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In this guide we’ll take a look at the best dog food for Shetland Sheepdogs.
We’ve compared the quality of ingredients, nutritional information, and value for money.
Our top recommended Shetland Sheepdog dog food is Taste of the Wild High Prairie.
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All of our dog food suggestions are carefully selected by professionals. We extensively research the products to check if they’ve been approved by governing bodies before making recommendations. You can read more about our stringent review standards here. And remember, always consult your veterinarian first, before changing your dog’s food.
Taste of the Wild High Prairie offers premium tier nutrition at a reasonable price point to give families with Shetland Sheepdogs exceptional value for their dog food dollar. A diet often recommended as the best dog food for Shetland Sheepdogs, Taste of the Wild High Prairie contains no grains, taking instead antioxidant and fiber-dense fruits and vegetables as the basis of its carbohydrate content. This approach to nutrition ensures ample support for good digestion and a healthy immune system.
The main ingredients in this diet are buffalo and lamb meal, two meats that are not commonly seen in commercially prepared dog food diets. This emphasis in novel meat-based proteins makes Taste of the Wild High Prairie a wonderful choice for dogs that have expressed sensitivities to certain foods in the past.
Taste of the Wild High Prairie contains no grain, corn, wheat, fillers, artificial flavors, colors, or preservatives. Probiotics have been added to this recipe to assist with the development of healthy gut flora.
American Journey LID Grain-Free offers high quality nutrition at a price that fits neatly within a budget, making this food of exceptional value. This American Journey food offering is based on a finite number of high quality ingredients, making it an excellent selection for dogs with sensitivities to certain foods. The main ingredient in this recipe is duck, a lean meat that is easily digestible and rich in amino acids to promote a healthy body.
One of the best dog foods for Shetland Sheepdogs on the market today, this food is completely free from grains, instead making use of fruits and vegetables that are nutrient-dense to support digestion and encourage a healthy immune system. In addition to being grain-free, American Journey LID Grain-Free contains no corn, wheat, soy, by-products, artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives.
Safflower oil and flaxseed have been included in this diet to boost the omega 3 and 6 fatty acid content contained in it. These essential fatty acids provide an important help in establishing excellent coat and skin quality.
VICTOR Select Yukon River Grain-Free, one of the best dog foods for Shetland Sheepdogs available for purchase today, is a top tier diet that has been optimized to support active dogs in their busy lifestyle. A diet that includes no grains in its recipe, this powerhouse food formulation utilizes fruits and vegetables that are nutrient-dense in its carbohydrate base.
The main ingredient in this well-balanced food is menhaden fish meal, a protein blend that provides ample servings of the essential fatty acids required for optimal coat and skin health.
Often rated as one of the best dog foods for Shetland Sheepdogs, Merrick Grain-Free Adult is a high performance food that provides top shelf nutrition at a reasonable price point. The primary ingredient in this diet is beef, a lean meat included in its whole form. Beef contains a powerhouse punch of nutrients to support healthy muscles in the Shetland Sheepdog.
A diet that includes no grains in its recipe, Merrick Grain-Free Adult bases its carbohydrate content on antioxidant and fiber-dense fruits and vegetables. These ingredients lay a foundation for good digestion and a healthy immune system. Glucosamine and chondroitin have also been added to ensure a vital help for optimal joint functionality.
Eagle Pack Original Adult, one of the best dog foods for Shetland Sheepdogs, is an exceptional diet that is well primed to meet the needs of busy working breeds. This diet places a high emphasis on ingredients that are rich in antioxidants, fiber, and essential fatty acids to promote healthy coat and skin, good digestion, and a thriving immune system in the Shetland Sheepdog.
Whole grains are included in the carbohydrate profile of this diet. Each included whole grain was selected for its abundance of dietary fiber to boost digestion in this lively breed. Eagle Pack Original Adult contains no corn, wheat, by-products, artificial flavors, colors, or preservatives.
The beautiful Shetland Sheepdog, often affectionately referred to as a Sheltie, traces its roots to the Shetland Islands where the breed was originally developed as a guardian and protector of its owner’s farm. The breed possessed a sharp bark that drove away strangers, birds, and prey alike, keeping the property safe from harm. In subsequent years, this early prototype of the Shetland Sheepdog was purposely bred to other Scottish herding dogs to create a dog breed that would be well-suited to herding sheep.
The Shetland Sheepdog is affectionate and loving towards those it loves most; however, this charming, sweet-natured dog can be aloof with strangers. A natural guardian, the Shetland Sheepdog is prone to alert barking.
