PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING Pet parents are generally concerned about what to feed their dogs. Though it’s not associated directly with dog training, it is a very major part of dog rearing. Anyone who knows me well, has trained with me, or has been a Murphdog Magazine Member, knows that I have always cooked for my dogs, as well as other family pets. If you are curious about why I cook for my dogs, the answer is not based on one reason. My parents always cooked for our family dogs, so the tradition started there. The most important reason I do it is that I cannot imagine that any food, no matter how high the quality is before processing, can be healthy or nutritious after extreme processing. Enrobing (spraying) is a word used to describe the process of adding vitamins and minerals, as well as palatable flavors back onto the food after extrusion (shaping into kibble). Without excessive explanation, the dog food after processing is worthless or even unhealthy before chemical additives are used, usually by spraying onto the extruded kibble, to pass the AAFCO guidelines for nutrition. That said, how could a variety of healthy, fresh home-cooked food have less nutritional value? If you still think home cooking for your dog doesn’t supply enough vitamins and minerals, then by all means use vitamins for dogs recommended by your veterinarian.
Home cooking for our pups is a personal choice. Any information I share is totally based on my research, experience, and life-long practice. All home-cooked food recommendations are suggestions based on what I feed to my own dogs AND NOT MEANT TO IMPLY BETTER HEALTH AND WELLBEING FOR YOUR DOG. If your dog has any medical issues, it’s always best to use feeding guidelines as per your veterinarian. There are Board Certified Veterinary Nutritionists that can also guide you to the best diet for your dog.
The exact nutritional requirement should be disgusted with your veterinarian or a board-certified veterinary nutritionist.
PROTEIN
- Chicken – thighs are skinless boneless
- Fish – swai, salmon, flounder, tilapia
- Eggs – BROWN Organic free-range, scrambled
- Additional limited amounts of – canned sardines
VEGETABLES
I only used fresh, cooked (boiled) or frozen and steamed in the bag vegetables. I try to use only organic when possible. I don’t use canned vegetables, except for Garbanzo beans (chickpeas) but only the lowest sodium brand and only occasionally.
- Carrots – organic baby fresh, cooked with chicken. Frozen and steamed in the bag.
- Peas – organic petit. Frozen and steamed in the bag.
- String beans – Fine. Frozen and steamed in the bag.
- Broccoli – florets. Fresh or frozen and steamed in the bag.
- Sweet Potato – Fresh and mashed with a bit of chicken broth or apple sauce
- Baked Potato – Fresh and mashed with a bit of chicken broth or apple sauce
- Spinach – Frozen and steamed in the bag.
The following are added in very small amounts occasionally.
- Red Pepper – fresh, diced
- Cucumber – fresh peeled, diced
- Celery – fresh, diced
- Tomato – fresh, diced. Usually, cherry tomato
FRUIT
I only use fresh fruit or frozen fruit thawed completely. I never give my dogs foods that are still frozen. I never use canned fruit. Fruit is served to the dogs in very small amounts added to their meal or as a treat.
- Apple – peeled and cored. Seeds are toxic. Usually, Fuji Apples
- Pears- peeled and cored. Only Red Asian Pears.
- Banana – very little as a treat
- Mango – Bought frozen, served thawed, and refrigerated
- Wild Blueberries – Bought frozen, served thawed, and refrigerated
- Strawberries – Bought frozen, served thawed, and refrigerated
- Peaches – Organic Fresh or Bought frozen, served thawed, and refrigerated
- Pineapple – Fresh only
- Orange or Mandarin Orange – Fresh only.
- Watermelon – Fresh only
- Cantaloupe – Fresh only
- Pumpkin – CANNED, PURE, NOT PIE FILLING. One spoon is added to food on occasion.
Do I feed grain to my dogs? Yes, I do, and this is my personal conclusion as to why I think it is necessary. Allegedly, dogs evolved from the timber wolf at least 15,000 years ago. That said, they have evolved from carnivores to omnivores and can digest meat as well as plants (grain).
Grains consist of three important parts: the bran which contains fiber and B vitamins. The germ contains oils, vitamins, proteins, minerals, and antioxidants. And the endosperm contains carbohydrates and protein. Whole grains are grains that have been minimally processed to still contain the bran, germ, and endosperm. I feed my dogs the following grains.
- Brown Rice – Boiled
- Quinoa – boiled
- Oats – Oatmeal mixed with Applesauce
- Whole Wheat Bread – fresh or lightly toasted with a tiny bit of butter or applesauce spread on it.
- Whole Wheat pasta – cooked fresh with a tiny bit of butter or extra virgin olive oil.
DAIRY
Dairy is a special treat sometimes added to a meal as a garnish.
- Cheese – grated cheddar, mild, added to scrambled eggs
- Vogart – vanilla, plain, low fat
- Cottage Cheese – low salt
