Dog Nutrition: Food For Agility And Show Dogs

Earlier on, we wrote about how to recognize dog obesity, and also how to tackle that issue. In this article, we're on the other end of the spectrum, and we're talking about dog nutrition - requirements for agility and show dogs. If you're interested in this topic keep reading!

Nutritional Requirements For Agility Dogs

If you have agility dogs, you have to provide them with enough energy, from the right sources, so they can accomplish all their training goals.

Energy for exercise comes from fats, carbohydrates, and proteins. For extremely athletic dogs, the energy contribution from protein is small. Fats and carbohydrates are the primary energy providers for exercise for these dogs.

Many commercial diets are adequate for normal activity but are deficient for an athlete. The diet should be changed or balanced to meet the athlete’s needs. The nutrient requirements of canine athletes are unique. Dogs have a greater capacity for fat oxidation than humans both at rest and during exercise.

In dogs undertaking endurance exercise, high fat (>50% of energy) diets increase stamina and maximize energy production, and high protein (>30% of energy) diets prevent training-induced anemia.

Dog Nutrition During The Winter

Nutrient requirements differ, however, for sprint racing dogs. Canines run faster when fed moderately increased dietary fat, but run more slowly when dietary protein is increased. Therefore, dietary fat should be increased as the amount of work increases.

There is little information, however, concerning the vitamin, mineral, or other nutrient requirements of athletic dogs. A good rule of thumb is to supplement with caution and follow manufacturer directions to avoid vitamin toxicity.

Source: Kama Loves Agility

Nutritional Requirements For Show Dogs

If you're preparing your dog for shows, or already have a competing dog, you have some options for his nutrition.

Natural Dog Food

You may decide to follow a natural diet for your dog. This could consist of raw meat and bones or perhaps a bone and raw food diet. Both of these diets are well followed by dog lovers and have a valid place within canine nutrition. 

Complete Dog Food

In these busy times, complete dog food is probably the most popular of feeding fashions for dogs. You only have to read the content label of the feed sacks to know that much research and time has been spent to give our canine friends the best nutritional value possible.

There are many different manufacturers of complete foodstuffs and at the end of the day, the choice is up to you. Some foods are organic others hyper allergenic, others vary in flavors and size of the kibble depending on the size of the dog.

A major step forward in the present time has been the types of food to suit the age and working life of the dog. This can be very confusing but you will find upon visiting the larger dog shows that each major food manufacturer will have representatives on hand to discuss your needs and the needs of your puppy. Some exhibitors pick dog food because of what the manufacturer can offer them in the way of sponsorship during their show career.

Source: Great Dogs

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