On All Fours

15/04/2023

Excellent webinar from Kim Kei Nosey barkers on Seperation Anxiety 👏

04/09/2022

17/06/2022

13/04/2022

All our dogs are social. Usual. Research finds interactions with humans to often be a primary reinforcer. Science finds puppies will continue to approach humans despite applied aversives. Most dogs, without intervention, will mostly either like or be ambivalent towards people and dogs. All my own dogs are social and all work around people and dogs.

How do I get that result?
Well, generally I trust that domestication has, in that main, done a good job of making most dogs naturally fairly social. And thus the majority of errors I see (usually in adolescence) occur as a result of people being paranoid their dog will be antisocial and so pushing them to be over social, and the creating or over dramatising the natural changes that occur when a dog is a teenager.

Unless a dog gives me a reason to, I won’t particularly encourage interactions with strange people or strange dogs. I’ll trust the my dogs have given me no signs not to trust the domestication process and instead simply allow them to ebb and flow through changes. Infact ill usually encourage ambivalence. I’ll teach them to work anywhere around other beasts and try to persuade them that other beasts aren’t that interesting. Today, the latest family member Fiasco did a cracking job in a very busy restaurant with running screaming kids in and out of a soft play and lots of people. She was friendly but not particularly interested, happy to work and then ok just sitting under the table. It was happy, easy ambivalence in the main with a dash of puppy excitement and friendly interest here and there.

There are a 100 ways to socialise a pup but I like this lazy approach best of all.

02/04/2022

Ahead of the first national Don't Walk Your Dog Day tomorrow, dog trainer Niki French, 53, from Twickenham, reveals how skipping your daily dog walk can actually benefit your pet in many ways

10/03/2022

Welcome to part 2 of " What to do if your dog reacts on a walk": What NOT to do.

Firstly, I would like to clarify that this is aimed at dogs who are afraid as opposed to over excited or frustrated and actually want to see the thing they are barking at.
When a dog or a human feels fear, our bodies and brains do pretty much the same things. In that respect we are very similar to our dogs; imagining how we might feel when in a life-threatening situation helps us to understand how our dogs are feeling too.
If we are suddenly faced with a knife-wielding maniac, our brain has already processed the danger and triggered the mechanisms in our bodies that help us flee or fight before we have even consciously registered it. Adrenaline is released to help us run faster or fight harder and the ancient part of our brain takes over, putting the more rational, thinking part to sleep, for want of a better description.

The exact same process happens to our dogs. The thing that is scaring them, whether it's another dog, a human or something else, is their equivalent of our knife-wielding maniac. They fear for their lives and their primitive brain has taken over. Rational thought and the ability to learn have been set aside.

So, for a minute, imagine you are faced with that knife. You pick up whatever is to hand to fend them off but every time you attempt to make the person attacking you go away, you are hit by your friend with a bat. It makes no sense. Now, you're not only afraid of the person with the knife, but you're afraid of being hit with the bat by the person you thought was there to help. You may stop trying to keep the person with the knife away to avoid being hit by the bat, but you won't be any less afraid of it, just more afraid of the bat as it actually hit you. That is how corrections and punishment work, they don't help the dog to cope with the scary thing at all. They simply stop the dog from showing the behaviour out of fear of "being hit with the bat".

Now, put yourself in front of that maniac with a knife again. This time, your friend doesn't hit you (phew!) but makes you sit on the floor with your back to the person with the knife and stare at them. If you look away, they are clearly not happy but it's not easy knowing there's someone with a knife behind you that might attack at any given moment. If you keep up the position and don't look away, you get a bar of chocolate. The chocolate is great under normal circumstances, but with a knife-wielding maniac behind you, enjoying a snack is the last thing on your mind! All you want is to be able to keep an eye on the knife and keep it away from you in any way possible.

Neither punishment nor distraction are going to change how anyone or any animal actually feels about something that scares them. Distraction or being trained to perform certain behaviours when faced with a scary thing may change the way they show their fear but they will still feel that fear.
Punishment and corrections have the potential for much worse fallout and is likely to cause them to escalate their attempts to keep the scary thing away.

