# can a change of food really change temperament??



## Guest (Oct 13, 2011)

Hi there,

many of you will know that I recently changed Reba's food from Royal Canin to Orijen Puppy food. Now I don't want to sppeak too soon, but over the past few days i have a much more settled, well rested pup. She plays really well, but then can settle down to play on her own usually with her cuddly toy. She seems much less excitable, and sleeps more regularly and for longer during the day. I even began to wonder if she might be poorly

Is it possible for a change of food alone to do this?? If so, I would heartily recommend it!

Gavs.


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## ballybee (Aug 25, 2010)

Tummel was on wainwrights puppy when he was 5 months old and was a total nutjob...changed him onto CSJ hi-lost when the bag was almost done and within a couple of weeks he totally calmed down.

Now we're almost a year on from that, Tummel is fed part raw, part kibble and after he eats a raw meal he's practically comatose calm :thumbup: it's amazing seeing behavioural changes from different foods but yes food has a big impact on dogs IMO


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## Goblin (Jun 21, 2011)

Haven't had direct experience but I have heard this frequently. I view it a bit like human children sometimes getting hyperactive on additives and/or sugar.


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## Lyceum (Sep 25, 2009)

Absolutely, the lack of fillers in decent food makes them less hyper because they convert them to sugar. It's like they're always on a sugar high. Take that away and they settle down.

Or as above, some time the food just doesn't suit. Find the food that does and you're sorted.


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## GillyR (Nov 2, 2009)

I used to feed mine bakers few years back (dont stone me please  ) until i realised how [email protected] it was, mine acted like maniacs, very hyper, the change was dramatic....much calmer since changing.


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## SLB (Apr 25, 2011)

We've just switched Louie two weeks ago to raw off of dry food.. he is quieter but other than that I haven't seen much difference..


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## Guest (Oct 13, 2011)

Oh forgot to say she mauled my hand yesterday (exaggeration) cause I took her by surprise Won't do that again!


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## SixStar (Dec 8, 2009)

Of course it can, it's great isn't it  It's probably even more noticeable for you because you've gone from a very low grade food with lots of additives to an exceptional quality one with no additives, just meat and veg.

I've witnessed it a few times - when I adopted my lad Blue he came from the rescue on very low quality non-branded kibble - I kept him on it for a few weeks whilst he settled in, and then when I changed to our usual diet, he was a different dog within weeks - much calmer, more focused, more energy (good energy, not bouncing off the walls!), able to chill and generally just more alert - the mental change was far more noticeable than the physical one.

Similar thing with my foster boy - he's a young crossbreed spaniel - came to me directly from his previous owner who advised me he must never be let off the lead because he'd just run and never come back, and said he can't be in the house too long because he just wrecks the joint - they were feeding him Wagg Worker kibble and Asda Hero tinned food, so I continued for a little while whilst he settled in (and felt like I was dishing him up poison every meal  ) 

He was a nightmare! A real little sh*t  He's been with me a few weeks now - eating a good quality kibble because he won't entertain raw - and again, he's a different dog. I've been doing an awful lot of training with him, which is obviously helping his behaviour too, but I believe the diet is playing a huge part. He'll recall 80% of the time when first asked, and is sleeping out of a crate in the house, and once he is walked and fed, he&#8217;ll settle nicely. He's a little gem - and off to his forever home on Sunday


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## Honey Bee (Mar 29, 2011)

It can work the other way too. I'm currently changing Honey from Chappie Dry to Arden Grange Adult chicken and Nature diet wet. She has so much more energy now its incredible and is still been eager to go further after a 7 mile daily walk. I put this down to the extra protein and fats in Arden. She went through a phase before I began the change over of not wanting to do too much at all which wasn't like her. 

Hope the Origen continues to work for you.


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## babycham2002 (Oct 18, 2009)

definitely 
Im glad you are seeing such a postive change

From someone who gets massive headaches just from eating sweeties I can vouch for that fact.


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## Guest (Oct 13, 2011)

It's so nice to get something right The thing is, Orijen is no more expensive than Royal Canin, which I was told was the best food.....

I'm bringing my left over RC and all the chews i bought that she swallows in one go up to our local rescue shelter. Was checking their address on the internet and saw so many collies or collie Xs who are there to be rehomed. felt v sad as Reba is a collie lab X. Wonder why so many owners give them away? Is it the amount of exercise and mental stimulation they need?

Gavs.


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## Goblin (Jun 21, 2011)

Maybe we should get the government to tighten up what goes in dog food as opposed to having Breed Specific Legislation. I'm sure it affects more dogs which are more likely to bite being hyperactive....  Then again the worse foods are probably the ones with the most money to lobby... oh well...


