Hyper dog, do you do this?

Today is the day.  I just have to do it.  I mean, I can’t hold it in any longer because I have seen too many times that there is a direct correlation to my new training clients and what their dog is eating.  So often when I first meet a client in their home and the dog is hyper, I mean not just excited to meet a new person but bouncing around like a crazy thing a red flag goes up.  This heightened awareness dials me into the dog like I can’t even explain.

From that moment on I am having two conversations at once….one with the human and one with the dog.  Now don’t get overly concerned because I’m not claiming to carry on entire conversations with dogs but they ‘say’ things and I happen to notice them.  There are a few common ‘comments’ hyper dogs will share with me through their eyes, their stance and their behavior.

I hear their calls for help because they want to be better and at some point they were.  They aren’t sure when it happened but one day their mind started to change. It started to be more out of control which then caused their body to do things they never wanted to do because they love their human(s) and want to please them.  They are asking me to notice them and to see if I can help them.

At this point I am usually having a conversation that asks questions like

• What food are you feeding the dog?
• How often and how much?
• Do you use a crate?  If so how and when?
• When is the dog calm?
• When do you play with and exercise your dog?  How much?

Typically the answer I get in response to these questions is that the dog is being fed the highest dollar grain free food available on the market.  Sometimes they make the decision after a recommendation from the breeder or online research or asking their friends. With this information, along with watching and listening to the dog, I assess the situation and solutions pop into my head!  

Over and over the same solution keeps popping into my head and that’s why I am writing.  

This topic and the solution are the same for the majority of dogs.  Feeding them a grain free diet can cause them to feel starved. Consequently, they go into survival mode looking for the nutrition they need to be balanced. Can it be that simple?  Yes it can and yes it is.

Marketing professionals have created a need in the marketplace that happens to coincide with the new need of humans, to be gluten free, grain free, everything free! Isn’t that interesting?  I’m not a marketing genius but simply a consumer that noticed a correlation between something that was happening in the human marketplace that then started happening in the dog world. Why? I don’t know but it is causing problems.

So how do I try to help?  Knowing that I do not diagnose or prescribe solutions but simply offer what I have found beneficial after feeding my dogs for many years, I offer the dog food I feed all of my dogs.  My suggestion is to try Purina’s Pro Plan Sport and offer them a trial bag just so they don’t have to go buy it at first. Nothing to lose but everything to gain.

From our second appointment on, things move along in a much more positive direction because the dog is being fed a more balanced diet.  Some discuss it with their veterinarian which is always good because their dog may need to be on a special diet for a specific condition.  I want you to know that I am not being paid to say that Purina is my choice of dog food. My purpose is to help as many dogs and owners as I can.  If this can help you, great! Then writing this article and putting it out there is well worth it. Hopefully, you will share comments and questions below and together we can learn from each other.

The thing about Purina is that they have been around for over 85 years and have over 400 scientists, nutritionists and veterinarians studying and formulating their products.  That’s impressive to me. I am also impressed that their dry food doesn’t have any added artificial colors or flavorings. Those ingredients have caused problems as well, so I avoid them.

Please feel free to leave your constructive comments here.  Let’s not rant, just try to help each other. Together we are better:)

Cheers,

Julie