If your dog is at the point of reacting, they are unable to learn in that moment. They are not actively choosing to react, their body and brain are simply fighting for survival. Just like we would if faced with that knife-wielding maniac. Just because your dog is reacting to something you know isn't dangerous, it doesn't make the fear they are experiencing any less valid. Your friend who was with you may well have known that the knife was made of rubber but as far as you were concerned it was real.

28/12/2021

One thing I absolutely cannot stomach is the idea of 'rescuing' a dog only to then attend training classes with trainers who use force.

The absolutely criminal thing is that not only are you taking a dog who deserves to be taught with kindness and patience, but that these 'trainers' (who are usually completely unqualified or who have bought membership to some nefarious organisation) never tell you the consequences of using punishment with an adult dog that they don't know.

When I see them referring to 'SPA' dogs as if dogs from shelters are some kind of blight on society, frankly, Facebook, it boils my p**s.

If you see anything that gives you the heebie-jeebies, walk away.

That should include:
🤬 🚩 Referring to themselves as a 'Pack Leader'
🤬 🚩 Jumping on 'Dominance' and 'Alpha' dogs as an explanation for anything your dog doesn't understand yet
🤬 🚩 Using prongs or choke chains
🤬 🚩 Recommending shock collars
🤬 🚩 Recommending underground hidden electric fencing and a shock collar
🤬 🚩 Referring to shock as stimulation
🤬 🚩 Recommending bark collars
🤬 🚩 Using incredibly short leads and not letting your dog be a dog
🤬 🚩 Telling you straight out that your dog shouldn't be on your couch or bed
🤬 🚩 Removing harnesses from your dog (other than ones that go across the shoulders)
🤬 🚩 Recommending you give your dog less or more protein when they don't have any nutritional expertise
🤬 🚩 Recommending you euthanise your dog as 'untrainable' just because they can't train them

Rehoming adult dogs means that you are taking on a dog who has perhaps had no training, or they've perhaps been punished by their previous trainer or guardian. I can't say this enough but dogs don't end up in shelters because of training with biscuits. They just don't. This is a huge lie perpetuated by trainers who don't know how to train dogs and are searching for reasons to justify hurting your dog to force them into compliance.

They DO end up in shelters because they've never had any training whatsoever and they've been relegated to the garden or a bare room and left to their own devices. Then they end up making their own fun and that often doesn't go down well.

They also end up in shelters because people have used punishment on them and it's backfired.

Make sure your trainer can explain the potential fallout of any training method they suggest, be that biscuits, toys, praise, petting, collars, shock, prong, spray bottles, training discs or trying to jolly your dog up.

If your trainer can't tell you why you shouldn't punish a dog with whom you don't have a relationship yet (or even a dog you adopted as an adult and you've had for some time) ...

Walk away.

Thank them for their time and walk away. If you're in the Charente or Charente Maritime we are blessed with a huge number of amazing trainers. Not all speak English, that's a given. But they do speak dog. That's also a given. We're also joined recently by a great IMDT-qualified trainer who is going to be just amazing and I can't wait to share her stuff too.

There's no excuse to subject your dog to some kn****ad who tells you to be more firm with your dog or to make weird schtting noises at them, to spray them with Pet Corrector, to choke them, to recommend snoot loops or slip leads, to yank them, to jerk them, to do weird postures to intimidate them, to force them off the couch.

I know ONE thing. Those things are pretty likely to get yourself bitten.

Save your money and find a trainer who isn't likely to harm your dog.

I totally get that you may be desperate, that you may want a quick fix, even that your dog is at risk of injuring you. I know what it's like to want or even need a quick solution. It's seductive when someone promises you miracles and won't be honest with you.

Sadly, the fallout of such dangerous training methods is also something I know a lot about.

