| (after
Professor Dr. E. Seiferle)
He who purchases a dog must clearly realise that he thereby takes over additional obligations: Obligations vis a vis the animal as well as vis a vis his fellow humans. Because the dog is neither a toy with which one amuses oneself as long as one desires, and whom one can then simply set aside, nor is he a tail wagging human-child", who lets itself be spoiled unpunished.. What the dog needs thus above all, is companionship and preoccupation. We offer both to him if we him allow him to become a member of the family, if we permit him to live together with us and occupy ourselves as much as possible with him. Reasonably trained, each dog can become a more and more jovial home companion, who no doubt feels happy about this attitude. As a replacement for the energy expenditure for food procurement no longer necessary today, enemy avoidance, and protection of his social position within the pack, the dog needs extensive movement. It keeps him healthy and lively. Walks through a field and forest, where he can expend his energy and live out his impulses therefore give him the most pleasure. One must not forget, however, that even today remnants of the early predator roam within many dog breeds, is always ready to pursue detected game. The impetuous movement and activity urge of some races cannot be adequately satisfied in the urban environment. Therefore such dogs do not belong into a small urban dwelling. As far as the worry about his physical well-being is concerned, except for the already mentioned, one must mainly remember that the dog was originally an informally living predator. He is therefore not predisposed by nature for several meals per day and is able to fast without harm, which some dogs from time to time do on their own. His stomach is characterised by large expansion ability and permits him to devour relatively large quantities at one time. On the whole, he still today eagerly devours any illusive quarry as he did before, and guards his meal against the members of his pack (other dogs or humans) as always, to defend it. If several dogs must be fed at the same time then one puts each portion in a separate bowl for each dog and sets these at some distance from each other. Due to food envy, the eating dogs can become easily aggressive, also against humans. Since
the dog is not a pig, it is not to be fed kitchen and food remnants.
Besides, spiced food harms his health (kidney damage, skin rashes).
Salt is the exception. The salt requirement of the dog is small and
he gets along nicely with a few grains per portion. Some salt is thus
necessary in order to keep the animals in good health. Today, still
after thousands of years, the digestive organs of our pedigree dogs
are the same as their wild same species comrades. This point is unfortunately
too often forgotten. The dog must have thus different nutritional needs
than humans. Therefore one should keep oneself as close as possible
to the example of nature and serve small quantities of concentrated
food, whereby meat takes 1. place. Pork may be served, however, only
cooked in order to protect the dog against the feared "Aujeszky Illness
". But only to feed with meat and ignore the cereals is clearly also a serious error, because the natural equilibrium of the food is disturbed. As already said, the carnivores living in the wild derive the necessary vegetable strength from the entrails of their victims. There it is found in a half-digested state, because the herbivores chew and insalivate their food carefully so that the digestive process begins already in the maw. Since the dog chews only superficially, it is understandable that it cannot digest the cereal products like the meat in raw form. The grain fruits must be pre opened i.e. prepared. Cereal flakes made of grain are best. Dough products and rice, which can be served only in a soft-cooked state, however, can never replace the grain fruits. They form a pulpy mash in the dog’s stomach, which can lead to digestive disturbances and deficiency diseases. The least suitable as dog food are cooked potatoes since they simmer easily and can even become dangerous when mixed with meat. Potatoes are difficult to break down by the dog’s digestive system. An integral part of dog food are also vitamin supplements in the form of peeled carrots, onions, and apples. Many dogs gladly eat fruit, herbs, spinach, also chopped cabbage and salads are very good. Naturally these vitamin carriers have only one purpose when they are added freshly chopped to the food. Eaten whole, they are not digestible by the dog. Still another word about dog-biscuits. Dog-biscuits and meat may never be fed to the dog together. Dogs do not digest the dog-biscuits all too easily and such a mixture brings the digestive process into disharmony and over-acidifies the stomach. The dog-biscuits are, however, very practical for variety and as a side food they are even appropriate, in order to sufficiently exercise the teeth and gums. Another
animal food group are the bones. On the free game run the bones are
of interest only if nothing different is available. They are above all
reserved for the young dog. The calf bones are best, they contain practically
everything that a young dog needs, i.e. protein, calcium, phosphorus
and many others. Plentiful bone feeding leads to a continuous constipation
in the adult dog. The passing of the hard bone in the bowel causes painful
complaints and it leads to the chronic inflammation of the Anal glands.
It is therefore best to stop feeding bones to an older dog. If
the dog is to remain healthy and lively then it must not be fattened
up. The Regular establishment of fasting days does him more good than
the overfeeding with sweets which, though he usually loves very much,
yet in the long run are not good for him. Asthmatic
"fat avalanches ", as can be seen occasionally rolling laboriously along
the roads, are pitiable testament of wrongly understood love of animals.
