- Jun 15, 2008
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You should always supervise your dog when feeding a new food or if you know they have a tendency to gulp or try to fit things in their mouth. Even if it's not a raw bone and it's a common chew toy or store bought item. Go ask someone what they would never give their dog and you will get as many answers as the people you ask because every one has heard or seen something different get lodged somewhere or damage intestines because the dog decided to try to swallow it whole. I know my akita prefers to carefully take things apart before chewing so I don't worry about her. I've watched her take a knuckle bone the size of her head and turn it into a 2" diameter piece in less than an hour without swallowing a piece larger than 1/2 inch. Unless she's stealing something from someone else or off the counter and thinks she needs to eat it as quickly as possible she won't try to fit too large of items in her mouth. I do occasionally still keep an eye on our shiba. She will try to gulp things or cram large things in her mouth in the hope we won't see what she has even when it's something she's allowed.
I give chickens completely whole. If it's something I don't want to eat I chop the head off and toss it to the dogs. All internal organs, feathers, etc... You might have to cut it up the first few times if the dog is not used to raw but they usually figure it out and quite enjoy learning how to take their food apart and eat it. It's good for their mind, good for their jaws, and good for their digestive tract and health.
A dog is not more likely to kill something because it's had raw food. It's the chase that makes dogs want to go after something more. If they are never allowed to chase they never build that desire. Humans have trouble putting together that what they buy in a store is that cow or chicken on a farm. Even though we have the capacity to understand it in words when it comes down to it most people don't really put it together. Look at how many people refuse to eat eggs from your chickens or even their own chickens. They'll eat store bought eggs without a thought but when they know the chicken they won't eat the eggs. Some people go so far as to say but the egg came from the chickens butt so I'm not eating it and then eat store bought eggs. If humans can't understand it a dog or other animal will not put it together. The only time I've had a dog put together "that critter equals that yummy stuff I eat" is when my akita has caught and killed wild rabbits. Even then she didn't get she could eat them. I'd cut them up for her and she still didn't get it. She'd chase them because she liked chasing them and when they stopped running she was lost and walked off. It took her finding a rabbit killed recently by a fox with the stomach ripped open before she realized if she pulled at the fur long enough she'd get the meat herself. After that it became very difficult to keep her from chasing rabbits. My akita is a very smart dog and it still took all that for her to put together "furry thing = that yummy food". If you keep your dogs from chasing your animals they are not going to get close enough to killing and eating them to realize that's where their food comes from. Just feeding raw does not make them more likely to chase. That instinct is already there or not.
I give chickens completely whole. If it's something I don't want to eat I chop the head off and toss it to the dogs. All internal organs, feathers, etc... You might have to cut it up the first few times if the dog is not used to raw but they usually figure it out and quite enjoy learning how to take their food apart and eat it. It's good for their mind, good for their jaws, and good for their digestive tract and health.
A dog is not more likely to kill something because it's had raw food. It's the chase that makes dogs want to go after something more. If they are never allowed to chase they never build that desire. Humans have trouble putting together that what they buy in a store is that cow or chicken on a farm. Even though we have the capacity to understand it in words when it comes down to it most people don't really put it together. Look at how many people refuse to eat eggs from your chickens or even their own chickens. They'll eat store bought eggs without a thought but when they know the chicken they won't eat the eggs. Some people go so far as to say but the egg came from the chickens butt so I'm not eating it and then eat store bought eggs. If humans can't understand it a dog or other animal will not put it together. The only time I've had a dog put together "that critter equals that yummy stuff I eat" is when my akita has caught and killed wild rabbits. Even then she didn't get she could eat them. I'd cut them up for her and she still didn't get it. She'd chase them because she liked chasing them and when they stopped running she was lost and walked off. It took her finding a rabbit killed recently by a fox with the stomach ripped open before she realized if she pulled at the fur long enough she'd get the meat herself. After that it became very difficult to keep her from chasing rabbits. My akita is a very smart dog and it still took all that for her to put together "furry thing = that yummy food". If you keep your dogs from chasing your animals they are not going to get close enough to killing and eating them to realize that's where their food comes from. Just feeding raw does not make them more likely to chase. That instinct is already there or not.
