How quality food makes for better hunting dogs

Increased early morning drive and quicker recovery after hunts and intense workouts are just a couple of the obvious changes that author Scott Haugen has noticed in his gun dogs after only a few days of switching them to a high-quality food. (SCOTT HAUGEN)

QUALITY FOOD MATTERS

By Scott Haugen

“If you don’t see results within 30 days, return for a full refund,” read the ad placed in a magazine by a leading dog food maker. I read it again. Then once more.

I thought it was a misprint. If I don’t notice a change in my dogs within three days of changing food, something’s not right.

Last February I started feeding my two hunting dogs NutriSource’s new Element series. I’d been feeding standard NutriSource food for 2½ years, and it had an immediate impact in their performance and quality of life.

Since switching to NutriSource’s line of Element food, Echo, Haugen’s 7-year old pudelpointer, has experienced an impressive change in her quality of life,

in many ways. (SCOTT HAUGEN)

LET ME BETTER SET the stage. Oregon’s late goose season was in full swing, the dogs and I were covering miles of hill country a week in search of deer antler sheds, and on warm days, water training took place one to two days a week. On average my dogs were working five days a week.

My 4-year-old male pudelpointer, Kona, weighs 62 pounds during hunting season. He’s lean, has drive and will work hard in the field at whatever he’s doing. He’s from an elite bloodline and is the best allaround dog I’ve ever hunted with. After three meals of Element I noticed two changes in Kona. First, his drive and stamina were more intense each morning of the hunt. I don’t feed my dogs the morning of a hunt for fear of potential stomach twist (see my April 2021 column) or indigestion. Second, and stiffness appeared gone. Totally gone. We’d tried many things to help relieve Echo’s joint pain and muscle soreness after hard days afield, including CBDs and multiple antiinflammatories. Nothing worked. But once the Element kicked in, it instantly changed her quality of life.

The big test came on a morning when Echo covered 71/2 miles in rugged, brushy hills in search of shed antlers, followed by an intense water workout in the afternoon. Echo ate dinner at 6 that night; usually she’s down for the count after that. Two hours later I woke her to go potty. She sprang up, ran outside, grabbed her favorite ball to fetch and sprinted into our training field. I don’t train after dinner, but she wanted to. Bad.

At 4 the next morning Echo bolted from her kennel, hopping with joy as I put her collars on, then she immediately loaded into the truck for a morning goose hunt. It was raining and cold and Echo performed flawlessly with more energy than I’d seen in years, and she didn’t eat breakfast until 11 a.m. All of this happened on day five of switching Echo’s diet to Element.

That afternoon we bumper trained. Echo slept well. The next day was intended for rest. At 7 a.m. I took her outside to potty and go on a casual 30-minute morning walk to alleviate any stiffness. Again she immediately grabbed her ball, and what followed was a 45-minute intense workout session like we’d never had before breakfast. Echo’s life and routine forever changed, all because of her new food.

I COULD GO ON about what makes Element so special, but I’d rather focus on observed dog performance over the following five months. Suffice it to say that Element has three times the protein of most foods (up to 90 percent animal protein) and it supports nitrogen and ammonia utilization, meaning there is no extra gas or diarrhea that can occur with high-protein diets. In other words, it’s good for the gut, too. Bottom

Kona didn’t beg for food when he awoke, meaning the Element he ate the night prior held him over and allowed him to perform at top level all morning.

I especially noticed a marked difference in Echo, my 7-year-old female pudelpointer, after only two meals. I didn’t tell my family I’d made the food switch to Element. After Echo’s second meal, my wife Tiffany remarked, “Echo’s really getting around good this evening; did you give her something?” I told her about the food switch.

AS WITH MANY AGING female hunting

dogs, Echo’s recovery time after intense workouts and hard hunts found her moving a bit slower and stiffer in the evenings. After only the third feeding of Element her soreness

line, it’s far superior in overall quality when compared to much of what most hunters feed their dogs. But NutriSource doesn’t have the huge advertising dollars that big companies do, so you may have never heard of it.

Those who look at a price tag before reading the label and especially neglect studying serving guidelines, will miss the whole point of food like this. Yes, it looks pricey, but meal for meal, it could actually cost less than what you’re currently feeding your dog.

I shared with a hunting buddy that Kona eats a cup of Element for breakfast and another cup for dinner, and Echo, who weighs 46 pounds, eats ¾ cup of food, twice daily.

“I could never do that; my dog eats 3 cups each meal,” he said, totally missing the point.

“First of all, your dog is at least 10 pounds overweight,” I jolted him. “Not only is she fat, she’s slow and moves like she’s 12 years old.”

His overweight Lab was only 2. The next time I saw my buddy I brought him a bag of Element.

“Feed her this for five days, as directed – no table scraps, no treats, nothing but this food – then call me with a report,” I insisted.

Three days later my buddy called. “She’s like a different dog, already!” he said. “I had no idea dog food could make so much of a difference, and it actually costs less.”

He got it! I wish more hunters did.

Nonhunters often pamper their dogs with high-end food that many gun dog owners think are pricey, or are skeptical of. The biggest disappointment I’ve seen when it comes to hunting dogs are large companies selling low-quality, unhealthy food for cheap, and hunters regularly buying it. Just like the food we eat, the food our dogs eat greatly impacts how they feel, act, their weight, even their lifespan. OF COURSE, THERE ARE other quality

foods out there, you just have to do the research and find them. Talking with local feed store and pet supplies owners helped me more than anything. Dani Wright of McKenzie Feed & Pet Supplies (mckenziefeed .com) in Oregon was a huge help.

Many of a dog’s problems can be fixed by a change in diet, and making the move to a high-quality food can do it, fast. Read labels, educate yourself on dog foods, and keep your dog lean and in top shape. The result will be a happy dog that moves and performs beyond a level you may have never thought possible. A healthy gut, teeth, gums and coat are icings on the cake, as a quality diet means more days afield and more years with your best hunting partner. CS

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

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