Your dog’s health and happiness is very dependent on the type of food that you feed her. Like humans, dogs are omnivores which means that they  eat both meat and vegetables. In fact they actually need both to maintain proper health.

Their diet should also include the proper amounts of protein, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, and mineral that are all essential to good health. You need to be sure that you dog always has a fresh supply of water as well. This will keep her body functioning well.

Dogs need to be fed according to their size, age, shape, and lifestyle. For example, a dog who is out on the ranch herding cattle all day long will need a different diet than a small little house dog who spends most of her time in your lap. Similarly, a pregnant female dog will have a much different food requirement than an average male dog. Her puppies will also have a higher requirement for nutrients to ensure proper bone development and  healthy growth.

Your senior dog will have different dietary requirement than your brand new bouncing puppy. Anyway, you get the idea…

It all depends on your individual dog.

For these reasons it is very important that you know and understand what type of food is best for your pet. You should also have an understanding of what types of food to avoid.

Choosing the Best Dog Food for Your Dog

It is also important that you do not overfeed your dog. I know it is hard sometimes. We all think we are loving her and being a good owner when we give her big meals and lots of tasty treats and snacks. But in reality we may be doing more harm than good. By giving her more food than she actually needs we are actually encouraging obesity and paving the way for diseases such as diabetes.

And yes, dogs can have diabetes.

There is so much variety of dog food available today. Most of these foods contain the right amount of nutrients that your dog needs for a well balanced diet.

The three main types of food to choose from are…

• dry food
• canned food
• semi moist food

Each type has its own advantages and disadvantages. Read Are You Confused About Dog Food Nutrition?.

Apart from her regular food there is an almost endless variety of snacks and treats to choose from. Just remember that these are supposed to only be treats and not form a large part of your dogs daily diet.