Old Trainer: Kibble versus table scraps for your dog. What you should know

Dear Old Trainer: Is dry kibble good enough to provide all the nutrition Ranger, my 5-year-old Beagle/Schnauzer needs? I’ve always fed him table scraps, but I keep seeing ads claiming how nutritious kibble is. What do you feed your dogs and how do you figure how much to feed them? I want to feed him whatever is best for him, but don’t know what to believe.

Susan, Merced, California

Old Trainer: You’re right, it’s hard to know what to believe when you see so many conflicting claims. Reminds me of a passage in one of John Steinbeck’s short stories: “It was the magic hour when fishermen who know for a fact you only catch the big ones during the daylight hours are replaced by fishermen who know beyond doubt the secret is to fish at night.”

One thing we know is that dogs thrive on table scraps. Canines are both predators and scavengers and they first decided to domesticate the human animal when they discovered all the fine leftovers around the cave. They’re pragmatic too, and saw in an instant the bones and animal parts humans tossed away were a lot better option than trying to bring down a two-thousand-pound buffalo.

Not everyone produces enough table scraps for their dogs so commercial dog food — kibble, treats, canned food — was invented to fill the void, thus all the hot air you hear from competing ads.

And you can add in the faction touting the “Raw Food diet” which holds that your dog will die if you don’t feed it what they consider raw foods. The proponents are divided between those who insist only the raw carcass of a free-range chicken is acceptable because that’s how the wolves did it in the old days, those who say as long as it is raw and contains bones it’s fine, and heretics who claim commercial raw food will do.

I expect before long the first group may decide it only counts as raw food if their dog catches it and kills it

Nutrition, like most canine questions, comes down to common sense. I don’t produce enough leftovers for eight dogs so I rely on commercial food, including kibble. I researched all the brands and discovered any brand of kibble you buy at a super market is lacking in nutrition. I found brands that are healthy and cost no more. I emailed you a list of the ones I use.

I don’t believe kibble alone provides adequate nutrition, so I add canned dog food, any scraps I have, fish oil, an egg once or twice a week, and hot dogs now and then.

I give them a beef bone — the big leg bone, cut into 6-inch pieces—to chew on after the meal, Carnivores love to gnaw on the bones after they devour a kill and beef leg bones are so hard they last for months.

I feed once a day — same schedule zoos use for their big predators — half an hour or so before sunset. I start with one cup volume —including the kibble and the added food — per 20 pounds, then vary it to keep a dog a peak weight.

I use stainless steel or heavy ceramic dishes and wash them every few days.

The Old Trainer has been a trainer for three decades and has rescued, trained, loved, and placed more than 4,000 dogs. Send questions to: theoldtrainer@gmail.com.