How diet can impact a dogs behaviour

Does your dog struggle to focus during training? Do they go from hyperactive zoomies to napping in random spots? Or maybe they’re anxious and can’t relax, even at home? A puppy's diet plays a crucial role in brain development, trainability, and socialization. However, when a dog struggles to focus or misbehaves, diet is often overlooked. High-Glycaemic Index (GI) carbs, known to cause chronic illnesses and inflammation, can also harm brain function, behavior, and a dog's ability to learn. The difference between high-GI and low-GI foods lies in how quickly they affect blood sugar levels:

• High-GI foods: These are quickly digested, causing a rapid spike in blood glucose levels.

• Low-GI foods: These digest slowly, providing a steady release of energy over time. High-GI foods can affect your dog's behavior similarly to how sugary snacks impact children. These foods, often found in dry kibble with corn, wheat, or starches, cause a quick "sugar high," leading to hyperactivity (like zoomies) and difficulty focusing.

  This burst of energy is usually followed by a "crash," leaving dogs tired, moody, irritable, or lethargic. Many pet owners mistake these mood swings and behaviour changes for bad manners or stubbornness, but they are often diet-related. High-GI foods digest quickly, leaving dogs hungry sooner. This can lead to hunger-related behaviours like excessive begging or chewing on inappropriate items, such as shoes or furniture. Essential amino acids like tryptophan and tyrosine, found in high-quality meat proteins, are crucial for your dog's mood and behaviour. Tryptophan helps produce serotonin, which promotes calmness and well-being, while tyrosine supports dopamine, improving stress response. Insufficient tryptophan can lead to aggression, stress, and depression.

  A raw diet rich in natural proteins from meats like beef, chicken, turkey, and salmon provides these amino acids in their most bioavailable form, making dogs calmer, less anxious, and easier to train. Avoiding synthetic nutrients and processed starchy carbs further supports their overall behaviour and focus. Toilet training is easier with raw-fed puppies because their food contains up to 60% moisture, keeping them naturally hydrated. In contrast, dry kibble contains only 10-12% moisture, requiring dogs to drink more water to stay hydrated and digest the food. This increased water intake leads to more frequent urination, making toilet training harder.

  Raw-fed puppies also produce less solid waste since raw food lacks the indigestible fillers found in kibble, resulting in fewer accidents and easier clean up.
  

  

  References:

  Feeding Dogs: The Science Behind The Dry Versus Raw Debate by Dr Conor Brady PhD Canine Nutrigenomics by W Jean Dodds DVM and Diana Laverdure.