Nutrition   Most likely one of the greatest debates to ever hit the dog fancy is nutrition.  I would guess that there are as many opinions on canine nutrition as there are dog owners.  Everyone seems to have their own thoughts on this subject, but one thing is consistent throughout.  Whatever side of this debate one finds themself on...they are stedfast in their conviction and passion about their choice!   For years we fed our dogs a commercial kibble diet.  There was a period of time in there where we dabbled in BARF (Biologically Appropriate Raw Food), but ended up switching back to kibble.  For years our dogs suffered with chronic ear infections, hot spots, dry skin and loose (not to mention smelly) stool.   After finally nailing down what ingredient in the kibble was causing the allergic reaction (ear infections, hot spots) we when began our quest to find a kibble that did not contain this culprit -- corn and/or wheat.  We had good luck right off the start and found a herring and sweet potatoe formula that was corn and wheat free.  Too bad it turned our black dogs ORANGE!  So we switched to another brand.  The dogs started to go black again, but their "output" (stool) was horrendous!!   After many frustrating months we made the decision to power our dogs on a raw, natural, species appropriate diet.  Also commonly referred to as BARF.  The changes we've witnessed already are amazing!  No more dry, itchy skin.  Stool is small, firm and literally turns to dust within a day or two.  No more hot spots!  Our female finally made it through a heat cycle without having to have half her fur shaved off to treat a multitude of hot spots.  AND....a dog that suffered for the better part of 4 years from smelly, yeasty ears is finally ear infection free!  All of this is proof enough for me that this is the way to go!   All Ashemburg dogs (present and future) will now be powered exclusively by this natural diet.  We reared our first natural fed litter in 2007 and were VERY impressed with the results.  We were even more impressed with how well our bitch recovered from the litter.  She was tucked up and had her old figure back in no time!   Our dogs' diet is based on 1 1/5-3% of their body weight for adults and 4-5% for puppies.  Because this method of feeding is dependent on the dogs' weight it is very important to monitor their weight constantly.  This is especially true in growing puppies!  As their weight increases, so must the amount they are eating.   Here is a sample of what our dogs' meals may consist of:   AM FEEDING   1 cube of butcher blocks (contains liver, kidney, heart, etc.) every 2nd day 1/2 - 1 lb. of ground chicken with bone in (or turkey, beef, bison, elk) To the above we will add one of the following: raw egg, sardines, canned salmon, veggie mash, yogurt or cottage cheese.  These are added on a rotating basis and are not given everyday.   PM FEEDING   2-4 whole chicken backs or 1 turkey neck   SUPPLEMENTS   In addition to the above, our dogs are supplemented with the following:  1/2 tsp. per day of Kelp, 1/8 tsp. Pureform Glucosamine Plus, 1000 UI Vitamin E 3x per week and 1000 mg Wild Salmon Oil daily unless fish is being fed.   RAW MEATY BONES   Several times a week our dogs are given raw meaty bones to chew on.  This is great for keeping teeth clean and is a wonderful way to keep dogs occupied and happy while you are busy with something else.  NEVER GIVE YOUR DOG COOKED BONES!!   More information on feeding this type of diet can be found at the Mountain Dog Food website, the Arusha website, the K9 Choice website or at www.barfworld.com.