Should I feed my dog more protein during the season? | Shooting tips, gun dog training and field sports queries | Shooting UK

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Should I feed my gun dog more protein during the season?

The amount you feed a dog should be geared to its work rate and capacity.

Thursday, 21 June 2007

If so, by how much? Last season I was shooting or beating once a week with two English Springers and often wondered if extra protein would've helped them?

Gun dogs
PETER BLATCH says: I start shooting and picking-up at the start of October and by the height of the season I will be out five or six days a week. Once the frequency of the shooting days starts to increase, I regularly monitor my dogs and, as the season progresses, I increase their protein intake by changing to a different feed.

The spaniels always seem to be first in showing signs for the need for extra food and, when this happens, I switch over to Masters Eclipse. I give this as a light feed in the morning and again as their main meal at night. It's a feeding regime that helps keep them in peak condition. Where my labradors are concerned, I regularly feed them on Masters Meaty Crunch twice a day and supplement this during the day with a few dog biscuits.

Each dog is individual and you, as the owner, should be able to recognise if your dog needs extra food. There is no hard fast rule about how much each breed should be given, quantities on feed containers are for guidance only.

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