How to Choose the Best Dog Food for German Shorthaired Pointers
Easily distinguished by its unique good looks and athletic frame, the German Shorthaired Pointer is a member of the sporting group. A highly active breed, the German Shorthaired Pointer carries itself with both elegance and grace. A dog that is greatly prized for its hunting ability, the German Shorthaired Pointer is a versatile dog, being equally willing to hunt for prey that flies and prey that must be chased.
Though a loyal and devoted hunting companion, the German Shorthaired Pointer also makes an exceptional family pet, eagerly displaying gentleness and love to children.
A breed with energy to spare, the German Shorthaired Pointer requires vigorous exercise on a daily basis. Families that enjoy a more sedentary lifestyle may do better with a breed that requires less activity.
The German Shorthaired Pointer possesses great intelligence, and thus, should enjoy some mental stimulation every day to avoid nuisance behaviors from developing. A true people dog, this dog type prefers to be in the company of its family and does not do well when left alone for extended periods of time.
A breed that takes great delight in pleasing its family, the German Shorthaired Pointer loves to learn new skills. This makes the breed well-suited to many different disciplines including scent detection, field work, hunt trials, obedience, Rally, conformation, and even agility. However, as a highly intelligent breed, the German Shorthaired Pointer sometimes loses focus during training exercises. An innovative approach is required to keep this smart pooch engaged in training times.
One of the most unique characteristics of the German Shorthaired Pointer is that it excels in the field as both a retriever and a pointer. This ability makes this pooch a highly desirable companion for many hunters.
The best dog foods for German Shorthaired Pointers consist of a minimum of 18 percent protein and 5 percent fat. As a highly athletic and active breed, slightly higher amounts of both of these food groups are also desirable.
Choosing the Correct Calorie Count for German Shorthaired Pointers
The German Shorthaired Pointer is a highly active breed. Because of its natural exuberance and need for vigorous daily exercise, this dog type requires a high performance diet based on a lean meat to fuel its activity requirements. The best dog foods for German Shorthaired Pointers list suggested serving sizes on the side of their packaging. These measurements can be used as a starting point with adjustments made until the correct portion size is determined.
Because the German Shorthaired Pointer is exceptionally active, it is not a breed that is prone to becoming overweight. However, free feeding is still strongly discouraged in this breed. All food should be measured and all intake monitored to ensure a healthy body condition is achieved and maintained.
Though the German Shorthaired Pointer typically enjoys excellent health, the breed can be predisposed to developing the life-threatening health problem known as bloat. At this time, it is not known precisely which factors must combine to cause this condition to occur; however, it is generally agreed upon that eating too rapidly and too much may be contributors. To this end, feeding the German Shorthaired Pointer a diet suited to large breed dogs may help to thwart the problem by encouraging more careful chewing and swallowing of food pieces.
Dietary Requirements for German Shorthaired Pointer Dog Foods
The German Shorthaired Pointer is a true athlete. Because of this, this breed requires a high performance diet to support its daily energy needs. The best dog foods for the German Shorthaired Pointer base their foundation on a lean meat. Whole meats are the preferred choice, but meat meals also offer a concentrated amount of nutrients to support optimal health and wellness in this active breed.
By-products are taken from parts of the animal deemed unlikely to be marketable for human consumption. Many of them are difficult to digest and can be common allergens for some dogs. As a result, they are not as easily nutritionally accessible for German Shorthaired Pointers, and thus, are best avoided. The plant-based proteins soy, corn, and wheat are also lacking in the nutritional quality this active breed needs to enjoy exceptional health.
Chemicals, artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives are of no benefit to the German Shorthaired Pointer. Foods containing these ingredients are best left on the shelf.
Some German Shorthaired Pointers can be prone to developing food-related allergies. For dogs that have previously expressed this predisposition, it may be best to feed them a grain-free diet. All others may eat a diet that bases its carbohydrate content on fruits, vegetables, or whole grains with no ill effects. The primary role of any carbohydrate included in a diet for this breed is its ease of digestibility and its abundance of antioxidants to support a strong immune system.
Healthy fats help the German Shorthaired Pointer to enjoy excellent coat and skin health and strong reserves of energy. These fats are best found in animal-based foods such as chicken fat and oily fish. The plant-based oils canola, safflower, and coconut also offer ample servings of these powerhouse essential fatty acids.
All foods work more effectively when supplements have been added to support their efficacy. The ideal supplements to look for in a food for the German Shorthaired Pointer are glucosamine, chondroitin, prebiotics, and probiotics.
Things to Look for in the Best Dog Food for German Shorthaired Pointers
Here is a basic list of the most important things to look for in the best food for a German Shorthaired Pointer:
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Lean meat-based proteins heading up the ingredients list
German Shorthaired Pointers require a diet based on a lean meat to help them achieve optimal health and wellness. Whole meats and meat meals make the ideal foundation. By-products and the plant-based proteins soy, corn, and wheat are best avoided entirely.
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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 the German Shorthaired Pointer. Any food that contains one or more of these items is not appropriate for this large and active breed.
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Enriched with probiotics and helpful supplements
The best supplements in a food for the German Shorthaired Pointer are glucosamine, chondroitin, prebiotics, and probiotics.
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Meets AAFCO nutritional requirements for a complete and balanced food
All foods appropriate for the German Shorthaired Pointer should bear the AAFCO seal of approval, indicating it meets the standards for a complete and balanced food.