This is a page that is very long and contains a lot of content.  If you want to improve the health of your dog I suggest you bookmark this page and come back to it when you have the time to fully digest the information.

This is the most important page on our website!  This page is for the dogs, and for people who want truly healthy dogs.  It is to help you understand that the way most people feed their dogs is very incorrect and artificial.  It is not about a trend, it is simply correct.  I gain nothing by writing this page.  I only want to improve the lives of countless dogs who are being fed poorly.  Please, please read on...

We cannot guarantee a lifetime of good health if fed artificial food.  Your puppy will be healthy - or look healthy for a while- but over time he will greatly decline if fed only artificial dog food.  I have seen it, it will happen.  Dogs are domesticated carnivores and MUST eat accordingly to be healthy.  If you love your dog there really is no other option.  Commercial dog food is not only missing vital nutrition but is DAMAGING as well.  Please read the suggested books - once you do you'll have a hard time feeding the stuff in the bags.  Please, for the health of your dog - regardless of where you got your dog - give the book and the real food a try.  You'll never buy artificial again.

Did you know that a dog cannot move his jaws from side to side like we can?  A dog's jaws and teeth are designed to rip and tear, not chew.

Did you know that it takes six hours for a dog to digest meat and bone and twelve hours to digest kibble?  A dog's digestive tract is much shorter than ours, thereby preventing harmful bacteria from taking hold/multiplying.  In fact, feeding kibble along with raw meat can cause illness because the kibble slows the process down.  Dogs cannot digest grain or intact plant matter.

Did you know that the ph of a dog's stomach is between 1 and 2 while ours is 5?  A dog's stomach is much more acidic than ours and is meant to digest meat and bone.

Did you know that the feces of a dog fed appropriately does not have much odor and is much smaller?  Dogs cannot digest "dog food" properly and it results in very smelly and soft stools. 

Bear with me folks, this is a topic of which I am passionate about and which also receives a few eye rolls as I am on my "soap box"!!  I have even had fellow chi breeders become downright nasty and defensive over the subject.  Ultimately, this is their loss.  The point of this page is not to degrade anyone for their current rearing practices!  I was there too!  So if you are a breeder feeding commercial dog food please do not take to being defensive. I fed artificial food to my dogs for years and regret it tremendously.  This is only meant to be helpful.

If you love your dogs as I do, you want them to be healthy and alive for as long as possible.  Adhering to the information provided below as well as doing "homework" of your own will provide a positive impact on your canine's health and longevity.  How can any creature be healthy soley on artificial food??  That is preposterous.  Think of people who consume mostly artificial foods - boxed foods, fast foods, frozen pizzas, chips,soda,etc.  Aren't they usually overwight, low in energy, etc.? Think of their children.  They are typically high-strung and get sick often.   And even these inferior human foods are better suited to humans than commercial dog food is suited for dogs.  Dog food is not at all suited to the dog's digestive tract.  Would you feed a horse a meal of meat?  A child birdseed?  Of course not, so why don't we feed our dogs a species appropriate diet?  Because we have been duped by the pet food industry.

Commercial dog food or artificial food is not good for dogs and in fact is most probably responsible for many of the problems and disease we see today.  I want you to think for yourself regarding your dog's health, among other things.  Don't let the television (commercials) and businesses think for you. I only want to help the dogs! 

Don't take my word for it - doubt me all you want but at least do some research on your own, talk to other NR breeders.  Read on and see what has worked for me and my canine family.

Yes, this method of feeding is taking a while to catch on and the reasons are many.  You won't find much info on the subject in dog magazines, consider their primary supporters via advertisements- the dog food manufacturers.  I call it brain-washing.  Dog Fancy is in my opinion one of the worst magazines out there.  More examples of why most folks don't know about raw feeding are provided below.

For all of you thinking "dogs have been eating dog food for decades so what's the big deal?", consider this:  cigarrette smoking was considered perfectly fine for decades. In fact, people were "uncool" if they didn't smoke!  Now we know better.  This analogy is somewhat similar to our society's commercial dog food situation.  We constantly have dog food commercials in our faces and even most vets are uneducated - or wrongly educated.  They receive ALL OF THEIR education on nutrition from Science Diet dog food reps! 

