Dog Community

i'm confused...

Posted : 6/11/2006 1:51:50 AM

I was talking to my aunt recently about dogs, and I mentioned that Mika was on a home-cooked diet. She told me that home-cooked diets lead to liver damage and that I was better off putting her on Science Diet. I said that Mika's foster mom tried Science Diet but it didn't work well, so she switched to home-cooked but my aunt insisted. Is it true that home-cooked diets are worse than Science Diet and lead to liver damage? With dog food like Innova not available in the Philippine market and only grocery store brands like Alpo, Pedigree and Eukanuba, I thought that a home-cooked diet was best, too.

Anyway, then I mentioned I was training Mika at home by myself because there were no obedience classes available anywhere. I wanted to do clicker training because it seemed like a good method for a novice like me, but my aunt told me that beginners always need to start off with the choke chains/correction jerk method. Is this true? I always liked positive training methods better. She's raised a lot of dogs (Eskimo dogs), so I was wondering if she was right about all these things.

jeano

Posted : 6/11/2006 3:37:25 AM

Your aunt is well-meaning but hopelessly out of date. You are doing all the right things. Don't do what she says, you are doing just fine!!

I know people who treat sled dogs like that, and it's really crummy! Once again, you are doing great! Don't change your methods to please her!!

pumaward

Posted : 6/11/2006 6:10:28 AM

Last year, I was a novice dog owner (no training experience) and went the route your aunt wants you to take. Let's just say that it wasn't really all that great and I think it takes someone much more experienced to correctly use a choke or similiar tool. I now use a clicker and find that, at least for me and my dog, works a lot better.

As long as you are balancing your homecooked diet for your dog, it most certainly is better than SD. I know I'd be homecooking/ feeding raw if I couldn't get my hands on higher quality foods.

Finally do not do something to your dog you're not comfortable with.

glenmar

Posted : 6/11/2006 8:24:08 AM

I totally disagree with your Aunt. She is likely well meaning, but yeah, hopelessly stuck in the past.

If you LIKE for your dog to eat animal digest, unidentified road kill and chemicals that have been BANNED for use in human food because of the cancer causing potential, by all means, feed him Science Death. If you WANT to injure your pup because you don't know how to correctly USE a chocker and jerks (which shouldn't be done anyway) by all means, go with her suggestions. And, I REALLY hope that you can tll that this post is just dripping with sacracsm!!

willowchow

Posted : 6/11/2006 8:42:46 AM

If you LIKE for your dog to eat animal digest, unidentified road kill and chemicals that have been BANNED for use in human food because of the cancer causing potential, by all means, feed him Science Death.

I've looked at lots of ingredients and not all formulas for even the over the counter Science Diet have these things. You have to do your research with any food. If you want to continue to homecook get some books and make sure that you are balancing your diet. As for training, I've never been all that impressed with the clicker but it's certainly a better method than choking.

hayley018

Posted : 6/11/2006 8:47:25 AM

My dogs (and cat to some extent) are on home cooked diets and non of them have liver damage. I would say their coats are shinier and their teeth are better than any other dog at the park. I think what your doming sounds great

glenmar

Posted : 6/11/2006 8:53:04 AM

[

]Disclaimer...that was NOT an attack on the SD RX foods. In general, SD makes a pretty crappy food, however, I do know that some dogs need SOME of their products to even survive and those products, when researched and when needed are ok. [

]

IN GENERAL, I would rather see a pup on a well balanced homecooked meal than on any of the choices available in her country. And in this instance, where the SD didn't work well for the pup, well, it's a no brainer.

spiritdogs

Posted : 6/11/2006 9:37:59 AM

I am not a fan of Science Diet, but I do think that you must be sure that the home cooked meals you are making satisfy all of your dog's nutritional requirements. If it were me, I'd contact a canine nutritionist and get accurate recipes, but would have no problem doing a homemade diet after that.
As to training, I am a trainer and I use all positive methods. With some people and dogs, clickers work very well (the secret is to know what motivates your dog - not all of them want food, some want toys or other things). With others, voice works better. But the principle is operant conditioning, not force training. I think that choke chains are an antiquated training tool, and usually unnecessary. Besides, you need more finesse to use one correctly than you do to use your voice and treats.
If you want to read some free articles on training, go here:
[linkhttp://www.clickersolutions.com]www.clickersolutions.com[/link]
[linkhttp://www.dogscouts.com]www.dogscouts.com[/link]
[linkhttp://www.flyingdogpress.com]www.flyingdogpress.com[/link]
HTH

mondayblues

Posted : 6/11/2006 9:00:58 PM

Thank you all for answering my questions!

I was never going to put my dog on SD anyway, but I was worried about the whole liver damage thing. Definitely no choke chains/jerks for me. I was already uncomfortable when she was offering to send a trainer over to my house, and I (politely) passed. Of course, the very next thing I did was to go to this forum and check with you guys! [

]

Suzi

Posted : 6/11/2006 10:24:39 PM

Do what you felt is right and not what your aunt felt is right.