Canine Cuisine

[THE STIFFMEISTER 17,939]

6 hours ago, Blackmag said:

As kid Oldman use to have big pans boiling outside with sheep heads wessels throttles and any bits he could get from work it was my job to watch it when it cooled down it used to have a white crust with jelly on it  lurchers and terriers thrived of it topped up with table scraps 

I didn’t know he was into running dogs mate , I thought heel was class in the firm but his best work is in Dracula 

[downsouth 8,495]

3 hours ago, THE STIFFMEISTER said:

I didn’t know he was into running dogs mate , I thought heel was class in the firm but his best work is in Dracula 

Very good in Leon too

[Rickshaw swami 4,591]

Appreciate all the responses as this subject fascinates me.

The first time I seen a pack of english fox hounds they were gorgeous.I asked the Englishman what he fed to make his dogs look like that.He said tripe.I said what else? He said more tripe.lol To this day those were the best looking dogs I've seen.

One thing that every diet mentioned in a positive way on this thread has in common.Fat adaption.Meaning the dogs primary energy source is fat instead of carbs.

I was getting deer meat from my grannies freezer when I was a teenager.My granny asked me what I did with all that meat.I told her that I fed it to my dogs.She laughed and said she only ever fed my grandads coonhounds corn meal and bacon grease.Imagine running a coon all night on that.

[Rickshaw swami 4,591]

Tonight's feed.

Pink canned salmon,Hearts,venison,chickenfeet and a little orijen.

 

In case you are wondering my own supper will be leftover pizza.

[WILF 51,862]

20 minutes ago, Rickshaw swami said:

Appreciate all the responses as this subject fascinates me.

The first time I seen a pack of english fox hounds they were gorgeous.I asked the Englishman what he fed to make his dogs look like that.He said tripe.I said what else? He said more tripe.lol To this day those were the best looking dogs I've seen.

One thing that every diet mentioned in a positive way on this thread has in common.Fat adaption.Meaning the dogs primary energy source is fat instead of carbs.

I was getting deer meat from my grannies freezer when I was a teenager.My granny asked me what I did with all that meat.I told her that I fed it to my dogs.She laughed and said she only ever fed my grandads coonhounds corn meal and bacon grease.Imagine running a coon all night on that.

I think I read years ago that dogs get energy from fat.

I used to get sacks of all the stuff the butcher threw out….never bothered me feeding them big chunks of white fat. 
One thing I will mention and that I have said before is, we eat a lot of herbs and spices in our dinners…..turmeric, masses of garlick, ginger, cumin and all sorts of other stuff.

My dogs get all the leftovers and never need chemical worming, ever !

I may just do a course as a precaution every few years IF I think they may need it….but it’s very rare. 
I can’t say for sure if that down to what I cook with but I think it is.

[Rickshaw swami 4,591]

5 minutes ago, WILF said:

I think I read years ago that dogs get energy from fat.

I used to get sacks of all the stuff the butcher threw out….never bothered me feeding them big chunks of white fat. 
One thing I will mention and that I have said before is, we eat a lot of herbs and spices in our dinners…..turmeric, masses of garlick, ginger, cumin and all sorts of other stuff.

My dogs get all the leftovers and never need chemical worming, ever !

I may just do a course as a precaution every few years IF I think they may need it….but it’s very rare. 
I can’t say for sure if that down to what I cook with but I think it is.

Out of likes but I agree.Especially about the fat.Sleddog men agree.So did the bulldog men of the 90's.American veterinarians would disagree with us because they get paid by kibble companies.I dont tell Americans what I feed as I may be labeled a witch and burned at the stake.As you know you can't reason with Yankees. 

[mC HULL 17,389]

I think they look best fed on hare and deer myself but likes been said you can obsess to much

[Rickshaw swami 4,591]

On 16/11/2025 at 17:23, WILF said:

I think I read years ago that dogs get energy from fat.

I used to get sacks of all the stuff the butcher threw out….never bothered me feeding them big chunks of white fat. 
One thing I will mention and that I have said before is, we eat a lot of herbs and spices in our dinners…..turmeric, masses of garlick, ginger, cumin and all sorts of other stuff.

My dogs get all the leftovers and never need chemical worming, ever !

I may just do a course as a precaution every few years IF I think they may need it….but it’s very rare. 
I can’t say for sure if that down to what I cook with but I think it is.

I picked up 25 lbs of white beef fat last night from a local farmer to add into my terriers diet through the winter in small quantities.