Dog food was created for convenience and in no way mimics the natural diet of the canine.  Dogs are not made to handle a carbohydrate diet.  This, combined with poor-quality ingredients as well as ingredients that conflict with each other in the body (ie, complete and balanced) ultimately result in a very unhealthy dog.  Unfortunately this is what most people are used to and most breeders, especially of toy breeds, won't even consider the subject.  Pity for their dogs.  There are many breeders of large and medium breeds who have switched to raw feeding years ago.  It is much, much easier to find an "NR" breeder in other breeds.  I wonder if this is perhaps due to the toys being viewed more as "furry, little people".  You don't see many german shepherd dogs dressed up in cute designer clothes afterall.  This is sad because toys are dogs too and deserve to be fed like dogs!

HEY BREEDERS!!

To all breeders - old and new alike, I want you to try and open your mind and discard all the information you currently have regarding food for dogs.  That is a lot I know, afterall, nutrition is the most important factor in a healthy dog, bitch, and litter.  If you are like I used to be you may be on a perpetual quest for the perfect kibble.  I dare you to put all of that aside and make a decision to learn about raw feeding. Buy or rent the book I am going to recommend.  For all of you long-time breeders and dog folk who may want to scoff, do yourself and your dogs a favor and just read "Grow Your Pups With Bones" by Dr. Billinghurst.  Humor me. Read it and read it all, preferably without a smirk on your face.  Yes, this is the "BARF" man. This doctor and his studies became a fad in the nineties and along with the "fad" came ridicule.  The problem is folks, this is not a fad.  This is not new. This is very simply the way dogs should be fed.  This is very simply the way to eradicate many of the supposed genetic diseases such as hip displasia, luxating patellas, weak pasterns, skin and coat problems,etc.,etc.,etc.  It isn't ALL about genetics folks.  It is narrow-minded to think that way.  Again, read it and read ALL of it!  If you read it and still want to scoff, then ask yourself why.  If the answer is something along the lines that it sounds like too much trouble - then question your decision to breed in the first place.  If your answer is something like - we've been feeding this way for X number of years and they're fine etc.,etc. - then by all means be stubborn and closed to a super-easy way to have truly healthy dogs.  Healthier than you ever imagined. 

But don't stop there - there is a wealth of information out there regarding the natural way to feed and rear dogs.  Billingshurst is just one source.  In fact, the original advocate of raw, meaty bones is Tom Lonsdale!  Read his books, Raw Meaty Bones and Work Wonders.

Another book I recommend is The Complete Herbal Handbook For The Dog

And Cat by Juliette de Bairacli Levy.  See the NaturalRearing site in our links below.  Thanks to Pam MacClintock for sending me this book.  As with most things important, the health of our canine companions is a never-ending learning process.  Levy is considered the pioneer and grandmother of herbal

and holistic care for dogs.  Although I don't agree with all of the information in this book (some is dated) it is still a very interesting piece.

Above is my german shepherd dog "Boris".      A supremely healthy EIGHT year-old

He has had no processed food since he              chihuahua!  CLEAN, white teeth and

joined our family.  Just look at that coat!          lots of energy. Look at that smile!

HEY PET OWNERS!!

We all know that "you are what you eat".  Right?  If you eat junk food most of the time you probably don't feel so great and if you eat junk food every day for the rest of your life you are certainly not going to be healthy.  Well, dog food is junk food.  ALL of it.  Dog food was created around 1920 or so and the idea was born from the commercial industries wanting to utilize all the waste or scraps produced in the food industry.  Meat and grain scraps that didn't pass for human consumption,etc.  People have dogs and why not market a food for dogs utilizing this waste matter?  The problem with that is that is not the way dogs are supposed to eat and no kibble can recreate the nutrition found in the real foods such as raw meaty bones.  Hence all the problems we have with bad skin and coats, bad breath, rotten teeth, not to mention the crippling skeletal diseases so prevalent in our society today. 

The disease we find in our dogs today did not exist pre-commercial dog food era in the numbers it does today.  Pre-commercial dog food era dogs were much healthier than our dogs of today so this is one area where we are very backwards!   We are not progressing when feeding "dog food".

