Choosing a Dog Food for Hunting Season

There are books written about this subject, so I will try to capture the facts as closely as possible in this short post.

Rule #1: It is all about energy. Energy equals calories. Calories allow the dog to have stamina, hunt with its mouth closed for better scenting, and calories allow the dog to maintain its body weight over a hard hunting season.

For all practical purposes, for our dogs, energy/calories comes down to fat. The percentage of fat in the diet on an as fed basis (that means what the Ingredient Label says) is the key. Think in terms of 20% minimum. You see, fat is energy "dense". There are a lot of calories in a small quantity. So, a dog can eat a normal amount of food and get a lot more calories per bite/cup/bowl etc. It is more difficult to provide these calories with a lower fat food because the dog just won't eat that much quantity.

Rule #2: Start early. Research documents that the little fuel-burning part of the muscle cell (called the mitochondria) takes about 8 weeks to acclimate to the higher fat diet. Typically, I start my own dogs on a high-fat "performance" type food exactly eight weeks before hunting season or the beginning of serious training.

Rule #3: Keep it up. Feed the performance type food, at least 20% fat, throughout hunting season. There is really no reason for a dog to lose 10-15% of its body weight even with hard, daily hunting. It is quite possible to maintain normal body condition if the nutrition is there.

Rule #4: Protein is important too. Daily work can be detrimental to muscle mass. Muscle is made from protein, so this ingredient is important if the dog is to maintain healthy muscle tissue. The standard reco is 30% protein. There is an old wives' tale that high protein diets "burn a dog's kidneys up". This is totally false. Studies on dogs fed up to 50% protein diets have not increased the incidence of kidney disease. Now, it is true that once a dog HAS kidney disease, they may benefit from a lower protein level. But, high dietary protein does not cause kidney disease.

Protein can come from many sources. Animal-based proteins like beef, pork, lamb, etc. are available as are plant-based proteins like soybean meal. To me, the optimal protein source for hunting dogs is chicken. One reason is that there is a lot of chicken available. The huge broiler industry provides humans and animals with a large source of protein so it is easier for a pet food manufacturer to purchase high-quality protein if they use chicken. I like chicken in my dog's food.

Rule #5: Carbs are somewhat important. Dogs don't have a minimum carbohydrate requirement. But, since carbs are less expensive than protein, manufacturers correctly use some carbs (grains) to provide optimal nutrition but keep the per bag cost affordable. Corn, wheat, and other grains can provide carbs for dog food. But, my choice is always rice. Rice is easily digestable; provides a quick glucose response (blood sugar goes up faster), and is ideal for hard working dogs.

Bottom Line: Beginning 8 wks before hunting season, switch your dog to a 20% fat, 30% protein diet made up of chicken and rice. Feed this food throughout hunting season. You will be doing all you can do nutritionally for your dog if you follow this advice.