A Wolf In Dog's Clothing

The importance for Cullen to maintain his strength, stamina, and health is essential if he is to climb mountains and last on hikes that are about 15+ miles. It would be completely selfish for me to make sure I get the proper nutrients and top quality foods and shaft him, making him eat cheap kibble polluted with corn, flour, and other inadequate fillers and hazardous chemicals. As we all know, dogs are descendants of wolves and if you think throughout the years their DNA make up has strayed far from each other it is time to think again. Recent research has proved that the DNA between dogs and wolves is less than 1%, which is less than the DNA compounds compared between wolves and coyotes. The last time I checked the wolves were not eating harmful chemical preservatives and other artificial additives poured from a plastic bag.


When Cullen first came into my life, just like everyone else with their first dog, I was blind to the fact how unbalanced and dangerous a lot of dog foods can be. Once I realized the potential in Cullen’s physical and mental abilities I started doing more research on dogs and the types of nutrition they require. With the information gathered I found that his diet was not going to differ too much from the one I was on; a high protein, high fat diet supplemented with veggies and fruit. Now-a-days, Cullen and I eat almost the same meals every night. However, there are some serious differences between us. I eat my meat cooked, where he eats his raw. Due to the digestive make up of dog’s stomachs they are able to process raw meats, a gift they inherited from the wolf. I always make sure to supplement his meals with fruits or veggies, because they contain phytochemicals that help defend against cancer, and also offer a good supply of fiber.


There is no way I would be able to financially swing feeding Cull dog just off of the food my fiancé and I eat, so I do purchase bagged dog food. Moreover, I am extremely careful of which foods I get for him. His foods are free of preservatives or coloring, free of grains,  and have an AAFCO (Association of American Feed Control Officials) certification, which can be found somewhere on the packaging. I do regularly put some kibble in with his raw meat, just be sure he is used to it for the times we will spend the night in the woods.

I give a lot of credit to Cullen’s diet when it comes to him doing all the things he is able to do. He doesn’t drink as much water as others dogs during times of high activity, his endurance is beyond what I have seen in dogs his size (or almost any dog), and his bowel movements are small and less stinky (indicating he is absorbing more of the nutrients), and his breath and teeth are much cleaner. If you find that you want to make a change to better your dogs diet and improve their health, and ultimately enhance the years they are with you, take the time to find out what really belongs in your dog's stomach. Afterall ,your dog is more wolf than anything else, so why feed him/her machine made products as a main source of nutrients.   

(Of course there are certain meats, veggies and fruits that do not belong in your dog’s stomach, SO DO YOUR RESEARCH) I suggest checking out Ted Kerasote’s website. You will find a lot of usefully info there and a lot of helpful links.  http://www.kerasote.com/healthy-dogs.php     

Cullen just about to devour some organic lamb, carrots, and broccoli. You never see a dog licking their lips before they consume some kibble do you?