How to Select the Best Dog Food for Basenji Puppies
The handsome Basenji puppy is a flurry of activity. With its adorable good looks and athletic nature, this dog breed is ready for any adventure. The Basenji puppy hails from Africa and is well known for its most distinctive trait: it doesn’t bark. However, the Basenji does enjoy making itself heard through its own unique vocalizations which closely resemble a yodel.
The Basenji puppy is not for the novice owner. The breed is intensely stubborn, resisting training opportunities at every opportunity. Once some commands have been mastered, this obstinate little soul will often refuse to comply when asked to perform a recently learned trick. The Basenji puppy is also a master escape artist, requiring constant supervision even when inside a fully fenced yard.
A natural guard dog, the Basenji excels at protecting its home and hearth. Loving and affectionate to its family, the Basenji puppy is aloof and standoffish to all others.
The breed has an extremely high activity level and is a natural athlete. As a result, regular vigorous exercise on a daily basis is a must for this breed. Failure to keep this intelligent and lively breed productively engaged can result in a dog that is prone to destruction.
The Basenji puppy is not known for gaining weight easily. Still, it is not recommended that this breed be free fed. Measuring food carefully and monitoring intake is the key to achieving and maintaining a healthy weight.
Basenji puppies require an exceptional quality food formulation to fuel their daily energy reserves. The best dog foods for Basenji puppies should contain a minimum of 22 percent protein and 8 percent fat. It is also important for owners to select a diet that has the correct amount of calcium to phosphorus. Experts agree that these amounts should be 1.2 parts of calcium for each part of phosphorus.
Choosing the Correct Calorie Count for Basenji Puppies
Since the Basenji puppy is an athletic little pooch, a high quality diet that is based on a meat-based protein is essential for the breed to maintain excellent health. The best dog foods for Basenji puppies list suggested serving sizes on the side of their packaging. These suggestions make an excellent starting point for owners trying to determine how much to feed their dogs.
Adjustments can be made to the suggested meal portions until the correct amount is found. As a general rule of thumb, it is a good idea to consider the dog’s age, weight, activity level, and appetite when determining whether meal sizes need to increase or decrease.
Because the Basenji puppy is highly active, the breed can be prone to becoming underweight. For this reason, free feeding should be avoided, and all mealtimes should be monitored to ensure the Basenji puppy consumes the correct amount of calories.
Dietary Requirements for Basenji Puppy Foods
Since Basenji puppies are carnivores, they need a diet based on a lean meat-based protein. The best dog foods for Basenji puppies include a whole meat or meat meal as their first ingredient. By-products and plant-based proteins such as corn, wheat, or soy can be very difficult for puppies to digest well, and thus, are best avoided. Other ingredients that are not ideal for Basenji puppies are chemicals, fillers, additives, preservatives, artificial flavors, and colors.
Carbohydrates can be included in the form of fruits, vegetables, or whole grains. Dogs with some sensitivities to grains may do better on a grain-free diet. Carbohydrates contribute the fiber and antioxidants Basenji puppies need to achieve good digestion and a healthy immune system.
Healthy fats provide the DHA and ARA needed for brain and vision development. They also assist with coat and skin health and provide the energy Basenji puppies need to remain active. These are best obtained from animal sources such as oily fish or chicken fat. However, plant-based oils such as coconut, canola, and safflower also offer ample amounts of these nutrients.
It is always a great idea to consider a food that contains supplements to help boost a food’s efficacy. The best supplements for Basenji puppies include prebiotics, probiotics, glucosamine, and chondroitin.
Things to Look for in the Best Dog Food for Basenji Puppies
Here is a basic list of the most important things to look for in the best food for a Basenji puppy:
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Lean meat-based proteins heading up the ingredients list
Basenji puppies do best on a food that bases its formulation on meat. Whole meats or meat meals make for the very best foundation. By-products and plant-based proteins like soy, wheat, and corn are not of sufficient quality to fuel the Basenji puppy’s ongoing health and wellness.
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Prepared without the addition of chemicals, flavorings, fillers, or mystery ingredients
Chemicals, flavorings, fillers, and mystery ingredients add no nutritional value to a puppy food; in fact, they can be harmful. Diets that contain one or more of these items should be avoided.
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Enriched with probiotics and helpful supplements
Supplements help a food to be well-rounded. The most beneficial supplements for Basenji puppies include prebiotics, probiotics, glucosamine, and chondroitin.
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Meets AAFCO nutritional requirements for a complete and balanced food
All puppy foods for a Basenji pup should be stamped with the AAFCO seal of approval, indicating the food is complete and balanced to meet the needs of a growing puppy.