IAMS IN
Tips for Caring for Large Dogs
Tips for Caring for Large Dogs

adp_description_block18
Tips for Caring for Large Dogs

  • Share

Big dogs equal big love

Whether your dog is a big sweetie, a big weirdo or a big athlete, here’s what you need to know about taking care of your big dog.
 

First, all big dogs start out as little dogs. But pretty soon they grow up — and so does their appetite, their toys, their dog bowls, the vet bill and their need for speed.
 

He started to grow.
And pretty soon
he was bigger than
the recliner.

 

Large dogs grow more slowly than smaller ones

Sometimes it can take more than two years for them to reach their full size.
 

And you won’t like to think about it too much, but their life spans are shorter, too: about 10 to 12 years.
 

No wonder
you'll let him push
you off the bed
at night.

 

So remember: Everything in moderation.

If a large dog gets too much food as a pup, they’re at a higher risk of growing too quickly, which can cause joint trouble.
 

For large breeds, being overweight is especially problematic. All that extra weight can be a lot for the joints to carry around.
 

Keep your good old dog healthy by practicing portion control and feeding nutritious food like IAMS™ Mature Adult Large Breed.
 

How will she catch
a screaming
15-mile-an-hour
Frisbee in midair
if she has knee trouble.

 

A word about exercising with a large dog.

Back in the day, large-breed dogs were especially energetic. They were working dogs, herders, hunters, cart pullers and people protectors.

 

Who are we to deny their evolution?

Make sure your dog gets exercise every day.
 

How do you accomplish this? Walk, walk and more walk. And add in some running, jumping, chasing, hiking, fetching, dog-park visiting, swimming and even agility courses.
 

Repeat this mantra:
'I am the alpha.'
 

When it comes to training, think of it this way: The bigger the dog, the harder it is to hide behavior problems. And if you can’t control your super-sized soulmate, they could inadvertently cause damage or hurt someone.

  • Make time for training from day one.
  • Teach easy commands early.
  • Use a firm and confident voice.
  • Keep your dog exercised to fend off boredom-induced behaviors.
  • Reward good behaviors.

 

Living large is all
about biting the
wind and living
that sweet,
sweet life.

Tips for Caring for Large Dogs
Tips for Caring for Large Dogs
Tips for Caring for Large Dogs
Tips for Caring for Large Dogs
Tips for Caring for Large Dogs
Tips for Caring for Large Dogs
  • Chicken: The Complete Protein Source for Your Dog-banner
    Chicken: The Complete Protein Source for Your Dog-mob
    adp_description_block324
    Chicken: The Complete Protein Source for Your Dog

    • Share

    Chicken, a complete protein source, is a key ingredient in IAMS™ dog foods, including IAMS™ ProActive Health™ Adult MiniChunks. As an animal-based protein, chicken can help maintain your dog’s muscle structure and naturally provides all the amino acids essential to carnivorous animals such as dogs. Plus, chicken adds great flavor.
     

    Learn more about chicken’s role in your dog’s complete, well-balanced diet.

     

    Chicken Ingredients Used in Dog Foods

    Common chicken ingredients in dog food include chicken, chicken meal, chicken byproduct meal and chicken fat:

    • Chicken is flesh and skin without internal organs or feathers.
    • Chicken meal includes flesh, skin and bone that have been cleaned, dried, cooked and ground.
    • Chicken byproduct meal is flesh, skin and internal organs (including intestines and bone) that have been cleaned, dried, cooked and ground.
    • Chicken fat, a high-quality energy source, provides essential fatty acids such as linoleic acid that can help support skin and coat health.

     

    Natural Chicken Flavor

    Another common chicken-based ingredient is natural chicken flavor, also called chicken digest. Natural chicken flavor adds palatability and nutrients. It is high-quality protein and fat material that has been reduced to amino and fatty acids to improve flavor through an enzymatic process.

     

    Internal Organs and Bone in Chicken Byproduct Meal

    Internal organs are rich sources of protein, fats and minerals, such as iron, that are essential to dog health and add to the palatability of the pet food. Including some ground bone provides a good source of minerals, such as calcium. Some pet-food manufacturers formulate their products without such ingredients to appeal to dog owners, rather than to help dogs achieve optimal health. However, the nutritional needs of dogs are not the same as the nutritional needs of humans.

     

    The IAMS Difference

    Dried chicken-protein sources in our chicken-based dog foods undergo an extra refining process. Refined chicken meal and chicken byproduct meal are excellent and complete sources of protein because they naturally contain each of the amino acids that are essential to dogs.

     article chicken the complete protein source for your dog header
     article chicken the complete protein source for your dog inset
Close modal