Things take time and they take patience. I never thought I'd ever be letting Lidy loose with nice people within 2 minutes of meeting them. I never thought she'd have QUITE so many friends. I never thought she'd have a Nana or she'd be able to sit in the car without going absolutely nuts at anyone who came within five metres. I never thought she'd cope just as amazingly as she has with all the things life has thrown at her in the last six months. I never thought I'd hear her growl instead of going straight for the bite. I never thought she'd be eating paté from my vet's hands.

She amazes me every day.

I don't do lots of training. I can't. I have other responsibilities and work and my other dog Heston struggles these days. We're just living. We're managing the bits we need to and we're training where we can. I totally respect her limitations and I'm not asking her to become Miss Congeniality 2021. She's my post-Apocalypse dog, that's for sure, happy to see off hoards of zombies and help others social distance if they need reminding. Sometimes I manage her and sometimes I ask her to do big and scary things, like meet people who turn out to be friends.

Not everyone can be a guardian to a complicated dog. If only! I'm lucky I have a lifestyle that can bend to her needs, just as it did to all the dogs who came before her.

I do know it'd be an icy day in hell, though, before I decided to punish her as a potential shortcut to bend her to my needs more quickly. I value her trust in me. I value her needs. I respect her past and her limits. I won't risk turning her into a dog who cowers or who is afraid of me, a dog afraid to express her own needs. I treasure her too much to put her through that.

I'm not her pack leader. She is a dog and I am a human.

I am not her Alpha. She is not my Beta. We're not on some weird Star Trek episode and I'm not wearing a skinsuit (Seeing as it didn't work out all that well for Alpha in Walking Dead after all).

Punishment potentially causes more problems than it solves. You don't know how it will go. It's like pulling the pin on a gr***de. You know it WILL explode, but you can't say where or when and it might just blow up in your face. So much damage is done by trainers who use punishment and don't understand it. I can't begin to tell you how many companionable relationships it's wrecked.

Hard as it is not to be seduced by slick marketing and certain promises (which turn out not to be that certain and have a huge list of side effects in the smallprint) it's vital that we don't swallow these lies for the sake of our dogs.

If the rescue association that you are hoping to adopt from don't get this, walk away. We can't possibly know or truly care about dogs if we fall for these seductive myths that break dogs' spirits. I see enough broken dogs without needing to swell the ranks. Any association worth their salt will tell you that protection of animals is their number one aim.

We're not protecting dogs if we take our tips from ridiculous little men on TV or we decide a shock collar is the answer to the problem. We are exposing them to abuse.

Rant over ;)

ps I know you all love dogs and if you're worried about trainers, I won't always be able to recommend someone who can work miracles, speak English or live on your doorstep, but never be afraid to ask for a recommendation. PACT, IMDT, IAABC, PDTE, ABTC, COAPE, ICB, PPG, VSPDT, ICAN and others are reliable organisations dedicated to training with the minimal amount of coercion and force. No training is totally free of coercion. When we make choices about what our dogs SHOULD do, then it's vital that we do so in ways that are efficient and ethical. Being the bleeding heart that I am, I'd arge that that's more important still for vulnerable dogs.

Learn with joy, not fear.

18/12/2021

Christmas is a time of fun and festivities, but the presents, treats and decorations can often prove dangerous for pets if owners are not careful. We are urging pet owners to keep common hazards like chocolates, mince pies, Christmas puddings and festive decorations safely out of reach of their pets...

02/11/2021

Next week we will be announcing our next course dates which will include some new additions to our usual puppy class, Life skills, Hoopers for Beginners, Hoopers, Canicross etc......

We will be releasing dates for our NEW workshops...our first 3 will be Loose Lead Walking, Recall and an Introduction to Scentwork!!!!

29/10/2021

There are always some pretty grim treats for sale but this time of year it really is a perfect excuse to off load the biggest load of toxic tat for our dogs to "enjoy" 🤢 as a treat.
Many of these so called treats end up with the dog "enjoying" some time in a veterinary surgery over Christmas 😥

The vast majority of these rawhide products and treats come from China...

