Dogs
All about dogs - dog breeds, dog training and behavior, news affecting dog owners or handlers, puppy pics, etc.
Rules (Will be refined later on).
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Don't be a dick. This should cover most things, just keep in mind that everyone started somewhere and try to be helpful rather than rude or judgmental.
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No personal attacks based on training style or tools.
Discussion of balanced training including proper use of aversives is allowed here. -
All breeds and mixes are welcome. You can criticize backyard breeding practices but don't pile on people because they own a specific breed or prefer purebreds or mixed breeds.
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Do not support backyard breeders or puppy mills. Please do not link to or suggest buying from high volume breeders or those with an obvious lack of standards and testing.
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Do not help or support fake service animals. Please do not encourage people to buy fake service dog vest or ESA letters to get around rental or other restrictions & do not give advice on how to misrepresent a dog as a service or support animal.
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I didn't ask for anything, but you've managed to find information that says, "Feed your dog food." Cool.
Unsurprisingly, you will see this same text on the other breeds. It's the AKC so information is generic and minimal.
Somehow it seems this may be a surprise to you, but different breeds have different dietary requirements, You are meant to know these well and stick to them as the side effects of not doing this become apparent, such is the case with all ~~special, mythical creatures~~ dogs I have had. Some are easy, some are more difficult. Diet should be well-researched before getting any breed or you could end up at the vet, finding out there. And, yes, in addition to everything else, his local vet and a vet friend prescribe the same diet.
Now you're just making stuff up or didn't read your own "source". Or the Sami were doing it wrong for 3,000 years and it's a wonder the breed survived! /s
Well, we know now dogs need food, but what is "all the nutrients the Finnish Lapphund needs"? Well, I'm glad you didn't ask...
They should be having around 15–20% of their meal being raw bone, obviously not cooked or hollowed. For most dogs on raw diets, the standard is around 7–15%. Additionally, apart from their large canine fangs, their teeth are mostly very large splitters specifically for bone as much of their diet is carcasses. Reindeer, rabbit, fish, often partially frozen as they're nomadic. Many other spitz breeds share this trait like buhunds, lundehunds, and malamutes. They can have dry foods, but it isn't as easy to consume with those teeth and a high moisture diet is needed as they quickly start having digestive issues on dries—a lot of gas and blockages, he will begin whimpering and stop eating after about a week. It is like if you were suddenly forced to eat something the human body does not know how to handle. Though, other dogs I've had have eaten only dry foods and thrive with them, as simple as grabbing a good bag from the pet store.
The other key is omegas as they have evolved on a heavy fish diet and their body demands it much more for their insane coat and its production. He certainly needs more than my other double-coated dogs. Again, this isn't unusual for many spitz breeds from colder parts of Europe. Not doing this results in huge energy drops and a poor coat. They are extremely resourceful with fats compared to many other breeds, but still require much more so whole fish and berries are regular. Considering this guy is out in the snow for days on end at times, covering long distances, he relies on that famous lappie coat and good energy reserves. It's 1C right now and he's out sleeping in the cold by choice. They can manage -30C before needing a heat source, provided they're getting the proper fats.
Not that you'd care, but there are entire books about this, including written by the Sami themselves. Obviously none of it stops at "feed it high quality food." Yeah, duh. That's true for any ~~special, mythical creature~~ dog, or you're just an ignorant owner.
Take your meds, dude.
Sorry, you'd given the impression you really wanted to know. My dog's diet has been quite obsessive to you up to this point. It's a little odd, but harmless.