Helping Idaho Dogs, Inc.

Canine Nutrition

A dog’s nutrition is a large factor in his/her ability to think clearly, lower stress levels and act calmly

If your dog’s nutrition is lacking, he/she may suffer lethargy or irritability or may become overexcited when asked to perform tasks. They may lose concentration quickly, often leading to confusion and frustration that could result in aggression or other improper behavior.

Your pet’s nutrition may affect his/her behavior:

Dogs that eat diets with appropriate levels of essential amino acids (found in protein) and fiber tend to show lower instances of aggression, hyperactivity and other behavioral problems.
Hyperactive, unfocused dogs are often living on diets containing high levels of wheat, corn or corn meal.
Incomplete proteins do not digest well and may result in aggression. Incomplete proteins are proteins that come from vegetables, grains, nuts, etc.

Finding the right nutrition for your dog – reading labels:

Ingredients are listed by weight, starting with the heaviest.
You want to pick a food which has a meat-based protein source listed as the first ingredient (such as chicken, chicken meal, bison, lamb, fish meal, etc.).
Meat meals (chicken meal, duck meal, etc.) are protein sources removed of water. These forms of protein are therefore more concentrated.
Poor quality grains (such as corn gluten) are often used as fillers and do not belong in your dog’s diet. Some grains are okay (brown rice or oatmeal), but you always want them to be secondary ingredients in your dog’s food.

Every dog requires different nutrition – something that works wonders for one dog might not be right for another and it is important to find the best diet possible for your own pet.
References:
http://www.chiff.com/a/dog-nutrition.htm
http://pets.webmd.com/dogs/guide/how-to-read-a-dog-food-label
http://northwestpets.com/tips_pet_nutrition.html