Good nutrition is the most essential foundation for your dog's wellbeing. Basically everything related to your dog's behavior boils down to what you feed him. If you'd like to have an obedient, well-behaved friend to keep you company for the next several years, it would be best to pay close attention to what he takes in.

Nutrition affects your dog's health and longevity. It is essential that you give him an appropriate balance of proteins, fats, complex carbohydrates and the proper trace amounts of nutrients and minerals. These are necessary for their proper growth, repair, and the maintenance of a sound immune system.

Nutrition is an intricate and crucial aspect of your dog's capacity to think clearly, cope with stress readily, and keep a cooler disposition. If your dog is unnaturally irritable or lethargic, it might be due to an unbalanced diet.

Thinking consumes a lot of energy. Dogs that are involved in training programs exert tremendous amounts of mental energy. This is needed so that they can focus on the tasks presented to them. If your dog is not given proper nutrition, they can become sluggish, tense, or hyperactive when asked to do the simplest of tasks.

Dogs with improper nutrition cannot focus very well. They tend to lose concentration quickly and they have the tendency to get confused quite easily. Improperly nourished dogs find it hard to understand simple tasks, even though it is something that you ask him to do constantly. This confusion can easily be covered up by aggression.

When teaching dogs, the first thing I check is the dog's nutrition. I work from the inside out. Training becomes useless if the essential source of bad conduct is not adjusted.

Overexcited, distracted and unrestrained dogs are frequently fed foods that are rich in high levels of cereal compounds such as: corn, wheat and corn meal.

Aggressive dogs are usually fed foods that contain higher levels of incomplete protein which normally generate too much energy. These types of proteins are often incomplete chains and they do not give the proper building and repair needed for a healthy dog's body. They are also notoriously hard to digest.

Timid or stressed out dogs are not able to digest their foods very well. Most dogs with this behavior suffer from intestinal complications like diarrhea. Their coats are often dry, brittle and they often shed heavily.

A good way to test the foods that you give to your dog is by soaking it in water for about half an hour. If the food puffs up in size and becomes spongy then it is most likely made out of cereal.

If you observe your dog's stool is soft and loose and if you can categorize him to be gassy then it is most likely the result of improper digestion.

Giving your dog a balanced and healthy diet will do a lot in keeping him happy. It will not only contribute to their health and longevity but it will also make him a good member of our society.