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## lisaloo1 (Aug 8, 2011)

its great isn't it, i changed buddy's food from a middle range food to acana and he was the same more settled, not as hyper, he still has a crazy 5 mins occasionally but in general he's a lot better and looks better too :thumbup:


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## xxxnickixxx (Feb 24, 2011)

i feed milo half wet and dry skinners salmon and rice and WW trays he is a year old now and i thought he would be calming down by now but hes not and my partner asks me over and over again ate you sure its not the food hes on but i always thought i was feeding a good foods


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## kat&molly (Mar 2, 2011)

I fed my Springer on RC when she was a pup- I thought I was doing the right thing by her but she was a nightmare and used to have me in tears most days. Since I changed to Raw the change was really dramatic and I've never looked back.
Mollys sister is fed a cheap low grade food and shes manic, never ever stops. I get upset because its not a money issue for her owners either. I'm not saying they should change her to Raw but a better quality food would I'm sure would make a huge difference .


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## Guest (Oct 14, 2011)

Another question! Couple of good days and then I'm a worry wart again

Since we have been changing her food Reba's poos have sometines been really runny, and we were careful not to change over too quickly. Things had settled pretty well, but I have just introduced her to pizzle sticks as she really needs to chew- which she loves. But just now she has done an "ordinary poo" and then really really runny. I know that Orijen is high protein and so too are pizzle sticks. Could this be the problem, or just introduction of another new food in her diet? Should I hold off on the pizzle sticks?? I am awaiting delivery of the stag horns I think they are called, so am tempted to hold off till then? Or might they be just as bad.


I do agree that there is a problem with how some "vet recommended" products are presented as being the best food to give your dog. I completely understand that not everyone can afford to fork out loads of cash on dog food, but the idea of expensive food being rubbish is very annoying

Gavs


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## xxxnickixxx (Feb 24, 2011)

does anyone think im best of putting milo on a diffrent diet he just doesnt seem to be calming down at all he seems hyper all time jumping at people not listen and ive put rules into him but he rather be hyper only time hes calm is late at nite when hes tired and wants his bed i feed him ww trays and skinners dry but not happy how he is acting


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## Guest (Oct 15, 2011)

Hi there,

I really don't know what you could do and if changing food would work in the way you want? I had thought Skinners was a pretty good food? What breed is your Pup?

You'll have read my thread about Reba's food change, but today she is again a snappier, more disobedient little pup I have been worried about how the change to orijen has effected her poos (vv runny) so today we have started mixing RC back in her food. Now I don't believe that this could change her so quickly today, so we reckon 1) she has slept less today so is crotchety, 2) My oh is home having been away 2 days. He plays quite excitedly with her, and she has never really learnt not to bite out at him in play or when tired. I was always stuffing a toy in her mouth and stopping game, and she generally does not snap at me now. So we are thinking that her calmness had only something to do with food, but also to do with routine, sleep and structure??

But if you have tried all of this, then it may well be worth changing food, do it really slowly though.

Best of luck,
Gavs.


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## xxxnickixxx (Feb 24, 2011)

we put rules into him hes a small boarder collie cross wiv wippet i think ....he always wants to play fight with our older dog when we get him out of the cage to go wee wees on a morning he runs round really manic even the same when he has his food he doesnt just stand at his bowl and eat like our older dog he eats then runs round and keeps doing that ... i know hes only a young dog hes one now but i thought he wouldnt be as manic maybe its males im not so sure so im thinking maybe its the food 

any ideas will be helpfull please im lost what to do and anoying me and my partner


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## Jasper's Bloke (Oct 30, 2009)

Food affects every single aspect of your dogs life, including behaviour, so much more than people realise. Funny how we always think of hyper kids having too much fast food or sweets but that doesn't transfer to dogs. The other side of the coin is exercise, dogs are naturally very active creatures and need an outlet for their excess energy, if you don't give them a good way to release that energy then you can bet that they will find a bad way of releasing it!



Gavs said:


> It's so nice to get something right The thing is, Orijen is no more expensive than Royal Canin, which I was told was the best food.....
> 
> I'm bringing my left over RC and all the chews i bought that she swallows in one go up to our local rescue shelter. Was checking their address on the internet and saw so many collies or collie Xs who are there to be rehomed. felt v sad as Reba is a collie lab X. Wonder why so many owners give them away? Is it the amount of exercise and mental stimulation they need?
> 
> Gavs.


Perhaps it is because they are not fed the beat of diets, which amplifies the amount of physical and mental stimulation they need and they then behave badly when they don't get it? Exactly like you have found for yourself.


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