Feeding commercial dog food can cause skeletal problems in all breeds because it is too high in protein and artificial calcium.  This is most noticeable in large breeds but affects toys breeds as well. Artificial calcium does not work the same way in a dog's body - raw bones supply calcium in the way nature intended and there is no risk of overdose.  There is no detrimental interaction amongst nutrients as in artificial food.  Artificial or processed calcium does not work the same way as natural or unaltered sources.  I will not go into detail about this, read the book.

Grow Your Pups With Bones gives detailed explanations as well as diagrams depicting just what happens to bones and joints when dogs are grown too fast - as is ALWAYS the case with artificial food.  Especially considering the fact that so many people overfeed and produce fat puppies. Read the books, there is so much more to learn including the information regarding essential fatty acids in dog food and why they damage our dogs.  The super-premium foods are the worst in that regard.

Ask your vet about feeding a raw diet to your dog and he or she will probably advise against it.  This is because vets do NOT receive any education regarding nutrition EXCEPT their seminars from Science Diet and the like.  Vets such as Lonsdale, Billinghurst, Pitcairn, and the like were intelligent enough to look at nutrition and question the way we feed our dogs and do studies and were so appalled that they made nutrition the focus of their practices!  These vets are wonderful and I applaud their hard work and free-thinking abilities and I owe the excellent health of my dogs to them!   Now, feed your dog raw meaty bones and other recommended biologically appropriate foods, take your dog to the vet, and SHOW your vet the difference!  He or she will quickly start to question what they have been taught.

And no, feeding raw does not necessarily mean your poodle will be feasting on carcasses and covered in gore.  For example, the main component of my dogs' diet is chicken.  A raw chicken leg isn't really that disgusting is it?  Again, read the book. 

SO EASY!

Feeding for healthy dogs isn't hard and does not require analyzing or each meal to be "complete and balanced".  In fact, balancing every meal is harmful because not all nutrients/proteins,etc. work together - some cancel another out (useless) or combined cause cell damage (artificial ingredients).  We just need an overall balance.  Like we do for ourselves.  For example, if you feed a meat only diet because you are worried about feeding bones -you will end up with problems.  Or if you hand over all of the fat or skin from the chicken and consider this raw feeding - you will have problems.  Just adding calcium to raw meat will cause problems.  Use common sense.  This is where some people screw up and then blame the raw feeding or natural feeding method.  Again, read the book above. Dogs can and should eat bones.  Chicken bones, beef bones, etc.  But they MUST be raw bones.  For instance, my chihuahuas eat chicken wings, legs, and necks.  They eat offal such as liver, gizzards and hearts, lungs,green tripe,etc. They are very healthy dogs with glowing coats and clean teeth.  Yes, I did say CHIHUAHUAS WITH CLEAN TEETH.  Kibble wreaks havoc on teeth.  Bones and muscle meat and the exercise of eating raw meat cleans the teeth!

Also of supreme importance is eating exercise.  This is what happens when dogs work at their food and utilize just about every muscle in the body while eating.  This is important for all dogs but especially bitches who will be bred and large breeds prone to bloat.  A dog who gets eating exercise will be much, much less likely to bloat.  Watch a dog eating raw meaty bones of good size and you will see what I mean.  You can see ALL of the muscles being worked.

IMPORTANT NOTE:   Do not listen to anyone who tells you that feeding a raw diet causes serious nutritional deficiencies.   You may hear that from a vet, a (insert dog food brand name) representative, etc.  Rest assured that they are full of crap.  They are either : A - working for a paycheck, B - too stupid to think for themselves - hey I was once there too- and how can we blame ourselves when our VETS tell us to feed this garbage! or C - they incorrectly fed their dogs as in meat only,added artificial calcium,etc.

Keep in mind that the brand of food your vet sells paid for and represents

ALL OF THE EDUCATION that your local vet ever received!   Vets are not thoroughly educated on nutrition, they are strictly meds and surgury. 

I wish more vets would take the time to learn more about nutrition and holistic health.

This all comes back full-circle to the fact that you need to think for yourself and EDUCATE yourself concerning your pet's nutrtition.  This is one area where we are so very backwards.  Kibble isn't and never was progress.  In fact it can be quite harmful especially for large and giant breeds.  Read the books!

Ask yourself this: do you scientifically balance every meal for yourself or your children?  Of course not, you eat a variety of real foods that are good for you.  Raw meaty bones are good for your dog.  It is that simple.

