How to Choose the Best Dog Food for Chinooks
The handsome Chinook is a relatively new breed that traces its roots to New Hampshire in 1917 and a litter of puppies born of the result of a purposeful breeding between a beloved farm dog and a Siberian Husky. One of the puppies possessed many physical traits and a sweet-natured temperament considered highly desirable in a family pet. This male pup was named Chinook, and he later sired many puppies that bore his wonderful qualities as well.
Throughout the years, the Chinook’s continued development has been somewhat rocky. At times, the breed has become in danger of extinction, but through concentrated efforts of devotees of the breed, they are still around today though in shorter supply.
The Chinook has a lovely fawn coloured coat. One of the hallmarks of this unique breed its tremendously sweet nature and gentleness. A laidback pooch, the Chinook is powerful and highly intelligent. One of the jobs this breed excelled at was pulling heavy loads of supplies. The breed is well renowned for its strength and tremendous endurance.
A breed that is a natural athlete, the Chinook is a very high energy dog. The breed excels at many different activities and requires regular vigorous exercise on a daily basis to remain physically and mentally content.
Chinooks retain Husky-like qualities in that they enjoy digging and are expert escape artists. A secure form of containment is required for this breed as its prey drive will encourage it to roam.
The Chinook is typically a very healthy breed. However, as with all dog types, the Chinook can be predisposed to developing certain health conditions including hip dysplasia, cataracts, seizures, skin and coat problems, and gastrointestinal distress. Though diet alone cannot eliminate or prevent health problems in a dog, it can lay an excellent foundation for wellness. The best dog foods for Chinooks contain supplements to boost joint, skin, and eye health.
The ideal diet for the Chinook consists of approximately 18 percent protein and 5 percent fat.
Choosing the Correct Calorie Count for Chinooks
Trying to determine how much food to feed a dog is a process that involves some experimentation. Thankfully, the best dog foods for Chinooks provide helpful suggestions through serving sizes printed on the side of their packaging. These amounts are a great starting point with adjustments made in small amounts until the proper meal portion is found. The dog’s weight, age, activity level, and appetite will all serve as helpful guides in this process.
The Chinook is naturally highly active, and thus, weight gain is not typically an issue with this breed. However, the Chinook can be predisposed to hip dysplasia, so maintaining a healthy body weight is vitally important. To this end, free feeding is strongly discouraged. All intake should be carefully measured and monitored.
Dietary Requirements for Chinook Dog Foods
The Chinook is a busy breed, requiring a diet that is well-balanced, comprised of top quality ingredients, and based on a lean, meat-based protein to attain optimal health and wellness. The best dog foods for Chinooks base their recipe on a whole meat or meat meal. By-products are often utilized as the basis of commercial dog food diets; however, these are derived from less desirable cuts of meat and are not of sufficient nutritional quality for the athletic Chinook’s needs.
Plant proteins such as soy, corn, and wheat are common allergens for many dogs, and for this reason, are not suitable for the Chinook’s diet. Also best avoided are foods containing chemicals, additives, fillers, artificial flavors, colors, and preservatives. These ingredients are often utilized in commercial dog foods to promote a better appearance and shelf life. They offer no nutritional benefit to the Chinook.
No diet is complete without the addition of carbohydrates to help the Chinook attain good digestion and a healthy immune system. These carbohydrates can come from antioxidant and fiber-rich fruits, vegetables, or whole grains. Dogs that have shown sensitivities to grains in the past may do best on a grain-free diet.
Healthy fats help the Chinook to enjoy strong reserves of energy and optimal coat and skin health. These fats are best found in animal-based foods such as chicken fat and oily fish. Some plant-based oils like canola, safflower, sunflower, and coconut also offer ample servings of the essential fatty acids the Chinook needs.
Supplements added to a high quality diet can be of great benefit to the Chinook. The ideal supplements to look for in a food for this breed include prebiotics, probiotics, glucosamine, and chondroitin.
Things to Look for in the Best Dog Food for Chinooks
Here is a basic list of the most important things to look for in the best dog food for a Chinook:
-
Lean meat-based proteins heading up the ingredients list
The Chinook is a natural athlete, and thus, requires a diet that is based on a lean, meat-based protein to attain optimal health and wellness. Whole meats and meat meals offer the best foundation for a healthy diet.
By-products and plant proteins such as soy, corn, and wheat are not of sufficient nutritional quality for this busy breed.
-
Prepared without the addition of chemicals, flavorings, fillers, or mystery ingredients
Chemicals, fillers, artificial flavorings and colorings, and mystery ingredients provide no nutritional benefit to a Chinook. Diets containing any of these items are best left on the shelf.
-
Enriched with probiotics and helpful supplements
All foods can benefit from the addition of supplements to help the nutrition contained in the diet to work its most effectively. The ideal supplements to look for in a food for the Chinook are prebiotics, probiotics, glucosamine, and chondroitin.
-
Meets AAFCO nutritional requirements for a complete and balanced food
All foods appropriate for the Chinook should bear the AAFCO seal of approval, indicating it meets the standards for a complete and balanced food.