The chews are made from cattle or horse hides and their journey starts with the hides being soaked in a toxic sodium sulphide to remove the hair and fat. More chemicals are used in order to split the hide into layers which is then washed with hydrogen peroxide to give the white "pure" look and remove the rancid smell. Now comes the pretty festive colours and the glue to form cute shapes.
On testing, these chews have shown traces of arsenic, mercury, chromium and formaldehyde.

If that wasn`t bad enough they regularly cause intestinal blockages, poisoning from chemical residue and choking. The chews go slippery when wet and are near impossible to get hold of to save a choking dog 😞

Leave them in the shop where they belong or if some well meaning person buys them for your dog put them safely away for later 😉 then dispatch in the bin!

Posted Originally by Hedgerow Hounds!

21/10/2021

Remember this over Halloween, not a new post but a very important one - words and advice by the wonderful Jill Brietner of Dog Decoder

19/10/2021

The belief that humans must assume an alpha role to gain their dog's trust or respect has been disproven.

If you want to build trust and respect between you and your dog, a fear-free training approach is key.

Click this link and subscribe for free to get more info:
https://bit.ly/3DG9ojz

21/07/2021

Betty the French Bulldog died after overheating following a walk in Livingston last week.

16/07/2021

10/07/2021

WHEN "TREAT TRAINING" BECOMES AVERSIVE

I worked with an interesting case last month that still has me reflecting on now. It was a dog who at the sight of treats would go to their crate and refuse to come out. The crate was their safe space and they were letting us know, under no uncertain terms, that treats had become a real source of conflict for them. Their bellies may be saying yes (as they would show interest in the food) but their minds were saying no (as even something potentially positive they would disengage from with the treats around). How had this happened?

Luring is a method of training, but it's not one I recommend. Mainly because we can become hooked on luring as a way of life with our dogs. Anytime we want them to do something we just put food on their nose and drag them where we want them to go. Even if the somewhere we want them to go is aversive to them.

Luring a dog into a situation they don't want to be in, whether that be nearer a person you want them to be friends with, a scary object on the floor, their harness they have learnt to hate, a 'sit' to let a scary dog pass and so on... runs the risk of the dog associating treats with uncomfortable situations. This particular dog I saw was incredibly pressure sensitive too. Any encouragement to do something would immediately have the dog withdrawing. The more the owners pleaded through words, food or otherwise, the more the dog pulled back.

By removing the luring AND removing the pressure this dog feels much free-er in knowing he can make his own choices. He can assess situations himself and if he wants to go for a walk, for example, he will go. Without being pleaded with using food or verbal encouragement.

This is just one fallout of luring. Essentially removing a dogs autonomy and leaving them quite distrustful of us and our food pouch.

Do I ever lure dogs? Of course. I'm around dogs 24/7 and I catch myself luring sometimes too! But being aware of the fallouts of luring means we can pre-empt any potential problems further down the line.

06/06/2021

RAPESEED
We are coming up to the season where farmers fields will turn golden yellow with Rapeseed, feelings of summer, and a beautiful backdrop to scenic photographs.
‼️However pretty the fields look, please do try to avoid walking through them with your dogs, & certainly avoid having your dog lay in the rapeseed or run through it. No posing for photos.

Rapeseed is listed by Dogs Trust as toxic to our dogs if ingested and can cause symptoms such as:
⛑ Haemolytic Anaemia
⛑ Blindness
⛑ Damaged Nervous System
⛑ Digestive Disorders
⛑ Breathing Problems

Here's there fabulous list of poisonous substances:-

https://www.dogstrust.org.uk/help-advice/factsheets-downloads/factsheetpoisonoussubstances09.pdf

⚠️ Please be warned that some dogs can also suffer after effects from just running through Rapeseed and we know that farmers plant this on either side of foot paths and bridleways where we are allowed to walk.

Reports have shown dogs can be super sensitive to this plant, suffering skin lesions and burn-like sores effecting their eyes and paws.

Some have even experienced breathing difficulties from the pollen.
‼️If you think your dog is showing symptoms of rapeseed poisoning, Please seek immediate veterinary attention.

