brookcove:Venison? That's kinda . . .weird. I never thought of venison as being particularly attractive in terms of flavor. We feed it all the time and the dogs are kind of "meh" about it. Lamb is definitely their favorite - both raw and cooked. Good thing, huh?
Good thing if you're farming sheep, for sure 
I just got a bag of the Merrick B.G. chicken formula, and it's the first time I've seen my dogs treat a kibble like actual candy. They wouldn't touch TOTW ... they don't like TW ... ho hum about all Natura products, and they eat everything else erratically. The only dry food they have been consistently positive about so far is the CORE range. But the Merricks they would snatch out of my hands (if they weren't so well behaved *g*) anytime, anywhere. That's a breakthrough experience here in FussyPoodle land.
That doesn't mean it's a good food of course ... it just means there's something about it they find irresistible. Since my two dogs have rather different tastebuds, it's quite interesting that they both home in on this particular kibble.
Whether it's the venison flavor in particular that excites them I can't say. There must be more to it. The smell already gets them salivating.
Sadly, it's the venison flavor that's giving me headaches because I suspect my boy may be intolerant of venison. 
To bring this back to the Canidae topic ...: I have tried and tried, over a couple of years, to get them used to eating a bit of Canidae. No dice. They simply do not like it. Canidae is the only quality holistic kibble that's imported into New Zealand so this is particularly frustrating. The strange thing is that I have offered the Canidae to neighbours/friends whose dogs I know will eat absolutely anything ... and all the dogs refused the Canidae (not just from one bag I hasten to add - and the few times my dogs have eaten some there has been absolutely no problem). Weird, eh?
I have to say that of all the kibbles that have come and gone here, the Canidae I would rate as one with the least attractive smell/aroma. It sort of reminded me a little of a bag of Diamond kibble (Nutragold) I once got; a smell I can only describe as a little 'sour'. I have always suspected Canidae contains a fair amount of alfalfa meal, and I'm pretty sure my guys don't go for that. I also think that's the ingredient that helps to produce that 'Canidae poop' (my term) - a firm, slightly dry tootsie roll.
Britta and the fussy toy poodles
