Can Food Affect a Dog's Behavior?

In addition to the fact that each of us, including the dog, is in a better mood when he is full than when he is hungry, does the type of diet have any other influence on the dog's behavior? 

Dog behavior and raw food Raw food offers dogs much more than health and longevity. Raw food has an extremely positive effect on the dog's behavior and mental health. The answer to why this is so lies in the intestines, arguably the most underrated organ in dogs. When we know how important the gut is in a dog's mood, it becomes clearer how huge a role nutrition plays. This is the reason why the intestines are also called the second brain. In the dog's intestines there are numerous bacteria that make up a good microflora and produce chemical compounds that are crucial for:

• self-control
• energy level
• mood
• motivation
• concentration
• satisfaction

We know that may sound a little unbelievable to you, but when we look at everything that affects a dog's feelings and behavior, it will become clearer that brain health starts in the gut.
What are the compounds that play a key role in a dog's mood?
A raw diet is the gold standard for gut health. And the intestines represent a 'storehouse' of the following compounds, each of which is associated with a certain positive influence on the dog's behavior:

• opioids create feelings of pleasure
• dopamine is responsible for motivation
• acetyl chloride plays an important role in memory and concentration
• endogenous benzodiazepines have a sedative effect

But one compound that we would like to single out in particular is serotonin. Can you guess where about 90% of serotonin is located in the dog's body? Of course - in the intestines, in the part of the intestine called the epithelium (the layer that covers the internal hollow and tubular organs). Not only serotonin, but all the compounds mentioned above are important for the dog's mood and can work in a balanced way only if the intestinal epithelium is healthy. As the health of the epithelium largely depends on the microflora - good microflora and a healthy epithelium are only possible if the pH of the digestive system is low, i.e. acidic. For your carnivore, the food that promotes acidity in the digestive system is raw meat and bones. We do not claim that just by changing the diet, the dog will become calm and obedient, this requires daily positive training. But with a healthy diet and a good condition of the whole organism, especially the intestines, we increase our dogs' chances of being the best possible pets in the world.