Dog Food: Real or Commercial?

What is the best food for a Doberman Pinscher? What kind of dog food should I feed my Doberman? These are very smart and common questions among new Doberman owners, and this post explains why blending Commercial Dog Food along with REAL food is the best way to keep your dog healthy.

Real, fresh food. Real beef, fish, chicken, turkey, bison, venison. Eggs, Fresh Vegetables, even Yogurt.

Now, when I say Real Food, it does not mean People Food. Calling real food "people food" makes it sound as though people are the only living creatures who can benefit from eating these REAL, NATURAL  foods. That is simply not true.

ALL living creatures deserve real, fresh food. Real meat is almost always going to be the best food for your Doberman.

Listen to what Dr. Martin Goldstein D.V.M. says about feeding real food to your dog:

"You can boost your pet's health profoundly by making one simple decision. All you have to do is change his diet from commercial-brand fare to something you may never have imagined giving him – real food. The fresh food you buy at the market for yourself is the food you should give your pet, too."

Keep in mind that dogs have been domesticated for about 15,000 years (Dobermans since 1880!) and up until the 1930s, they were NEVER fed "kibble" or "canned" brands from a store. Dogs were fed real meat and vegetables, and a little homemade bread. On this diet they thrived, frequently living into their late teens.

In the 1930s, cereal and grain manufacturers needed something profitable to do with all of their wheat and corn that failed USDA inspection.  The cereal and grain companies got together with the meat companies who faced the same problem - meat that failed USDA inspection. Hence, "Dog Food" was born.

But processed kibble and canned products has never been a balanced complete dog's food.

Listen to what Dr. Richard Pitcairn D.V.M. says about artificial diets:

"The whole concept of Insta-Meal for humans is repulsive. Most people would soon be climbing the walls in frustration, desperate for a salad or some fruit – anything whole and fresh, or just different. Perhaps the thought of eating kibbles for the rest of your own life helps make the point that pets forced to do so are being shortchanged. All of us – humans and animals – should have fresh, wholesome, unprocessed food in our daily diet."

Sadly, Artificial diets are causing health problems in dogs.

Listen to what Dr. Richard Pitcairn D.V.M. has to say about the connection between health problems and artificial diets:

"Since I graduated from veterinary school in 1965, I've noticed a general deterioration in pet health. We now see very young animals with diseases that we used to see only in older animals. Without the perspective of several decades, vets just coming out of veterinary school think these degenerative conditions in younger animals are "normal." They do not realize what has happened over the passage of time."

Dr. Martin Goldstein D.V.M. sums it up:

"When I tell an owner that a change of diet can affect her pet's health in a matter of days, the first reaction is usually delight, sometimes even exhilaration."

So, "What should I feed my Doberman?" is not such a simple question. When you are shopping for your dog's food and are planning on getting a commercial food, the first ingredient in your dog's food should be a specified "meat".  Not a meat by-product, but the real thing.  Puppies and adult dogs were not meant to eat corn and wheat.  If the first ingredient in your dog food is a corn, wheat,  meat-by-product, bone meal or anything but a real specified type of meat steer clear.  By-products are the left-overs, such as the eyes, hooves, skin, feathers and feet that are not good for human consumption (unless the dog food specifically states otherwise.) Beware of ingredients that do not list exactly what it is, such as words like, "animal" and "meat" as opposed to "chicken", "beef", "duck", etc.. 


A puppy or dog with average activity should have about 26% protein and 15-18% fat. Look for some kind of meat to be the first ingredient, not a grain product. You could even check out feed stores, they are a great place to buy dog food. Prices are often less than at pet supply stores.

When you do have to buy commercial dog food, make sure they pass this checklist.

BUT...

You shouldn't just set another place at your family dinner table for your dog! There are important differences between what's healthy for humans and what's healthy for dogs. Please be aware that it's HARMFUL to feed meat to your dog without adding a healthy specific supplement!