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Diet and Nutrition: Feeding Dogs for Emotional and Behavioural Health

Diet and Nutrition: Feeding Dogs for Emotional and Behavioural Health

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 In this episode, we explore diet and nutrition through a much wider lens than calories, protein percentages, or trends. Food does not just affect the body. It affects the gut. The nervous system. Emotional regulation. And ultimately, behaviour. We talk about why dogs are facultative carnivores, what that actually means in real life, and why carbohydrates have been so heavily misunderstood and demonised. We explore the importance of balance, individual dogs, and the type and quality of ingredients, rather than extreme or one-size-fits-all feeding rules. This episode also looks at the gut–brain connection, why feeding the same food every day can negatively affect the microbiome, and how dietary variety supports resilience, emotional steadiness, and long-term wellbeing. We unpack common pet food marketing tactics, including misleading buzzwords, ingredient list tricks, and the reality behind claims like “no artificial additives” and long lists of added vitamins and minerals. This episode is not about doing things perfectly. It is about understanding how deeply food and behaviour are linked, and how thoughtful, pressure-free choices can make a meaningful difference to a dog’s physical and emotional health. If you enjoy these conversations and want to go deeper, there are two additional podcasts each month exclusively inside my Patreon. The Patreon episodes explore the deeper emotional, relational, and philosophical layers of living with dogs through the CDD lens. We slow things down, challenge common assumptions, and talk honestly about behaviour, pressure, and what dogs actually need to feel safe and settled. If you would like to support the podcast and access those additional episodes, you can join via the link below. If you want practical guidance alongside the theory, all of my main courses include a comprehensive canine nutrition course, which is currently being fully updated and will be complete by the 1st of February. The updated nutrition course covers: • How diet affects behaviour and emotional regulation • The gut–brain connection explained clearly and accessibly • Understanding carbohydrates, protein, and balance properly • Reading ingredient lists with confidence • Avoiding common marketing traps • Feeding variety safely and thoughtfully • Home cooking options, from partial to fully prepared diets • Supporting individual dogs rather than feeding by rule The nutrition course is included as part of all of my main courses, so there is no need to purchase it separately. It is designed to remove fear, confusion, and pressure around feeding, and replace it with clarity, confidence, and calm decision-making.

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