Raw food = behavioural problems???

[Sam]

I rang up a behavioural dog trainer today to come and work through a number of issues we have with our doods (mainly excitable, jumping up, not coming when attention is elsewhere etc. - nothing aggressive).  Now they obviously won't say much over the phone (until you;ve paid them) but he did say that they look at the whole dog - including their diet.  Well I said that the dogs were fed a raw meat diet to which he replied that that could be part of the problem.  That raw meat could be acting like red cordial to a child..........   I was under the impression that raw food was a great diet (it was what the breeder recommended).  Has anyone heard of this before?????  is it one more doodly thing for me to worry about.........

 

Thanks

[Camilla and Darwin]

I have heard that feeding raw meet can make a dog "blood thirsty" and aggressive but that has been proven wrong many times over. It really didn't have any basis in fact to begin with. As far as behavioral issues, I haven't ever heard of raw food causing this. "Acting like red cordial to a child" I don't know what this means? Does it mean that it makes them hyper? I suppose a higher protein content could make a dog more energetic... but is that a bad thing? I would like to see the trainer's evidence for this claim.

[Sam]

I think he did mean it would make them more hyper (I had just finished explaining our problems).
I liked what he was saying until he got to the whole food thing and then he said that I may struggle with his thoughts and ideas!!!
Thanks

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Unless a diet is so lacking in basic nutrients that it causes a chemical imbalance, diet has nothing at all to do with training issues or normal behavioral issues like jumping up or excitability. While I'm not a fan of raw diets, I am certain it has nothing at all to do with your dog's issues, and I would perhaps look for a different trainer. The issues you are describing with your doodles are the normal behaviors of young, energetic, untrained sporting dogs.

[Ricki and Tara (doodle)]

I would agree that diet could POSSIBLY be part of a dog's behavior problems if the dog was eating a diet full of preservatives, additives and chemicals of various types. But a RAW diet causing problems? I don't think so. I would question whether this is the trainer for you. It sounds like he hasn't done his homework. Ask him of all the dogs he has worked with how many of them had behavioral issues due to a raw food diet. That might be interesting. And what is red cordial anyhow?

[Richard Crowe]

We feed Holly, Nature's Variety raw food and have had absolutely no behavioral problems. On the contrary, she is calm and well behaved and her digestive system is working just great...

I have always recommended selecting a trainer whose ideas correpond to mine. That way, I will be sure to reinforce the taining Holly gets.

[Lesley, Wellington & Bingley]

I feed raw, one of the main reasons is because it lacks the additives that can lead to hyperactivity. Im also studying behaviour - and raw does not act like cordial to a child! Quite the opposite.

Of course you need to get the balance right, vitamins, minerals with veg and fruit ect.

I would never go back to covenience dry food again - all the dogs I know that are fed raw are happier, healthier and more balanced than they have ever been..

[Noble Vestal Labradoodles]

Crack me up! Come over to my house or ask anyone who has ever been here before that my dogs are no where near hyper! That is a load of you know what and the trainer is likely coming to sell you something other than training.

Yes food can contribute to a dog's ability to perform at his peek, can make them moody, sick, overweight, slow...

[Sam]

Thanks everyone - I rang the trainer and told him that I didn't think we were on the same page and had decided against using him. I have spoken to another man who is an ex police dog trainer who, when I asked him about diet, said that that was just an excuse and the dogs need to learn who is the pack leader!!! Without even seeing my dogs he was describing what they were doing...... he is coming soon!!!!
I thought cordial was an international thing.... We are in Australia - its the concentrated drink kids like that you water down before you drink it. Comes in all sorts of flavours and is quite high in sugar in its concentrated form. The red cordial is known to hype up kids who are that way inclined......
Thanks again

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Here in the U.S., a "cordial" is an alcoholic beverage, lol.

[F, Calla & Luca]

In the US, a cordial usually refers to a liquer. Not exactly doodle fodder!

[Sam]

Haha - no wonder a few people seemed concerned.......... I haven't reached the point of giving them alcohol yet!!!!

[Ricki and Tara (doodle)]

LOL! Thanks for clearing up the cordial issue!! I was wondering why you would want a man who gave alcohol to children to train your dogs!!