Skip to content

Dog food

Basenji Feeding
  • For starters, don't leave food out for him to eat at his leisure. Feed on a regular schedule.
    Nothing wrong with feeding a little beef or chicken - many folks feed their dogs a raw diet (in fact my vet suggested it) and there's lots of information out "there" about such a diet. And the suggestion about slowly added kibble to his food is a good one - if you want to wean him off people food do so gradually.
    If he won't eat until you all are finished no big deal. But you could also simply take his dish away and when he gets hungry he'll let you know. But don't free-feed - a regular schedule is best.

  • @pedro:

    i have to yell & growl at him to have him eat his dog food

    I certainly wouldn't do that!

    As others have said, put food down twice a day and ignore him while he eats. Give him about 15 minutes, and if he doesn't eat, pick up his dish until the next meal. Eventually, he'll get the idea that he'd better eat while the dish is down, or he doesn't get fed. I'd lay off the people food, too, while you're doing this.

    Unless, of course, you want to go to a cooked or raw diet for him. There are lots of good books out there about both of these types of feeding if you're interested in learning about them.

  • I do not believe in free feeding. Give him his food, give him 10 to 15 minutes to eat it, if he doesn't take it away until the next scheduled feeding time. And don't understand your comment about wet food and ruining teeth? Where did you hear that? It is totally not true. And honestly, would you like to eat dry kibble your entire life? I always mix in wet food, along with veggies, fruits, meat (all people food) so that they get different things for their meals.

    As far as teeth, you should be brushing them daily. That is what keeps their teeth in good shape, not dry dog food

  • why is it not good to free feeding?! i have always done this with all my dogs!> raw food he wont even touch it!!, im doing it slowly on adding the kibbles& less foods!. oh my god !!, they are soo much like kids then!!!. the very top person that feeds there dog veggies, is there a way i can get him to eat those things too? the chiken & steak i cook on the grill then give it to him , is that o.k. to do too?.

  • hi tanza!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! how are u doing >?my vet told me about wet food maken there teeth bad!, FRUITS ARE O.K TOO!??> NEVER HEARD THAT BEFORE! he wont let me brush his teeth so i give him chew bones, raw hide's to nibble on.is that o.k? & is it raw veggies, fruit of any kind!??. im going to try this then!!. i just never heard of not ffree feeding a dog before!. thnks so much all u guys!.

  • Would you free feed humans or human children? Does that teach them good eating habits? Dogs are not "grazers" like cows or horses. They do not need to eat 24/7. In the wild they would eat one big meal (or the other animals would eat it for them)… When you free feed, you never really know when/what/how much they are eating. And since most dogs will go off their food if sick, you don't know that either when you free feed.

    As far as teeth, I totally disagree with your Vet. Wet food does not cause bad teeth. NOT brushing them causes bad teeth/gums. Dry food after chewed leaves food on the teeth/gums just like wet food. And you need to teach your dog to let you brush his teeth, so if he will not let you, that is your mistake in not training him.

    Watermellon, any mellons (not grapes), bananas, oranges, etc are all find for dogs. All veggies (not onions) cooked or raw. Usually they like root veggies the best. Mine love all squashes, carrots, potatoes (cooked usually without the skin), broccoli, cauliflower, etc....

  • thanks tanza, im going to start doing a time feeding, & mix his food too!. & im going to start trying to brush his teeth, but brushing what should i use?> THANKS TANA!!. ,i did change my vet, i have a know one that is cool !. im going to get some wet food today for hoim & start scedualeing his feedings!. :) :p :o ! thanks sooo much tana.!!!.

  • tana, if i start to add these things in his food what is the best way to add them & how much , what should i do if he dont eat the veggies, or the fruit!, how long should i keep trying with the veggies& fruit?.

  • I would put him on a feeding schedule. I am not familiar with the brand of dog food you mentioned, but I would make sure that he is on a good dog food. Taste of the Wild, Ancana, Orijen, and Wellness are all good foods. I try to feed a grain free food as they do not need a lot of grain in their diet.

    I feed my boy twice a day. He gets 1/2-3/4 cups a feeding.

    I agree with the previous posters as well. There has been some great advice given :)

  • thanks , i will be doing this then!, & go on a schedule feeding!!.
    & no grain in food!. boy they are sooo different then other dogs!!.

