Feeding Your German Shepherd
We are not veterinarians, nor do we claim to be.  This is just our experience and what works for us.

• Do you ever wonder why our grandparent’s dog lived so long without health problems, being fed mainly good leftovers?
   

• What did domestic dogs eat before kibble?
   

• Do animals in a zoo eat kibble? Is their food cooked or highly processed at high temperatures?
   

• Do animals in the wild or people eat a balanced meal every day? Why must dogs have perfectly balanced meals every day?
   

• If you are able to properly feed you and your family, why are we led to believe you need a PHD to feed your pet, and what are all those “big words” on the kibble packages?
   

• Why are there so many teeth cleaning products for pets if kibble is designed to keep teeth clean? Dog/cat teeth are designed to rip/tear meat and bones.
   

• Why are so many dog/cats developing cancer, kidney disease, allergies, yeast and ear infections?
   

• Why are so many over or underweight? Could this be diet related?
   

• What is in kibble that allows it to have a shelf life for 6 months to a year in a bag where not even bacteria can grow? How can this be good?
   

• How can a pet food product be “Holistic” or “Natural” if it has been processed at high temperatures with additives and preservatives in it? "Natural" means fresh food from the garden, uncooked, unprocessed, no preservatives coloring or chemicals……Real Food!
   

• Most processed dog foods are about $0.45 - $1.00 a pound.  You can't even purchase Roman Noodles for that.  And dog food is supposed to contain a balanced diet for a carnivore?  How can it be of any type of "quality"?
   

• It is not uncommon for thousands of euthanized dogs and cats to be delivered to Dog Food Plants, daily, and thrown into the rendering vat.  The city of Los Angeles alone, sends some two hundred tons of euthanized cats and dogs to a pet food plant every month.  And dog food companies don't stop with pets, your dog is also eating euthanized animals from zoos, animal control and putrid, decaying road kill.
   

• Not one animal on earth is adapted by evolution to eat a cooked food diet.
   

• Number two on the list of the fastest growing issues in pet health is cancer. Chemical preservatives are believed by many people (in the pet food industry as well as vets and breeders) to be a major contributing factor to the rise in cancer rates. Most of the chemical preservatives (petroleum-based) used by kibbled dog food companies are on the list of known carcinogens. A German Shepherd eating a kibbled food with chemical preservatives could eat as much as 20lbs or more of those chemicals per year!
   

• Most Dog foods contain at least 6 deadly chemicals that have been banned from human foods because they cause:

  • Kidney cancer

  • Bladder cancer

  • Skin cancer

  • Stomach cancer

  • Spleen cancer

  • Leukemia

  • Liver dysfunction

  • Major organ failure

  • Immune system collapse

  • Severe allergic reactions

  • Birth Defects

  • Blindness

  • Chronic Diarrhea

  • Hair Loss

So if not over processed cooked "dog food" what do you feed?

If you will not be feeding a RAW diet, cooked alternatives that
I recommend: 

• Nature's Variety Kibble:  http://www.naturesvariety.com 
  
• Taste of the Wild Dog Food:  http://www.tasteofthewildpetfood.com/
  
• Life’s Abundance http://www.healthfoodforpets.com/
  
• Innova Evo:  http://www.evopet.com/default.asp   An excellent no grain food

• Canine Caviar Venison & Split Pea http://www.caninecaviar.com  
  
• Wellness Super 5 Mix Puppy Food
  
• Wellness Core:  http://www.omhpet.com/wellness/dog_wellness_grain_original.html

If you prefer a food that is adequate and easily available:

 Your puppy should be kept at an ideal LEAN weight and when you look at your puppy you should see a fit dog without loose or rolling skin/fat.  Ribs should be easily felt but only seen when the dog is panting heavily.  Our German Shepherds are meant to be “Marathon Runners”, not “Sumo Wrestlers”.  It is best to follow the feeding recommendations on the bag to start, but just as humans, every puppy has a different metabolism and energy level, and will require a different amount of food to stay at their optimal weight.
 
We are not veterinarians, nor do we claim to be.  This is just our experience and what works for us.

(not to be republished without prior written consent)