A dog breed that is highly intelligent, the Shetland Sheepdog is both quick and eager to learn. They are natural born people pleasers, taking great delight in any opportunity to acquire new skills. A dog that is both athletic and energetic, the Shetland Sheepdog excels at many different activities including conformation, agility, obedience, Rally, and much, much more. This dog breed requires regular daily exercise to remain physically and mentally content, and as such, is not prone to becoming overweight.
Since the Shetland Sheepdog was intended to function as a working dog, this breed requires a job to do. Otherwise, this happy, busy dog can become neurotic and even destructive. The breed will not thrive as a couch potato, requiring mental stimulation and regular activity.
The Shetland Sheepdog is especially prey driven. This means that its natural tendency to herd may result in the dog corralling all kinds of things including cats, squirrels, other household pets, and even children. The dog’s instinct compels it to herd these creatures by barking and gently biting at their heels. For this reason, the Shetland Sheepdog must have an outlet for its herding instincts and should be supervised when around children and other family pets.
Though typically a very healthy dog, the Shetland Sheepdog, as with all dog breeds, can be prone to developing certain health problems. These include collie eye anomaly, corneal dystrophy, congenital deafness, epilepsy, hip dysplasia, hypothyroidism, progressive retinal atrophy, and more. It is recommended that this sweet, busy breed be fed a diet that contains supplements to support eye and joint health.
The best dog foods for Shetland Sheepdogs should ideally be comprised of 18 percent protein and 5 percent fat.
The lively, happy Shetland Sheepdog requires a high performance diet that is comprised of easily digestible ingredients and based on a lean, meat-based protein. Selecting the right diet is a challenging task, but once that has been done, it is then time to determine how much of the food to feed a dog. The best dog foods for Shetland Sheepdogs provide helpful hints through their suggested serving sizes based on a dog’s age and weight.
The suggestions provided on the side of a food’s packaging make an excellent starting point. These amounts can be gently adjusted with the dog’s body condition, appetite, and activity level all serving as helpful guidelines until the correct portion has been found.
Free feeding the Shetland Sheepdog is not recommended. Since maintaining a healthy body weight is vitally important, this dog breed’s food should always be measured and its intake, including treats, should be monitored.
The energetic Shetland Sheepdog is a carnivore, and thus, needs an exceptional food formulation that is well-balanced and based on a lean meat-based protein to achieve optimal health and wellness.
The best dog foods for Shetland Sheepdogs base their recipe on a whole meat or a meat meal is easily digestible. By-products are not of sufficient nutritional quality to fuel the requirements of this busy breed. Likewise, the plant-based proteins soy, corn, and wheat have been linked to food allergies in many dogs, and thus, are best avoided.
Chemicals, additives, fillers, artificial flavors, colors, and preservatives are often included in commercially prepared dog foods to improve taste, appearance, or shelf life. These ingredients offer no nutritional benefit to the Shetland Sheepdog.
Carbohydrates can come from fruits, vegetables, whole grains, or a combination of the three. It is from this food group that the Shetland Sheepdog obtains the nutrients for fluid digestion and a thriving immune system. Dogs that have previously shown sensitivities to grains may do best on a grain-free diet.
All dogs require healthy fats to boost their overall health and wellness and encourage excellent skin and coat quality. The ideal sources for these healthy fats are found in ingredients such as chicken fat and oily fish. Some plant-based oils such as canola, safflower, sunflower, and coconut also offer ample amounts of these critical nutrients.
All diets can benefit from the addition of supplements to reinforce their nutritional value. The ideal supplements for the Shetland Sheepdog include glucosamine, chondroitin, prebiotics, and probiotics.
Here is a basic list of the most important things to look for in the best dog food for a Shetland Sheepdog:
The best dog foods for the Shetland Sheepdog are based on a lean, meat-based protein. Whole meats and meat meals make the ideal foundation for a high quality, nutritious food for this active breed. By-products and plant proteins should be avoided.
Chemicals, fillers, artificial flavorings and colorings, and mystery ingredients provide no nutritional benefit to a Shetland Sheepdog. Diets which contain any of these items are best left on the shelf.
Supplements can be of great benefit to the Shetland Sheepdog’s overall health and wellness. The ideal supplements to look for in a food for this active breed include glucosamine, chondroitin, prebiotics, and probiotics.
All foods appropriate for the Shetland Sheepdog should bear the AAFCO seal of approval, indicating it meets the standards for a complete and balanced food.
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