When the trend initially took off, it was known as BARF, which stood for “bones and raw food”. Later it turned into “biologically appropriate raw food”, and now it is just known as “raw”. Feeding your dog a raw food diet basically means giving them raw, meaty bones rather than packaged dog food.
The Appeal of the Raw Food Diet
Recently, the raw food diet has gotten a lot of praise because of the wide-scale pet food recalls that have been occurring. Suddenly, pet-owners were concerned for their dogs’ health, and since pet food was being scrutinized, the next option was raw foods. Many people favor the idea of feeding their pet a fresh, well-hydrated, raw diet. Not only that, but because the meat has not been cooked at all, its enzymes and amino acids have not been altered. Raw foods have been the go-to solution when a dog has been diagnosed with a health problem like allergies, but now pet-owners are choosing to extend that diet to their dog’s daily routine.
Things to Consider
Many people are still considered with feeding their dogs foods that mimic what they would be eating in the wild (raw meat, bones, vegetables, fruit). Pet owners fear bacterial contamination, dietary imbalances, and internal injury from inadequately chewed bones. There are also specific dogs that may not be well-suited for the raw food diet, such as immune-compromised dogs. One of the biggest concerns over raw food is the cost. If you create a proper, well-balanced raw meal for your dog, it can cost as much as feeding yourself!
There are benefits to the raw food diet, but it may also not be for every dog. Look at online pet supplies to get the help you need.
Anyone who has purchased a puppy has been faced with the task of finding the best place for their puppy to sleep and this can be a little daunting. The easiest thing to buy for your puppy in the very beginning is a doggie crate. Crates are useful for dog owners because you will have peace of mind in knowing that your dog is in a safe and secure place while you’re sleeping at night and also during the day when you’re away from your house. Dog’s also love crates too because the crate becomes their own personal space that they can retreat to if they ever want to get away from the action in the house.
Dog Supplies
You can easily purchase your pet supplies at most local stores or online where you will have a bigger selection of supplies to choose from. A company that I like to purchase all of my pet supplies through is Nutrecare. I’ve found Nutrecare dog supplies to be high quality, affordable and the best for my dog.
Leash & Collar
The most important things that you will ever buy for your dog are a dog collar and leash. Buying a good leash and collar are important because they are vital to ensuring that your dog will stay safe when you take your dog on walks or are away from the house. There are many adjustable nylon dog collars available that you can buy online or locally. As for the dog leash you should buy a leather leash because leather leashes are stronger than nylon, easier on your skin and harder for your dog to chew through. Many people might be tempted to purchase a chain leash for their dog because that’s what they have seen other dog owners do in the past and this is the wrong thing to do because chain leashes can injure you or your dog and are not an effective dog training tool.
Linda Tellington-Jones developed a way of communicating with dogs that combines massage-like touches, body wraps and physical manipulation to improve athletic performance, aggressive behavior, nervousness, fears, as well as medical problems, and injuries. Linda started this method with horses where her skills were called upon frequently for unruly, uncooperative, injured or aggressive horses. She later adapted T-touch for dogs.
T-touch for dogs can be performed by any owner and its benefits are amazing. Animals who start out frantic and hyper become relaxed while being treated. Tellington touch can also improve an animals ability to learn . It can be used for nervous dogs who are fearful of loud noises, people or other dogs. It can be used to help aggressive dogs relax and learn new alternatives to aggression.
So how do you get started ? Here are some examples of T-touch techniques to try on your dog:
The T-touch is based upon the circular movement of the fingers all over the dogs body. It’s function is to wake up cells and improve the flow of energy within the dogs body. To begin, imagine the face of a clock on your dogs body about 1″ in size. Curve your fingers slightly at the 6 o’clock mark and move in a clockwise circle one an a quarter times around the clock. Don’t bear down too hard as you make your circle, just enough to move the skin. Pick up your hand and move to a new spot and make another circle. You can do circles in a straight line or randomly all over the body. The benefits are equal, see what your dog likes. Remember to breathe as you gently work on your dog and keep the first sessions short, less than 5 minutes. Give him time to adjust to this new way of interacting with you.
Another type of touch that is useful in relaxing dogs is Ear T-touch. There are several different ways in which you can work the ears. The simplest is to get behind your dog, place the rest of your fingers under the earflap and slide the ear through your thumb and index finger. Experiment with the speed and pressure and see what effect it has on your dog. Another type of ear touch involves making circles at the base of the ear or all along the length of the flap with your fingertips.
T-touch principles work similarly to accupressure. The pressure of touch stimulates the body to heal itself, relax itself and otherwise improve the quality of life and health. No matter how clumsy you feel at first keep practicing in short sessions and gradually increase their length if your dog seems to be enjoying himself. You may find that spending time with your dog in this way is the best part of your day!
Linda Tellington-Jones developed a way of communicating with dogs that combines massage-like touches, body wraps and physical manipulation to improve athletic performance, aggressive behavior, nervousness, fears, as well as medical problems, and injuries. Linda started this method with horses where her skills were called upon frequently for unruly, uncooperative, injured or aggressive horses. She later adapted T-touch for dogs.
