What Do Dogs Think About The Most?

What Do Dogs Think About The Most?

1.15.2014

Chloe always seems to have food on her mind.

What do dogs think about the most?

Okay, I’ll go out on a limb here, and say food?

Elderly dogs may have sleeping on their minds, but for the vast majority I’m sure it’s food. Hanging around Chloe, I can honestly say that food pretty much seems to occupy her mind. Our domesticated dogs of course no longer live the life of their wolf ancestor, where their constant activity was hunting for the next meal. No, modern dogs have it much better, especially those that live in responsible family households.

Here are some interesting facts:

According to the APPA, American Pet Products Association, Americans spent an estimated $21.26 billion on pet food in 2013. We also spent $13.21 billion for our pet's over-the-counter medicine, $14.21 billion on veterinary care, and $4.54 billion on grooming and boarding services. That is no small chunk of change!

Which brings me back to the subject of what kind of food do you feed your dog? There are certainly a lot of commercial brands and types that are available that one can select from. The two most common manufactured ones are the dry kibble with 6-10% moisture content by volume, and the wet canned foods that have 60-90% moisture content. Other types of prepared dog foods that have recently gained in popularity include:

- Frozen which are essentially raw requiring an added step that you cook it before serving,

- Fresh which requires that you refrigerate it or the food spoils,

- Homemade which requires that you make it from home cooked meat and vegetables and

- Vegetarian prepared from oatmeal, peas, and potatoes instead of meat protein.

No doubt, our dogs have come a long way since their ancestral days of hunting by having specially prepared meals in all sorts of varieties and ingredients. Today the old cliché, …where one type does not fit all, is certainly true about what we feed our dogs.