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WORKING DOG GOALS
How to: nourish your dog to help sustain their focus
We’ve all been there… It’s been a big morning of mustering, it’s hot, and you’re coated in dust and sweat. Smoko is
tantalisingly close. The cattle are almost right where you want them, and then…
Your dog’s brain appears to actually switch
off. Like a light. They stop listening to
commands, lie down in exactly the wrong
spot, or decide to just start freestyling. Cattle
swirl away from the gate – a mooing mass of
bovine confusion. Commands to your dog
are met with a curious head tilt and an
innocently raised ear. Dreams of hot black
tea (and perhaps even a biscuit), vanish like
a mirage in the outback.
When your dog experiences mental fatigue,
the frustration is real! Though physical
fatigue is often a contributing factor, there
can be more to it. The question is… Can the
right diet, help your dog focus for longer?
Your working dog’s brain works as hard as
their body. So whilst they definitely need
nutrition for physical stamina, they need it
for mental stamina too. Their brain
processes a constant stream of information.
It listens to commands, makes decisions,
and directs the body – often for hours on
end. All of this uses lots of nutrients. So,
what equals doggy brain food?
Glucose
Mammalian brains – including yours and
your dog’s – use glucose as their major fuel
source, so it’s no surprise that brain
function is closely linked with glucose
levels. Glucose that is consumed by your
dog (in food) and not used immediately, is
stored in their liver and muscles as
glycogen. Then, when they’re working,
glycogen is converted back to glucose to
fuel their body – and their brain.
Which begs the question – what foods
provide glucose?
Protein and fat help provide your dog with
sustained energy for whole body stamina,
and the amino acids in protein provide
some glucose. Carbohydrates (like the
starch in rice) also provide a source of
glucose.
CopRice Working Dog food contains a
balance of all three. It is high in
bioavailable protein (meat is the number
one ingredient for a reason) and fat. It also
Keep them
working at
their peak
for longer.
CopRice.com.au
contains Australian-grown rice (and rice is
the most digestible grain there is) which
provides the body with a natural source of
glucose.
Antioxidants
Diets rich in antioxidant nutrients – such as
Vitamins E and C, Zinc and Selenium – help
support your dog’s immune system. This in
turn helps support overall health and
wellbeing. With these benefits in mind,
CopRice Working Dog food also contains
optimal levels of antioxidants.
As the owner of handy dogs, you know only
too well that your dog’s breeding, training
and fitness all play a major role in how long
they can keep their mind on the job. But
nutrition that stacks up is also key. When it
comes to feeding for hard work – which
includes mental stamina – the CopRice
Working Dog range has been carefully
crafted, to keep them working at their peak
for longer.