  • :) they are differnet, but feeding grain free is actually a good thing for all dogs and for cats even more so :)

  • We just switched to Wellness grain free low fat, and all 3 love it. Nicky had gotten stances, I was feeding her various canned foods, she would eat something for a day or two, then never again. And after years of free feeding dry kibble! Anyway, I started feeding them ll twice a day last month after she was ill, they love their 'kibble soup' but Nicky got picky. So far they like the Wellenss, either softened or moist.

  • @pedro:

    thanks , i will be doing this then!, & go on a schedule feeding!!.
    & no grain in food!. boy they are sooo different then other dogs!!.

    Agreed- personality wise these pups a certainly gems… but no dogs should be "free fed" in a captive situation. Standard meal times aid in their digestion and energy levels. (plus it helps with the potty training/ crate training too)

  • I was feeding my Basenji brand blue and she started getting crystals in her kidneys. With the recommendation from my pet store owner (Pet Ranch), switched to Nature's Variety Instinct RAW. Withing 2 months…all crystals are gone. Now Basenji, Rotty, and Puppy Mastiff/Pitt all get Nature's Variety. Their coats are very shiney and teeth are so white.

Suggested Topics

  • NutriSource Dog Food!

    Basenji Feeding
    8
    0 Votes
    8 Posts
    6k Views
    Buddys PalB
    Hey Jeff, Thanks for the information, and PS: really enjoyed your website. All the pictures of all the dogs, but of course the ones of the Basenjis being used as they are from your litters, OUTSTANDING WORK! Wish I lived closer!
  • Class action suit - dog food

    Basenji Feeding
    8
    0 Votes
    8 Posts
    4k Views
    S
    I feed Evo, but will slowly change over to something on this list. Thanks for the info.
  • Dog food advice

    Basenji Feeding
    3
    0 Votes
    3 Posts
    2k Views
    YodelDogsY
    oops never mind
  • Survey of Dry Dog Foods

    Basenji Feeding
    32
    0 Votes
    32 Posts
    10k Views
    tanzaT
    @agilebasenji: To clarify, I'm not feeding my dogs differently because they are show/performance dogs; I'm feeding them differently because that is what works for the individual. Where I see feeding a dog differently because it is a performance/working dog (NOT a conformation/show dog) is where the dog is burning TONS of calories. Examples would be a working border collie/kepie or, perhaps, a greyhound that is being run many times a week (I don't know how they work things at the track), a working military/border patrol dog that is logging in miles of work daily, etc. My performance/show dogs are more weekend warriors by comparison. Training less than an hour everyday (not that I really train 7 days a week), hardly needs a special diet (IMHO). I will say I feed the basenjis more in the winter than the summer; they need more calories when it's cold. I also cook an egg on show/agility/coursing mornings, but that's because Digital is a picky boy and I need him to having something in his tummy when he's performing in agility/coursing. And it has just sort of carried over even though Miss Zest would never turn down food of any sort. Of course that's not too different from most weekends since I usually cook a big breakfast on Sat and Sun and everyone gets a bite of egg then. However, I will say I know of some people who do feed their current show dogs a better diet than the non-show dogs, which I find very sad. Well put, especially your last comment… I totally agree.... and pets/companions deserve the best we can feed them... no different then show/performace dogs...
  • Dog Food Screts by Andrew Lewis

    Basenji Feeding
    3
    0 Votes
    3 Posts
    2k Views
    nobarkusN
    The truth is all dry dog food has been processed and heated to death as to make it a poor food item no matter how good the ingredients are. Just look at it. That dry, crunchy pellet was actually meat, veggies, etc at one time.
  • Petropics Tiki Dog food

    Basenji Feeding
    3
    0 Votes
    3 Posts
    2k Views
    snorky998S
    HAHAHAHA…....Basenji's in coconut (maybe walnut shell) bra's. I see it in my minds eye during one of those kangaroo boxing type matches my 2 get in when they are playing--standing on hind legs and slapping each other up-side the head!! Hips and b. tails wiggling within grass skirts. What a video that would make. Sorry, back to topic. That food looks great. I'd also like to hear what those out there think.