30/08/2026
"Give The Dog A Bone"
Food and behavioural health.
Choosing the right food for your dog isn't about finding what is currently the most expensive on the market, or what others recommend with the same breed, or even serving up the type of food we would want to eat ourselves.
There are many aspects to consider when we research the right type of food for our dogs, not only for their physical health but also their mental health too because both dictate behaviour.
Gut health is key to the type of food your dog should consume, and this gut health starts from before they were born. It also influences their immune system and this influence starts by how they were born.
A natural birth is more beneficial to their immune system than C-section because this influences the type of gut microbiology digesting the food, so any antibiotics your dog needs through their life should be replaced with probiotics with the confirmation from your vet.
There are many suggestions available online that say dogs shouldn't have human food, however, dog food actually has more legislation attached to it than human foods, because most of it should be safe for human consumption.
Both dogs and humans whose metabolism is not used to the food will cause an upset system, we must also consider intolerance and allergies, so very small amounts are recommended to begin with.
Human medicine is often influenced by how animals react to the way their bodies consume, absorb or ingest it and food is not much different. Although there are areas of consumption in human foods which must be kept away from dogs, and more specifically the smaller in size.
Amongst these harmful foods include bones, mould (especially cheese mould, or on mushrooms), we should also restrict any of the grape family, chocolate, pips and stones of fruit, diet products & sweeteners and obvious aspects such as medication, alcohol and recreational drugs are very serious and can be life threatening. Contact a vet immediately if your dog consumed anything you are worried about.
However, it's important to share our food with our dogs as this helps them feel more part of the family, than just part of the environment. Something as small as a teaspoon of your (dog safe) food in their bowl at the same time as you eat helps to create a bigger bond.
Also using dog safe leftovers as treats is one of the best rewards available to your dog. In 2015 three rescue dogs were taught to steer a light aircraft through a figure of eight in the sky without human intervention by using hotdog sausages.
We must consider the amount dogs consume because many human processed foods have lots of fats and oils which can cause dogs to put weight on, so managing their diet at other times may be necessary.
The current science behind the canine vegan diet is showing serious promise in many areas surrounding diet and behaviour problems and many aspects of physical health too, such as reversing diabetes, and some metabolic concerns. Although it is recommended you contact a canine nutritionist to help guide you with all aspects of your dogs diet.
Their metabolism is obviously relevant. How the dog individually processed that specific food may have a bearing on behaviour (over excitement, or lethargy being the two opposite extremes) and there may be aspects of an "I want!" behaviour emerging at times, however this shows the value for that reward is high.
Managing the behaviour directly is likely to be more detrimental to the desired outcome, whereas asking for a more specific desired behaviour and rewarding this helps to change negative emotions back into positive emotions, and positive mental health dictates positive behaviours.
Hope this helps
Bill ConnorsLegacy Gibson
Connors Legacy Dog-Behaviourist