NOTE:- Check your vets opening hours and where the local vet is if you are on holiday or travelling out of area. Most vets have now changed their opening times.

27/05/2021

This is NOT a real dog or baby in this image.

However, this image was inspired by a real image seen earlier and wanted to address.

Dogs like and need space. A newly crawling, moving baby is a NEW BEING to your dog. Although you may feel more comfortable with your baby because you understand they are changing and expect these developments, your dog does not! Your dog does not have the app that explains what to expect.
Be sure to read more key points about the importance of a dogʻs space on FPPEʻs newest blog post! 👇👇

https://www.familypaws.com/dogs-love-space/

Photo: We recommend children NEVER enter the dog’s crate. This is their space!

24/05/2021

Highly recommended this. Mark Skelly is brilliant and very supportive.

16/05/2021

It’s the least we can do to help our best friends navigate the world. ⁣
⁣
1️⃣ Start reinforcing behaviours your dog is already giving you that you’re ignoring. ⁣
⁣
2️⃣ Don’t wait for your dog to get it wrong, set up the environment for your dog to succeed. If you know he can’t, then don’t set him up to fail by putting him in certain situations.⁣
⁣
3️⃣ Adjust your teaching and make it easier for your dog to succeed if they aren’t. You are the teacher so it’s up to you to modify your training to suit the individual learner. ⁣

⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣

29/04/2021

If you have a reactive dog you probably didn’t sign up for this. You probably didn’t take them on knowing how your life would change and how hard many aspects would be. You’ve probably changed your expectations about your life as a dog parent, going to the busy park on a sunny day and sitting in a busy pub garden may be off the menu for now. Although this is incredibly hard to adjust to and it’s stressful at times, life with reactive dogs teaches us lessons that will impact on every other dog we ever share our lives with. As well as working with so many reactive dogs I’ve had 3 of my own so I know all too well what life with them is like and it’s hard, really hard at times but it’s not all negative.
You learn to celebrate the small victories, you don’t take for granted your dog walking past another dog and staying happy and relaxed- it’s a win that makes your day!
You find the quiet walks that no one else knows about and where you won’t meet anyone and your super ninja senses mean you see things that other people may miss.
You don’t just enjoy a walk on a gorgeous sunny day and you find the beauty in a grey, rainy day walk as you know you won’t meet anyone!
Your understanding of canine behaviour will increase immensely- we’ve had clients who have become as good as the best trainers and whose understanding of the science behind their dog’s behaviour equals that of most behaviourists. They read, they learn, they listen and they take it all onboard and these skills will help every other dog they ever care for.
You will have such understanding and empathy for other owners of reactive dogs and you may help them in their own journey. Reactive dogs owners are the best at acts of kindness to other owners; long after your reactive dog is gone you will go out of your way to give an onlead dog space and offer a nod or a smile to someone else who is trying their hardest to manage their dog on a walk.
You will know your dog better than you could have ever imagined; your ability to read their every mood, their subtle changes in posture or that extra wrinkle on their brow would be totally missed my most people but not by a reactive dog owner as they are so in tune with their dogs. I miss my previous reactive dogs each and every day, life wasn’t always easy with them (although they improved so much) and I’m always thankful for the lessons they taught me.

(C) Dog Communication. If you like my posts please share them using the share button. Please don’t copy and paste or edit my images. Sharing my posts allows me to reach more people and share the message

23/04/2021

Lisa Walker says she doesn't believe she made that much money

20/04/2021

“You wouldn’t wear a seatbelt round your neck, why put a collar with lead on your dog?”

There are 2 obvious reasons for collar wearing in dogs
1/ Identification: by attaching an ID disc to the collar (compulsory in many countries, even in some with compulsory microchip legislation such as the UK)

2/ An aid for handling by a human: often by attaching a lead.