A great example is this:   a well-known nutrition expert has come out with a completely balanced people food which is available in all life stages and need not be supplemented in any way.  This is convenient, can be eaten on the go, and relatively inexpensive.   Available in a "cheerios-type formula" or as a canned beverage.  (Imagine drinking slimfast every meal for the rest of your life.)  Research has proven that you can and should eat only this product for the rest of your life,and in fact consumption of any other type of food will counteract the superior nutrition in said product.  Are you sold?  Would you stock up on this and only this for your new infant?  For yourself? 

Of course this would never happen, no single food manufacturer or more- would ever be allowed take over the market eliminating all the various food sources we have available to us.  That would destroy our economy. 

But that is the situation for our dogs - or that is what they would have us BELIEVE.   After all, producing and selling dog food does indeed help our economy - just not our dogs. 

NOTE:  If you have a gulper - a dog that eats like there is no tomorrow or one who feels he has to compete with another dog - be careful when you start his new diet. Start with a small amount and feed him in a calm and safe place such as his crate, by himself .  Some dogs are so ecstatic to receive this real food that they may eat it too fast for fear of losing it.  Once it becomes an every day occurence, he will slow down and usually lie down and eat slowly, taking his time and enjoying the food and the eating exercise that he was meant to have.

NOTE:  You may hear or read that the bacteria in raw meat can harm or kill your dog.  E coli and salmonella and the like.  Again, this is not true.  A dog's digestive system is much stronger than ours.  Think about this: stool eating.  This is such a big "problem" with dogs that there are several tablets and powders commercially available to prevent it.  People would get very sick from such a behavior don't you think?  But dogs don't.  In fact, it is believed that dogs eat feces because they are lacking something in their diets. Hmmmm...read on. 

Feces provide numerous enzymes and beneficial bacteria as well as some protein and other nutrients.  NO! - I am not advocating stool eating.  That is, well, gross.  The idea is to provide food items that mimic this behavior and it's resulting nutrition, such as yogurt, nutritional yeast and the like.

Also, you will hear horror stories about bones.  Bones stuck in the throat.  Bones causing an obstruction in the bowel,etc. These are cooked bones.  Cooked bones are a completely different story.  They are brittle, break into sharp pieces and can (not always) cause a great deal of damage.  It is not impossible for a dog to choke on a raw bone, just as it is very possible for a dog to choke on a ball or stick.  I had to rush my german shepherd dog to the vet with a ball stuck in his throat.  He nearly died.  But I have yet to have a dog choke on a raw bone.  As long as there is no gulping or rushing due to the threat of losing the dinner - dogs KNOW how to eat bones.  That is what they were made to do!

I believe that as a dog "owner", it is our responsibility to provide the best and most natural form of nutrition.  Dogs are not furry little people.  Just as dogs have different ways of communicating, a tremendous sense of smell, and other differences, they have different nutritional requirements.  Respect that.

I am constantly amazed at the number of "dog experts" that feed commercial foods.  Again, I think this is due to the fear of feeding raw meat and bones and the wonderful job the pet food industry does at convincing us to feed their garbage.  My dogs are my family.  I love them as much as my human family.  That said, why would I "risk" their health?  I wouldn't.  That is why I feed the way I do.

Here are some of the various problems/symptoms that we face with our dogs.  These are problems I dealt with before.  Since feeding the natural way, I no longer see this in any of my dogs.  None.  No exaggeration.

Excessive licking/chewing at feet,etc.

Body odor

Hot spots

Tartar on teeth/red irritated gums

Bad breath

Smelly ears

Flea infestations

Red/pink irritated skin

Dull coat

Lack of toned muscle

Lethargy

Also, an excellent example is my Tipper.  She was born with such a severe overbite that she could not eat kibble easily.  She had to be on antibiotics every three months to keep her gums from becoming infected and sore.  I was worried about switching her to the raw diet because I was afraid she would not be able to eat the raw, meaty bones.  Much to my surprise, she proved my worries silly as she eagerly ate using mostly her back teeth.  She has not been on antibiotics since.  Her formerly wretched foul breath is now sweet and her gums are never red, swollen, or infected.  Never!  I could kick myself for not having tried (learned about) this earlier.  Poor Tipper sufferd through years of either kibble or home-made "goop" that kept her mouth painful and unhealthy.  All because I believed the commercial dog food BULLSHIT!  I would love nothing more than to see the the dog food manufacturers go under.  But this won't happen unless YOU stop using the garbage!  Dog food is junk food, it is poison, it is wrong for carnivores.  If we don't want to feed a species appropriate diet then perhaps we should not have that species under our care.  That only makes sense.  We need to think for ourselves, educate ourselves, and stop being afraid of change and the TRUTH. 

