Can A Dog’s Diet Affect Behaviour?
It’s a well established fact that food can affect people’s health and well being. The association between diet and mental health behaviour has been less documented. However, it is an emerging subject for more serious research. In this Holidays4Dogs article we look at diet and canine behaviour and whether certain foods can affect a dog’s mental function.
As far back as medieval times, people believed that diet had an impact on mood. Depression, or low mood, for example, could be remedied by eating dates, or elder flowers.
Currently there is not enough academic research to categorically state that diet directly affects canine behaviour. In addition, much of the literature we have found is written by dog food manufacturers – therefore, caution must be exercised. However, there is more information on the impact of diet on humans which could be useful in terms of understanding how a balanced diet supports bodily functions.
Food for the brain.
The charitable organisation, Food and Behaviour Research (FAB), found correlations between food and human behaviour. This is particularly notable when it comes to ‘ultra-processed foods’ which are often subject to many industrial processes during their manufacture, as well containing synthetic additives.
The British Medical Journal similarly report, “consistent evidence links ultra-processed food to over 30 damaging health conditions” and these include mental health disorders.
It follows, therefore, that diet could have a similar effect on canine behaviour. Diet is important for physical health, but also for mental development and efficient functioning of the brain. Lack of certain nutrients can trigger reactions in the body which can lead to poor behaviour in humans – and possibly dogs?
All animals require appropriate foods to ensure the optimal functioning of the body, and the brain, in order to grow and survive.
Sugar rush.
We all know when our children eat too many sugary sweets, or fizzy drinks, it can impact on their behaviour. Likewise, over consumption of food saturated in trans and omega 6 fatty acids, (such as fast food), can cause anxiety and depression in both human and animal research.
Despite this knowledge, scientific examination of the relationship between diet and behaviour is still in its infancy – for humans, as well as animals.
The main focus of diet, is the creation of optimum physical health. In dogs and humans, this refers to dietary requirements at particular stages of life.
Unfortunately, as we have found, scientific research into the relationship between canine diet and behaviour is disappointing in quantity.
Conclusion.
While canine diet might impact on behaviour, changing your dog’s diet won’t necessarily cure any current, or serious behaviour issues. A suitable adjustment to the type of food they are eating – alongside training sessions – may well produce more marked improvements, than each isolated approach.
There is a lot of information about diet and canine behaviour – much of it conflicting. The challenge is to distinguish between science and and anecdotal evidence, so we think dog owners need to be careful when it comes to choosing a diet which may, or may not, impact on a dog’s behaviour. In addition, most of the evidence we have found is associated with the effect of diet on human behaviour – which may not be relevant to dogs.
Resources.
We would recommend further reading. This study published by the Cambridge University Press (2007) is a good place to start. This, more up-to-date paper, concludes un-picking the relationship between diet and behaviour is challenging. Not least because there are many other factors to take into account such as, age, health status, environment and living conditions.