 

[Rickshaw swami 4,591]

Last nights feed

Cup of orijen

Quarter pound chicken hearts

Half ounce beef fat

2 tsp fish oil 

 

I can't tell you what position my 2 daughters played in sports but I can tell you that my terriers diet last night was 53.5%Fat 35.2%Protein 11.3%Carbs

 

[Bendigo 1,616]

On 16/11/2025 at 23:23, WILF said:

I think I read years ago that dogs get energy from fat.

I used to get sacks of all the stuff the butcher threw out….never bothered me feeding them big chunks of white fat. 
One thing I will mention and that I have said before is, we eat a lot of herbs and spices in our dinners…..turmeric, masses of garlick, ginger, cumin and all sorts of other stuff.

My dogs get all the leftovers and never need chemical worming, ever !

I may just do a course as a precaution every few years IF I think they may need it….but it’s very rare. 
I can’t say for sure if that down to what I cook with but I think it is.

A friend of mine who has a large kennel of trialing labs and other working dogs gets worm counts done. He send a shit sample once a year. Only once in 7 years did they come back with a positive sample for worms. 

[Rickshaw swami 4,591]

Last few weeks with winter gaining I have been adjusting my feed formula.Reducing carbs and increasing fat.I am curious to see how the terriers perform tomorrow in -11 celsius weather.Tonights feed.1 pound chicken hearts, half ounce beef fat,quarter cup orijen.2 tsp fish oil.I give a calcium supplement to match the phosphorus in the heart.I also give 1 ml of cod liver oil for vitamin a and d.

58.6% fat 39.4%protein 2% carbs

 

[Wolfdog91 8,036]

Y'all make me happy I have mutts. Just feed them table scraps mixed with dry dog food. Every time I take them to the vet get told there in amazing health. 

But you can't put cheap gas in a custom race car and expect the best results.... Can run a old Toyota off of anything though 

Edited December 15, 2025 by Wolfdog91

[gnasher16 31,657]

On 15/11/2025 at 20:59, Rickshaw swami said:

I've wasted hundreds of hours studying canine nutrition.It is an obsession.The other day I had an epiphany.If a man could live on an island surrounded be sheep and seafood he could consistently produce superior working canines.Now where would a man find such an island?

The British isles have produced more working dogs than anywhere.Could a big key to this success simply be you had access to the perfect nutrition for a working dog?

 

 

I can't cook but make some decent dog grub.For any of yall  who want to toss up a picture of what your feeding.I would appreciate it.

 

 

Tonight's feed

Ground venison,chicken hearts,couple oysters and a cup of orijen for 15 lb terrier

 

 

 

Not to be too critical but feeding raw and kibble in the same bowl was always a big no no.....completely different digestion times etc.

And the British Isles producing more working dogs than anywhere....wow thats a bold statement couldnt agree there.

[comanche 3,345]

On 15/12/2025 at 05:18, Rickshaw swami said:

Last few weeks with winter gaining I have been adjusting my feed formula.Reducing carbs and increasing fat.I am curious to see how the terriers perform tomorrow in -11 celsius weather.Tonights feed.1 pound chicken hearts, half ounce beef fat,quarter cup orijen.2 tsp fish oil.I give a calcium supplement to match the phosphorus in the heart.I also give 1 ml of cod liver oil for vitamin a and d.

58.6% fat 39.4%protein 2% carbs

 

There are times when my garden becomes a bit like feeding time at the zoo .   

When l do a hogget or a deer all the trimmings, lights,  whatever spare offal ,chunks of fat and decent bones are frozen in convenient portions for the dogs and ferrets.

In addition  the dogs get a cup of cheap mixer a day  and sometimes odd scraps or an egg .      I've usually  got a can or two of El Cheapo Tex Chunks from the local Indian corner shop if l get short of the real stuff or mistimed the defrosting .    The dogs do well on it!     

Feeding mostly raw stuff though  makes it really easy to up or drop a dog's weight . Another handful of meat or a few chunks of fat make a real difference  over just a couple of days .    That's  about as technical as l get . 

Hats off to you Rickshaw  for doing the proper analysis!

[Rickshaw swami 4,591]

7 hours ago, gnasher16 said:

Not to be too critical but feeding raw and kibble in the same bowl was always a big no no.....completely different digestion times etc.

And the British Isles producing more working dogs than anywhere....wow thats a bold statement couldnt agree there.

I appreciate constructive criticism of my diet which is why I posted it.If some one can improve it I'm glad to listen.As far as feeding raw and kibble together the vast majority of Iditarod mushers feed meat with a little kibble.