An animal’s diet affects its ability to learn because its diet impacts the efficiency of its brain, especially the efficiency of the body’s neurotransmitters.  Neurotransmitters are electric chemical secretions that transfer instructions from cell to cell.  There are several different types of neurotransmitters and they each have a different effect on the behavior of the animal. The dog produces neurotransmitters with the help of important nutrition obtained through its normal diet. Dopamine and serotonin are two key neurotransmitters. Dopamine is used by the dog’s body to help coordinate motor skills, attention, reinforcement and reaction time and it has an impact on the brain’s mood area where “good feelings” originate. Serotonin helps regulate arousal levels and helps regulate moods and the sensation of pain.

If animals have a poor quality or inadequate diet, especially if they are malnourished, the body becomes stressed. Dogs can actually become undernourished even if it receives ample quantities of food if they are fed a low quality diet.  Poor quality foods use Ingredients like corn and fillers which can decrease the level of serotonin in the brain because of low tryptophan and high tyrosine.  The body needs tryptophan to help manufacture serotonin and dopamine while tyrosine inhibits the manufacture of serotonin. It is also important that an animal is fed a high quality and nutritionally complete diet to ensure all essential amino acids are available to the body.  Amino acids influence synthesizing neurotransmitters. If neurotransmitters become imbalanced then the chemical balance in the brain is affected which in turn affects the animal’s mood, impulses, reactivity and impulse control.

Dog Trainers need to understand that if the neurotransmitters are transferring too much dopamine then an animal can become agitated, impulsive and over reactive.  On the other hand, if dopamine levels are too low an animal can become under reactive.   Likewise, too little serotonin can result in anxious behavior, obsessions and difficulty in learning and can also reduce an animal’s impulse control.  Low impulse control can lead to frustration. When animals are frustrated they are less able to inhibit aggression. Studies show that reduced levels of serotonin can actually increase aggressive behavior.

So when training a dog, especially when consulting on a behavioral problem, always consider the whole dog, a holistic approach.  Consider its diet, environment, general health and any other factors that may influence its behavior.  And by ensuring that your client is fed a high quality food you can reduce that possibility that diet is working against you.

 To learn more about pet food and the necessary quality of ingredients visit http://www.DogSmithPremiumPetfood.com and watch a short educational video.

Niki Tudge is the owner and founder of The DogSmith, America’s Dog Training, Dog Walking and Pet Care Franchise. You can reach Niki via email at NTudge@888dogsmith.com or through the company website http://www.888DogSmith.com

Two of the individuals central to the contamination that afflicted thousands of dogs and cats submitted guilty pleas to numerous misdemeanor charges and a single felony charge. The married co-owners, Stephen and Sally Miller of ChemNutra, were originally scheduled for sentencing on June 16th, but that was postponed and, as of the date of this newsletter’s submission for publication, has yet to be rescheduled.

The Miller’s were indicted for their actions of knowlingly distributing more than 800 tons of melamine-laced wheat gluten imported from China in more than a dozen shipments. The couple passed off these tainted goods as high-grade protein ingredients, selling it to several of the largest producers of canned pet food and ultimately resulting in the recall of over 150 different brands of pet food.

While the maximum sentence would be two years in prison without parole and hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines, those who have wished for a punishment equal to the crime may be disappointed by the upcoming decision. Prosecutors handling the case have signalled their openness to leniency, recommending that the court impose a $25,000 fine against ChemNutra, $5,000 each against the Millers, and sentence the Miller’s to three years of probation each.

It is worth noting that ChemNutra is just one of the 20-plus companies required to contribute to a $24 million compensation fund, the outcome of a class-action lawsuit brought by families affected by the recall. How much ChemNutra paid into this fund is not a matter of public record, and may never be made known.

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