IMPORTANT NOTE:  it is important to educate yourself prior to diving in.  I have had folks read my info and tell me how much their dog loves chicken breasts.  But only chicken breasts.  And they have to be cooked.  And bones, well they don't care for the bones. This is not at all what I am advocating!  This is missing the boat entirely. 

Here is the problem.  These folks are very well-trained.  Their dogs probably turn up their noses at the raw food because cooked food is much more aromatic.  So are most dog foods.  I call it the McDonald's syndrome.  What would your child rather eat?  McDonald's or a healthy meal you know is better?  Of course they want the junk food, it is addictive!  Same of dog food.  What I recommend is to fast your dog for a day or two if necessary and then offer the food according to the books mentioned above.  Fasting is wonderful prior to starting this diet as it helps rid the body of all the toxins left in the body from dog food.  Those who succumb to their dog's stubborn behavior will have nutritional deficiencies galore.  If you cannot stick to the raw meaty BONES diet then try recipes using human grade ingredients such as those by Dr. Pitcairn, etc.

Feeding ONLY meat will cause more harm than good.

Links to raw feeding sites:

THE MANY MYTHS OF RAW FEEDING

Note on the above site:  I do not agree with the toy dog myth which advocates against

feeding necks or wings.  These items are perfect for the toy breeds (I feed them to my german shepherd too) yet the author warns against them due to choking on their small size.  I have not found this to be the case and indeed warn against regularly feeding larger parts to chihuahuas or other toys.  This is because if a larger item is fed the dog will typically fill up on flesh and leave the remaining bone which will ultimately result in a calcium deficiency as well as important vitamins and minerals found in raw bone and marrow.  Necks and wings are perfect for chis as the bone in these items is softer and easier for them to eat while still effectively cleaning the teeth.  Chis will give up on larger, harder bones which will defeat the perpose of raw feeding as RMBs (raw meaty bones) should comprise approximately 60% of your dog's diet.   Again, see the suggested books by Billingshurst. Aside from this, the above link is an excellent, accurate, and informative piece.

Other links...

RAW MEATY BONES.COM

NATURALREARING.COM

NATURAL REARING - what is it?  (loads of links - check it out!)

UKRMB

PREY4PETS

A PLACE FOR PAWS

LEERBURG

NOTE:  I have removed the link to BARF because I do not advocate the purchasing of his products such as minces,etc.  These are unecessary and expensive.  Billingshurst put a lot of good information into his Grow Your Pups With Bones book, but has since become more concerned with profit unfortunately.  I repeat, his book is highly recommended - especially the info and graphs on bone growth!  I just don't recommend buying his products when you can purchase whole foods at the grocery or butcher.

Vegetarian Diets:  PETA or People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals suggests feeding dogs and cats a meat-free diet.  These people are idiots.  Dogs - and cats even more so - MUST have meat in their diet to thrive.  If you oppose feeding meat to your pet, buy a hamster.  But PETA won't like that either.  These people don't love animals, they love power and anarchy.

Commercial Treats

There are very many treats out there that should not be given to your dog.  Any of the packaged semi-moist foods are a big no-no.  For instance there is one that is marketed as being similar to bacon.  Most of these contain propylene glycol which is a nasty chemical that is actually related to ethylene glycol which is commonly known as antifreeze.  PG is used as a preservative and keeps the product semi-moist.  Many of the preservatives used in cheap treats are known carcinogens.  Any of the semi-moist treats are crap and are completely unnecessary. What better a treat than a chicken wing or neck?

There ARE good treats out there, but the majority of these "healthier" or "all natural, preservative-free" biscuits are mostly grain and are therefore not that healthy for your dog.  If the thought of feeding your dog or cat raw meat repulses you, by all means offer it cooked.  A lot of the nutrition will be lost however.  Bottom line - don't buy commercial treats.  Pointless and harmful.

