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A Pup Called Trinity
I am a breeder and trainer of Labrador Retrievers since 1993. When we bred our first litter we were unsure how and what to feed. Taking our vets advice at the time we weaned our puppies onto a complete commercial diet of dry biscuits. Being one of the top brands with a price to match, this turned out to be an extremely expensive diet for our puppies.
Since they were Labradors and the intake is quite high, they needed a lot more biscuits than was recommended on the back of the bags. We went through an enormous amount of food in order to keep condition on them. Living in the countryside at the time it was difficult to get the larger 15 kg bags, so we would have to sometimes settle for a 3kg bag which would last us one day only.
The puppies were extremely hyperactive making life very difficult keeping 8 puppies under control.
I discovered Ian Billinghursts book ‘Give Your Dog a Bone’, through an advertisement. I ordered read the book and it made sense to me.
Since I was studying Animal science at the time, I decided to do an experiment on my puppies as part of an assignment. I chose one pup out of the litter (a yellow male) to feed the BARF diet. The assignment was to discover what dogs preferred to eat (dry prepared biscuits or all natural). I used the opportunity to see if my puppy would not only like the diet but how well he would do on it compared to the others.
I would put a bowl of dry biscuits down for the puppy along side a bowl of all natural food such as minced chicken. Well he would down his natural food so fast you would think it was the last meal on earth and would completely leave the biscuits.
This experiment went on for only two weeks and I could see a difference in this puppy in just that short time. His coat was shinny, his eyes were brighter and his condition was much better than the others. Not only was there a physical difference but he also became the calmest and most relaxed puppy in the litter, the most attentive and very trainable.
I kept this puppy I called Trinity along with his sister Ruby and from the time of that experiment they were fed the BARF diet. Trinity went on to win Best of breed at his first show at just six months old. His sister was not shown but both were X-rayed and scored at a year old and both were very sound.
My bitches whelp on an average 10 - 12 puppies every time they have a litter which has an extremely good conception rate. Whenever I breed a litter of puppies (which is only once a year) they are sucking on chicken wings and large meaty marrow bones at just three weeks old. This gives them a taste for meat at an early age and by the time they are 8 weeks old they can eat a half a carcass each and enjoy every minute of it, even trying to get more when they finish.
If I have to go out for a few hours at any time, I can leave the puppies with a large meaty marrow bone and it will keep them eating and entertained for hours. They hardly notice I have been gone. This is also great for reducing any separation anxiety.
A BARF diet sheet is given to all my puppy buyers and they are recommended to continue with this natural feeding. Those who continue to feed the BARF diet find it very rewarding as their dogs are much happier, calmer and the owners are happier as it is more cost effective, their dogs stools are hard and easy to pick up and the dog can take his time to enjoy his meal.
Many people comment on how healthy and relaxed my dogs look and how shinny their coats are.
Semadar
