A Guide to Feeding Your Dog Well

 

🥣 What Should You Put in Your Dog’s Bowl?

The best person to advise you on your dog’s diet is your breeder: they know your dog’s history, needs, and genetic line better than anyone.

📌 This is not a list of brands or promotional content. It’s a practical, comparative guide based on over 30 years of experience as a breeder and on current nutritional knowledge.

🍖 1st Place – BARF (Biologically Appropriate Raw Food)

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✅ Pros:

  • Based on natural raw ingredients: meat, bone, organs, vegetables.

  • Highly digestible.

  • Ideal stool consistency.

  • Often improves coat, muscle tone, and vitality.

⚠️ Cons:

  • Requires knowledge and proper planning.

  • Not always easy when traveling.

  • Must ensure hygiene and freezing times.

📚 Scientific insight: Studies show that raw diets can support digestive efficiency and microbiome diversity (Schmidt et al., 2018).

🍲 2nd Place – Cooked BARF (Vacuum-packed, shelf-stable fresh food)

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✅ Pros:

  • Balanced like raw, but lightly cooked.

  • Long shelf life out of the fridge (up to 12 months).

  • Excellent alternative to BARF or for combining with raw.

  • Very convenient for travel.

  • Usually free of grains and potatoes.

⚠️ Cons:

  • Slightly more expensive.

  • Needs checking of fat and protein levels for puppies.

📚 Scientific insight: Cooking minimally can preserve digestibility and reduce pathogen risk while retaining much of the raw food’s nutritional value (Freeman et al., 2013).

🌱 3rd Place – Cold-Pressed Dry Food

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✅ Pros:

  • Produced without high-temperature extrusion.

  • Ingredients retain more of their natural structure.

  • Lower starch and better digestibility than standard dry food.

⚠️ Cons:

  • Not all cold-pressed kibbles are the same: check protein sources and analytical components.

  • ⚠️ Not suitable for very young puppies unless specifically formulated for them.

📚 Scientific insight: Cold pressing retains more nutrients than high-temp processing and may reduce post-meal blood sugar spikes (Hall et al., 2017).

🍪 4th Place – High-Quality Extruded Kibble

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✅ Pros:

  • Easy to manage.

  • Long shelf life.

  • Some brands offer great formulations.

⚠️ Cons:

  • Carefully read labels: many include too much starch, poor-quality proteins, or unnecessary additives.

📚 Scientific insight: Excessive carbohydrates and poor protein digestibility can affect gut health (Zentek et al., 2002).

📊 Comparative Summary Table

🥇 🥈 🥉 🍪
BARF Cooked BARF Cold-Pressed Extruded
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️✨
Natural, raw Gently cooked Less processed Widely available
Excellent digestion Convenient + balanced Low starch Easy management
Hygiene needed Good for travel Puppy caution Read ingredients!

🐾 Final Thoughts

🎯 Every dog is unique. Their age, activity level, breed, and health conditions should always be taken into account.

📢 Ask your breeder! They know your dog’s genetic background and upbringing. They’ve tested and selected the most suitable food for your breed over many years of experience.

📉 Be careful with social media advice. Groups and forums are full of conflicting suggestions that may confuse more than help, especially for puppies.

✍️ Cristina Cozza – Breeder, Kennel Telchines

🔬 References:

  • Schmidt, M. et al. (2018). Comparison of a raw meat diet and a commercial dry diet on canine health and microbiome.

  • Freeman, L.M. et al. (2013). Nutrition myths and truths for dogs.

  • Hall, J.A. et al. (2017). Glycemic index of dry pet foods.

  • Zentek, J. et al. (2002). Effects of dietary protein and carbohydrates on intestinal microbiota.