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Low-cost food might be better for your wallet, but it can be a raw deal for your dog, because he may not get the nutrition he needs. Premium foods, such as IAMS™ ProActive Health™ Smart Puppy Original , make sense both nutritionally (because of consistent, high-quality ingredients) and economically because they provide:
The investment in a premium food might initially cost more per bag, but because these high-quality formulas are high in nutrient density, your dog may need less food, which can offset the higher cost per unit of weight. On a cost-per-feeding basis, look at how much you feed each day as opposed to how much the bag costs, because nutrient and energy density will generally be lower for a low-cost food compared with premium foods.
With budget-priced formulas, the emphasis is on production and ingredient costs. Two bags of the same least-cost formulated food can have different ingredients and/or levels of ingredients. Plus, those ingredients may vary significantly in digestibility. This means, simply, that you may need to feed more just to equal the nutrition offered by a smaller amount of a premium dog food formula.
High-quality, complete, and balanced premium dog foods such as the IAMS brands are specifically designed to provide your dog with a food that has:
To determine how much food to give your dog, check the daily feeding recommendations set by the pet food manufacturer and read the label. To calculate portion sizes, divide the total daily recommended amount by the number of times (usually two for adult dogs) you plan to feed your dog.
To tell if your dog is at a healthy weight, move your hands along his sides. If you can feel his ribs, he's about right. Or, look down at him when you're directly above him. You should be able to see a waistline.
If he's gaining or losing a lot of weight, slightly decrease or increase his daily intake and weigh him in another week. If you have specific concerns about your dog's weight, talk to your veterinarian. He or she can assess your dog's needs and make a feeding recommendation.
Once you've decided on a premium formula, you have another choice to make: dry or moist. And what about biscuits?
Premium dry dog food gives you the best value and convenience, while fortifying your dog with high-quality nutrition. Premium dry foods come in a number of bag sizes and formulas suited to size, life stage, and activity level. Dry food also helps keep teeth clean, and it stays fresh for a long time if you store it properly.
Wet foods from IAMS provide 100% complete nutrition. IAMS ProActive Health Puppy Biscuits make great treats and rewards and can add taste variety to your new dog's diet.
We asked dog owners* how many hours a day they think their adult dog sleeps. The answers averaged around 9.7 hours. Truth is, dogs normally sleep around 12-14 hours a day. (Cats sleep 12-16 hours, which is why it’s called a “catnap,” we presume.) “Normal” can depend on lots of things. Bigger breeds definitely need more z’s. Older dogs tire quicker and sleep more. Growing puppies need up to 20 hours a day. Being cute must really be tiresome.
But why do they sleep so much? We’re not going to let sleeping dogs lie; we’re getting to the answers.
Dogs spend less time in deep REM sleep, so they’re able to wake quickly and be ready to go — whether it’s responding to danger or the opening of a bag of chips. It also means they need to doze more often to make up for that lack of truly restful sleep.
In general, carnivores need more rest. “In their wild dog and wolf days, it was a hunt for food, bringing down large prey, then feasting,” says
Opens a new windowDr. Jo Gale, BVetMed CertLAS MRCVS, Senior Manager, Global Science Advocacy at Waltham Petcare Science Institute. “They’d spend a long time digesting and may not eat for a few days. There’s a tendency to conserve energy.” Just think about how you feel after eating a huge steak. Incoming meat coma. Goodbye, belt. Hello, sofa.
Yawn. When owners are out of the house, dogs often sleep simply because they’re bored. They’re not into books and haven’t quite figured out how to turn on the TV, so why not catch a few extra winks? Plus, they want to be super refreshed when you come back home in the evening.
Some dogs like to sleep longer and some dogs are just lazier than others. According to
Opens a new windowDr. Tammie King, Applied Behavior Technical Leader at Waltham Petcare Science Institute, “You might see more sleeping after intense exercise or they’ve gone to a pet sitter or boarding center due to high stimulation.” There’s usually no cause for concern unless they seem lethargic and lose interest in playing or eating, or begin listening to a lot of emo music.
Their wild days long gone, dogs have adapted their sleep schedules to match humans’ sleep schedules. Sort of. They still might get you up in the night or early morning before your alarm goes off. It’s best to exercise them in the morning and evening so they’re more tired — and have used the facilities — right before everyone else goes to sleep.
Now, the only question remaining is, what do you think your dog dreams about?
*Surveyed U.S. dog owners, age 18+
Sample Size: n=201
Fielded May 8-10, 2020
