Food is the energy house for all living beings including your pet dog. Parents of the dog find it overwhelming to fix the food for the pet while travelling. What works for one, sometimes, does not work for another. Carrying it along is a big issue too. So, hit and trial is the most workable way of selecting food for the dog ready to go on travel. All these efforts do leave a positive impact on the behavior pattern of the pet and you find it easy and fun to be with such happy animal.
Listed here are certain observations leading to food and feeding routines that influence the dog’s behavior in travel in various ways:
- Effect of food ingredients
Some foods are called brain foods for dogs, just like the humans have nuts and almonds to boost their cerebral capabilities. The brain food for dogs is DHA, a fatty acid, known as docosahexaenoic acid. This nutrient is known to have positive impact on the learning abilities of the dog. They become easy to train, learn tricks fast and also show willingness to learn. So, when you feed your dog with such foods, you find it easy to adapt it to the new conditions while travelling.
Another very important ingredient of the food is anti-oxidants. The diet rich in anti-oxidants is found to be very useful in increasing immunity. Since the pet is exposed to new conditions and is on risk of catching infection while on the move, feeding it anti-oxidant rich food can help in staying healthy.
- Effect of feeding routine
In addition to the contents of the food, the frequency of eating them also matters. You need not keep the dog on a nibbling spree all through the travel nor keep them longing for more by feeding only once. Just like you cannot keep your cool in want of a sensible eating routine, the dogs also behave irritability when their feeding routine is disturbed due to travel. So, try to stick to the diet plan while on the go. It keeps the pet from being fussy.
- Correct proportion of various ingredients
The correct proportion of food content is also important for maintaining good behavior in the dogs. Too much of sugar can make dog restless and over active. So, it is a big no before you hit on the road. Too less of water can leave the dog dehydrated and make them very irritable or dull. They show aggravated restlessness due to urinary infection which is common with the water-deficient diet. And, too much of dried nuts and grains take toll on the digestive system. So, balanced diet is the key to happy travelling with the pet dog.
Making changes in diet is one of the common advices that a veterinarian gives to the owners who come complaining about the dog’s behavior. Many positive changes in the behavior can be brought by altering the diet. For example, there are certain foods that make it possible to keep the dog calm and stress-free. If you increase the amounts of these foods in the diet, it helps calm down the dog. Common examples of such foods include:
- Turkey: Dogs mostly feel low when taken out from their regular place. Turkey is a good source of L-tryptophan which is a ‘feel good’ chemical. It also helps regulating sleep.
- Whole oats: Good for a dog that feels overwhelmed by travel conditions.
- Quinoa: Helpful in reducing travel stress
- Hempseed oil: Mostly, it is providing ample lubrication for joints, thus, avoiding their inflammation. Thus, it keeps the bouts of fatigue away. It is one of the finest base materials to prepare processed dog foods which are easy to carry on travel too.
- Oily fish: Controls production of adrenaline, thus, helps control an over aggressive dog.
Check here the complete list of dog foods that are based on meats good for your furry partner. You can also buy vegetable based and nuts based foods to offer good and nutritious break from meats. Have a diet for the dog planned in such a way that all good nutrients reach its system. This helps checking erratic behavior caused due to travel conditions.