Rawhide

Rawhide products are okay if made in the USA.  This is very important as the majority of rawhide is processed oversees using nasty chemicals to speed up the process and make for better and quicker profit.  WalMart offers made in the USA rawhide chips and bones.  Look at the packaging on the back of most and at the bottom right corner it will state "Made in Brazil, Argentina, etc.".  Surprisingly Petsmart does not offer any Made in America rawhide products.  Shame on Petsmart. 

Better still, forget about the rawhide and offer raw meaty bones or butchers bones.  The marrow is exquisitely healthful and the excercise is good for all muscles and teeth.  Why buy expensive, pre-packaged rawhide when raw bones are cheaper and natural for the dog to chew on?

Vaccinations:

The AVMA or American Veterinary Medical Association has recently stated that yearly boosters are not necessary.  Furthurmore, combination vaccines are not only harmful but each component can interfere with another within the given combination.

Your local vet may hold an ambiguous view on this statement as vaccines account for a large chunk of income.  Therefore he or she may not indulge this info depending on his or her ethics. 

A good vet should be honest with you pertaining to the issue and should not try to persuade you to vaccinate yearly.  If he or she does, find a new vet.  Some hold to the idea that show dogs or dogs that regularly come into contact with many dogs, ie boarding, etc. should be vaccinated more frequently.  I do not agree with this in general however.  A very healthy animal which is provided with a healthy lifestyle (biologically appropriate nutrition and excercise as well as mental health) will be unlikely to contract any disease.  If your dog has received one immunization after six months of age this will be all he needs for life!  We receive immunizations as infants and children but do not continue to do so into adulthood.  IT IS NOT NECESSARY and can in fact severely disturb the immune system and cause a number of ill effects including severe allergies, system dysfuctions, and possibly even certain cancers.   Studies have shown that vaccines actually stimulate the cells in a dogs body to attack other cells.  More studies are being done by independent researchers - those not affiliated with the companies that manufacture vaccines.  As with so many other issues relevant to our health, do your own research and do what you feel is best for your companion(s).

But think about this:  you need to board your dog and the vet or boarding facility informs you that your dog must be "up to date" on vaccinations.  (Sometimes the vet will require this for surgeries!)

So you agree to let them vax your dog when he comes in for boarding (or surgery).  This is completely pointless and ONLY about profit.

A dog that gets his vaccines the day he comes in for boarding could technically already harbor a contagious disease. 

Furthurmore, a dog that gets his vaccinations at the time of surgery is being kicked while he is down.  A vaccine wreaks havoc on the immune system and a dog who is being operated on is already in a compromised state of health.  Even the vaccine label states to only vaccinate healthy dogs.  How healthy is a dog who has just been cut open?  Again, this about profit.  The vet is afraid if they don't persuade you to vaccinate now they'll lose out on revenue.

Now, I am aware that I am making vets sound like jerks.  I don't believe that is the case.  Vets are severely underpaid for what they do when compared to human doctors.  They have to make money somehow, and most vets have been schooled to practice the way they do, they just don't think about it.  Kind of like how we don't think about the fact that "dog food" is horrible for dogs.  It is what we have been taught or exposed to.  That is what this page is about.  And the number of free-thinking, holistic vets is increasing, it will just take time.

At Tip's we are currently looking into the ill effects of even that single vaccine.  It is a very real possibility that we will no longer vaccinate our dogs at all as per true NR (natural rearing).  There are many parents out there choosing not to vaccinate their children as well. 

For now, we adhere to a very minimal vaccination schedule.

Ultimately, I can not mandate that those who adopt our chis never vaccinate although I will provide all the relevant information necessary to help you make wise choices.  Also, any chi adopted who receives more than one vaccination (once over six months only) will not be covered under my health guarantee.  I have good reason to guarantee the exquisite health of my dogs!!  Come for a visit and see for yourself!

As always, I am more than happy to assist you with the species appropriate diet whether you have one of my dogs or not!  Please note however that I will not be responsible for any health problems or illnesses or accidents caused by improperly feeding the species appropriate diet.  Take your time and thoroughly educate yourself. 

This is a page I will add to as time permits.  Please check out the books mentioned above and you will see where I get much of my information.  And remember, I have been feeding my dogs real, raw food for almost fifteen years with great success.