A recently published paper summarises by saying

“Conclusion
Collars may be a suitable method of displaying identity tags and a means of restraint for dogs that consistently walk on a loose lead. However, where dogs pull on the lead or the lead is je**ed, this study suggests there is a risk of injury to the neck for all collar types and styles tested, even where collars are padded or wide fitting. No single collar tested provides a pressure considered low enough to mitigate the risk of injury when pulling on the lead.”

The study looked at 7 different common collar types of a variety of materials and fitting. It stated:

“ Studies have highlighted the negative aspects of collars which include incidence of acute musculoskeletal injuries [6] and increased intraocular pressure [7].
However, they did not monitor specific pressure on the neck itself.
Collar use on neck pressure has been studied with a relatively low force (2-4N) applied to the lead, akin to a looser contact between dog and handler via the lead [5]. Even at low forces, the pressure on the neck had the potential to cause damage if applied consistently over time......

In addition to the impact of the type of collar, the interactions between a handler and dog through the lead will vary and influence how forces are transmitted. When owners were questioned about their training methods, jerking the lead was a corrective training method listed as a tactic employed by some owners [19,20]. Lead jerks may also occur when dogs on extendable leads abruptly come to a stop, or when a dog lunges on a lead. This rapid application of force is in contrast to the not unfamiliar sight of dogs pulling on the lead, which can result in coughing or choking.
An indication of incidence of dogs pulling on the lead is offered by the findings in a study investigating owners’ perceptions of behaviour problems, where 8 out of 17 owners identified pulling on the lead to be a problem [21].

Whilst the impact of walking on a collar has been explored in terms of neck pressure [5] the effect of higher forces consistent with pulling on the lead or a lead ‘jerk’ have not been explored, despite having a higher injury risk.” And that was the purpose of the study.

Replacing collars with harnesses may be the most appropriate means of attaching a lead with reduced risk of injury/ damage. However, it is essential that harnesses are well fitted also. Y shaped harnesses which, if pressure is applied, have a contact point over the breast bone are likely to be the lowest risk but must also allow appropriate spine, shoulder and elbow movement.

Neck and back pain are highly likely under recognised in the dog. Prevention will always be preferable to attempting a “cure”.

Watch this space for some more recently published, interesting findings.

Carter, A., McNally, D. and Roshier, A., 2020. Canine collars: an investigation of collar type and the forces applied to a simulated neck model. The Veterinary record, 187(7), p.e52.

10/04/2021

Most dogs with separation anxiety do worse when crated or confined. If you haven't seen how your dog does out of a crate, set up a camera and watch your dog as you step outside for a short time. 👀 Does he seem to do better? 🤔

01/04/2021

This will be a brilliant book for dog owners

Shared via Kindle. Description: Do you wish your dog could tell you what’s wrong? Do you wish you could understand why they don’t want to play with other dogs? Do you want to have a better relationship with your dog? Are you frightened of dogs but wish you ...

25/02/2021

Lockdown has presented many difficulties, particularly when it comes to the increase in off-lead dogs. Those of you with nervous dogs are especially struggling. This post provides information on how you can support your dog and helps you to distinguish the difference between a friendly and a polite....

11/02/2021

THE DANGEROUS REALITY OF PET FOOD STORAGE CONTAINERS

Whether in a pet shop, box store, or online, pet food storage containers are being offered everywhere. Heck, at expos and trade shows they are given away to market a company’s brand name! However, these storage containers can be deadly if used incorrectly!

We all grew up in the age of Tupperware and storing our food in plastic containers. I mean, storage containers were designed to preserve foods, help organize our kitchens, and make our lives easier. Right?

Well, with the amount of information made available to us today, this thought process has changed quickly! With all the research that has been published on eating food out of plastic, that era of using plastic awesomeness has officially died!

Today, more and more families are throwing out their plastic food storage containers (recycle!) and switching to safer alternatives.

But what about our furry companions? Are they receiving the same consideration when it comes to food storage?

Not according to research, they aren’t!

Today, retail shelves are littered with storage containers for dry and wet pet foods; from products like snap & seals and air-tight stackables, to plastic storage carts on wheels.

