Your Dog’s Diet and Their Behavior May Be Very Closely Linked.

There is an increasing number of people who see a link between a dog’s diet and their behavior, similar to old and new research examining the role of nutrition in mood and behavior in humans. Too many fillers, sugar, and grains are believed by some to cause hyperactivity and even aggression in dogs. It is believed that by replacing a low-cost, grain-based dog food with one containing high-quality protein and carbohydrates these behaviors can be adjusted.

But there’s no definite, singular consensus on what your dog should be eating. Just like the Paleo Diet supporters don’t agree with the vegans about what they should be eating, the same is true for nutrition and dogs. Some dog parents are proponents feeding their dogs raw diets, limited grain diets, organic diets; some even feed their dogs a vegan diet, while others oppose this vehemently.

What does that mean for you now? A lot of trial-and-error, unfortunately. However, one thing most people agree on is that cheap, filler-stuffed dog food is not as nutritious as the kinds with higher-quality protein. Whether you’re going to try something like a raw or grain-free diet, be sure to collaborate with your veterinarian and/or a pet nutritionist. Together they can help you find solutions to behavior issues as well as health related issues that are believed to be linked to diet.

While the general consensus that there isn’t enough research to build an empirical claim one way or the other, given the amount of anecdotal evidence, as well as the logic behind it, it wouldn’t be surprising in the least if we do find strong scientific evidence for a causal relationship between a dog’s diet and behavior in the near future.