A healthy dog can go 30 to 40 days without any food, if it has water
available. Dogs which have proper hunger and not a gram surplus fat
are, according to experience, the healthiest. Now an exemplary diet-plan for the dog, starting from the puppy age: 8,00 o'clock: We start a puppy off with liquid food in the morning. Lukewarm milk is first served with a teaspoon of honey, which is increased later to a dessertspoon, when the dog gets older. Then come the melt-rolled oats or matzo flakes, everything mixed to a thin mash. Noon: A grain meal is best. A supply is pre-mixed, consisting of same portions of rolled oats, wheat flakes and wheat germ diet. This cereal are to be put overnight into fresh milk to soften (buttermilk is excellently suitable for this), add to it a teaspoon flaked margarine. As vitamin carriers are added peeled or chopped fruit. Apples are a very healthy food, also carrots and dried fruit, as well as raisins, plums etc. Between 4 and 8 PM: The main meal: Approximately 50 grams of cubed meat. The meat may not be too finely chopped, because the strong stomach muscles for the processing of meat should be used. Gradually, the meat is served in ever larger pieces. The meat is smeared with rolled oats and bran (Reform house). Rolled oats and bran are rich in protein and minerals and are added to the meat only for the stimulation of digestion, in order to replace skin and hair, which the wild animals take in with their quarry. Raw foods are necessary so that the stomach and intestine muscles can work correctly, so that the food is well digested and no hard bowel develops. A teaspoon of oil is added to this food, in the winter cod liver oil, in the summer olive oil and chopped greens (dandelion, parsley, watercress, celery leaves etc., a mixture of several greens is best). Occasionally add to the meat a raw egg yolk. One discards the raw egg white, since it destroys the vitamins in the body. This portion is now divided and one half is served at 4 PM, the other half at 8 PM. After four months the morning feeding is skipped and feeding occurs only around noon, 4 PM and 8 PM. The quantity of the food is increased somewhat. The meat 80 to 100 grams, the greens 1 full tablespoon. After seven months one feeds only twice daily. It is moreover also to be noted that the puppy must also calm and cleanse his digestive system, to this end fasting serves nicely. Each four months old puppy should fast half a day once per week and one whole day once monthly. One must not cosy the food up to the puppies. If they do not eat rapidly enough, they must be allowed to go without food. The fully grown dog should be fed only once per day, the second meal being at the most a few dog-biscuits. The meal consists of two parts meat, plus one part of "other" along with raw vitamin carriers. Do not give him simply each day the same food; try a little variety in the composition of the food - equal as it is in nature. By way of the different types of the meat, for example once head meat, then liver as well as calf stomachs and belly meat, one of the healthiest foods and indispensable in the dog’s menu. The udder and spleen are also happily eaten. The changing of the additives such as herbs, carrots and raw chopped onion, brings variety and is excellent against worms and skin diseases. You will rapidly find out what your dog likes to eat. Bring him joy in his food. If you feed him at regular times, be consistent since that does not only help the puppies, but also significantly relieves the domestication training. The food must never be cold, for example from the refrigerator, but best at body temperature. However, never give him treats between meals. If one adheres to this from the start, one will never have to endure the annoyance of a begging dog. Half-finished eating bowls should be removed and cleaned since the animals otherwise easily get into a habit of nibbles without appetite. Only the young dog needs milk. Though it is usually also gladly taken by adult dogs, it should be avoided with the fully grown dog. Since without a demand by the digestive organs the milk is much too easily taken up, under-activity of the intestine results. On the other hand, fresh water must always be at the disposal of each dog. Exact quantities cannot be indicated for different reasons. The most diverse factors play a role; Age, figure, quality of the food, the amount of movement which the dog has, even its temper. Yet one will soon determine the necessary quantity. The weight of the food which the developing dog is to receive amounts to a twentieth to a twelfth of its body weight. It varies depending upon individual growth rate. The fully grown dog, about 1 1/2 years old, however, rarely requires more than one twentieth. One could say, the dog might not get enough with the indicated quantities, "he is always hungry" even if he had just eaten. There we come back again to his relatives, the wolf, the fox and the jackal. When these animals made a kill they ate until there was nothing left, for fear that their comrades might take something away. All dogs attach importance to dry, draft-free, warm quarters into which they gladly withdraw after the meal in order to take their digesting nap. This too is a habit which the house dog took over from his wild ancestors. One
should never forgets that the dog is forced into a thoroughly unnatural
life today, which we want to facilitate for him by appropriate attitude
whenever possible. Being an extraordinarily sensitive animal, he knows
to thank us for our understanding in handling him by means of an unconditional
devotion and loyalty. |