WHAT IS THE BIG DEAL?

Let’s start with the obvious:

Research has shown that certain plastic containers leach an assortment of chemicals into our foods and, of course, pet foods! Chemicals in plastic like BPA have been shown to have hormone mimicking, estrogenic and cancer properties.

“Ok. No problem,” you may say, because as we know BPA has been taken out of some plastic storage containers and replaced with a different chemical called bisphenol-S (BPS).

But according to science, BPS appears to be just as toxic (if not more so) than BPA.

“In 2013, researchers at the University of Texas Medical Branch discovered that even minute concentrations—less than one part per trillion—of BPS can disrupt cellular functioning. Metabolic disorders like obesity, diabetes, and even cancer, are potential ramifications of such disruptions.” – Mercola https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/01/130122191412.htm

TO KEEP RAINING ON THE STORAGE CONTAINER PARADE -

Pet food containers have phthalates & estrogenic activity going on!

In the Environmental Health Perspectives study, they found that out of 500 plastic products they tested, plastics leached when stressed, and 90 percent of them leached even without stress. In fact, the Environmental Health Perspectives study found that some BPA-free products had even more estrogenic activity than BPA-containing products! - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3222987/

Here’s some more rain - Lest we forget phthalates!

Phthalates, which are used as plasticizers in everything, and especially pet food storage containers, have shown to be super-destructive!

“These chemicals have disrupted the endocrine systems of wildlife, causing testicular cancer, ge***al deformations, low s***m counts, and infertility in polar bears, deer, whales, and otters, just to name a few.” - Dr. Karen Becker

OK, NOW FOR THE WHOPPER OF A PROBLEM!

Are you washing your pet food container daily??

When the fats and oils of kibble hit the walls of pet food containers, they begin to oxidize (especially in the plastic ones).

Once the reaction starts, it is self propagating and unstoppable. The oxidation reaction creates free radicals that oxidize fat molecules. The inevitable result is an avalanche of oxidation, and like nearly all-chemical reactions in nature, the warmer the conditions the faster it goes.

In layman terms: over time, the residual fats and oils that have settled along the walls and bottom of the storage container start to grow rancid and develop the invisible molds that will aid in the destruction of your pet’s health. That greasiness along the walls of your container is not so awesome!

According to Pet food formulator (maker) Steve Brown:

“As soon as a food is manufactured, it begins to undergo a variety of chemical and physical changes. It’s a basic law of the universe that everything degrades over time. This includes the proteins and vitamins in dog foods, but it’s the fats I worry about the most. Fats are among the most chemically fragile nutrients in dog food; they are the limiting factor to the shelf life of most dog foods. Fats that have degraded – gone “rancid” – can cause all sorts of health problems for dogs.”

WHY DO YOU NEED TO WASH PET FOOD STORAGE BINS DAILY?

Answer: Because plastic containers have tiny little microscopic pores!

When these fats get trapped in the pores, over time, they too will also grow rancid and contaminate each new batch of food poured into the containers. (Pet parents unknowingly keep pouring new bags of food in the containers, over and over, without washing out the rancid-formed fats and molds!)

Moral of the story:

Try to avoid using a plastic container to store kibble. However, if you already purchased the container, keep the food in its original bag and place that bag into the plastic container. This will help keep oxygen away from degrading the kibble, and saves you the giant disaster that could occur. (Remember to wash that container periodically.)

OR

A BETTER ROUTE TO TAKE: CHOOSE GLASS OVER PLASTIC

To avoid chemical toxins leaching into your pet food, choose glass over plastic when choosing a storage method. Glass pet food storage containers don’t leach unwanted, poisonous chemicals when in contact with pet food. Glass containers are non-porous and won’t absorb rancid oils. However, you should still wash these containers regularly.

OR

Just buy smaller bags of pet food so there is no need for these toxic containers in the first place. :)

Rodney Habib

"An educated, informed and well-researched community of pet owners can only put more pressure on the pet food industry to be better! When pet owners know better, they will only do better!"