fact, NutriSource is actually less expensive than many major brands that can be less healthy and require larger servings in order for dogs to attain proper nutrients and calories.

I’ve talked with multiple pet and feed store owners over the years and have found them to be the most knowledgeable when it comes to selecting the best diet for my gun dogs. Veterinarians are good, but they don’t necessarily receive frequent, unbiased information that store owners do when it comes to dog food

Feeding your dog a healthy, nutritious diet is one of the most important things you can offer it. The author’s food of choice is NutriSource, which comes in many flavor options. (SCOTT HAUGEN)

and dog food options.

Professional trainers continue to surprise me with their lack of dog food knowledge, falling victim to

Author Scott Haugen, here with pudelpointers Echo and Kona, has experienced ups and downs when it comes to their diet, but after years of careful research and trial and error, is finally happy with where they’re at. (SCOTT HAUGEN)

unhealthy foods offered to them at great discounts from large companies. I recently wrote a feature story on bird hunting for a national magazine and they asked me to interview a wellknown dog trainer for his take on brand-X dog food, something that’s easily available in most big box stores, nationwide. After the interview I told the editor I didn’t agree with what the trainer said, and didn’t want my name affiliated in promoting such low-quality food.

Bottom line, dogs don’t live very long, and keeping them healthy from the time they are pups through adulthood will increase their level of mobility, lessen health risks, and will prolong their lives.

LAST YEAR MY wife and I lived in remote Alaska. We ran out of NutriSource dog food in the spring and had to switch to a leading Canadian brand, as we lived right on the British Columbia border. Within a couple days of feeding, both Echo and Kona experienced itching and their droppings doubled in size. Echo incurred joint pain and stiffness too. Two months later we got our hands on NutriSource, and the dogs’ comfort and performance levels noticeably changed after only a few days of feeding.

Another mistake I made in Alaska

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was supplementing my dogs’ diet with store-bought beef. Back in Oregon, where they grew up, my dogs regularly had scraps of venison and fish added to their diet. In Alaska we only had access to salmon, no red meat, so I figured free-ranging beef would be good. After a couple weeks, Kona’s ears were inflamed, moist and itching. I figured it was due to the wet environment we were in every day in southeast Alaska.

Echo also experienced stiffness and irritability like I’d never seen. This went on for months, and again, I discounted their conditions to the wet, cold environment – we’d received over 25 feet of snow and it was very wet and cold all winter long. Both dogs also experienced hair loss like never before. Then we ran out of beef. After a few days of eating just their NutriSource food, both dogs displayed noticeable improvement. Shame on me for not recognizing sooner that they were both allergic to beef. The impacts were so visibly devastating on both dogs that they no longer eat beef.

WHEN SUPPLEMENTING A dog’s diet, make sure it’s done with healthy choices. As a rule of thumb, brightcolored vegetables are good options. We regularly feed our dogs sweet potatoes, carrots and broccoli. Avoid table scraps that lead to inflammation and have no nutritional value such as bread, fat and cheese.

Reading the labels, understanding nutritional information, and getting to know your dog’s metabolism, health and performance levels are necessary in order to keep them healthy and living life to the fullest. This process requires effort and discipline, but in the end, there’s no excuse for not properly managing your dog’s diet, and awareness of healthy food options and consistent exercise are critical. NS

Editor’s note: To watch Scott Haugen’s series of puppy training videos, visit scotthaugen.com. Follow Scott on Instagram and Facebook.