A few years ago, a book came out called Eat Right for Your Type, by nutritionist Dr. Peter D’Adamo. His concept is that we should examine our personal nutritional needs based on our blood types. For example, those with O blood have what he refers to as the “original hunter gatherer” blood type; in other words, according to Dr. D’Adamo’s theory, a person with blood type O will be healthiest on a meat-based diet with hardly any refined grains and sugars.

Dr. D’Adamo also noted that genetic heritage as well as blood type plays a part in individual nutritional needs. This approach to human nutrition got me thinking about dogs. Canines do have blood types, but there was very little information about the differences between them. I began looking into what foods specific breeds would encounter in various climates and environments all over the globe, and wondered how important these geographical factors were in shaping our dog breeds. I asked myself the question: “Aren’t dogs genetically different depending on their inherited genes, just as people are?”

My research revealed that dog breeds developed and thrived by eating local prey and human “leftovers.” The prey varied somewhat, but the human “leftovers” varied considerably! Certain climates and environments support different meats, fish, vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds and grains. Many dog breeds evolved to assist humans in producing food or living off the land. Herding dogs were bred to herd sheep, goats and cattle. Coastal breeds assisted fishermen. Other dogs helped hunt deer, elk, wild pigs, rabbits, birds and so on. All dogs ate whatever foods were available in their homeland, and as carnivores and carrion feeders, were great opportunists, eating whatever they could find – alive or dead!

The importance of “ancestral” foods

How is this relevant today? Do dogs bred as companions still require their “ancestral” foods? I believe they do, and that eating “ancestral” meats, vegetables, fruits and some grains can be a key element in supporting vibrant health. After all, a Chihuahua raised by the Aztecs in central Mexico ate very differently from a Saint Bernard living in the Alps! I have found that when we gear the “foundation” meats, fish and vegetables to the regions our dogs developed in, magical health changes occur.

Take the Samoyed who had brown tear stains, a dull coat and scratchy skin. One week on a fish and sweet potato based food and she was a new dog! Northern breeds such as Samoyeds, huskies, malamutes and American Eskimo dogs evolved in very cold climates and ate high-fat diets of fish, seal, whale and caribou. Grains were non-existent. Root vegetables and some berries were available during the very short growing season. These breeds consistently do poorly on poultry and grain based dry foods. Some individuals have done all right on lamb or beef, but typical commercial dry foods contain far too many grains for these dogs.

German breeds, meanwhile, evolved in a land that raises a lot of beef and pork. Boxers, great Danes and German shepherds evolved shorter colons and need the right meats and fibrous vegetables with a few specific grains in order to prevent gas and life-threatening bloat.

The dogs of the British Isles often ate a great deal of fish if they lived close to the coast. In fact, coastal breeds and swimming bird-retrieving dogs need fish oils for healthy joints, skin and coats. Staple grains of the British Isles were barley and oats.

Asian breeds were traditionally exposed to fish, poultry and rice. Even though they developed where fermented soy foods were available, research shows that dogs are incapable of breaking down protein from soybeans. Unfortunately, soy shows up in many processed dog foods as a viable protein source. No one, to my knowledge, has ever “tested” whether or not chows, Sharpeis, or Pekinese can utilize soy. Shih Tzus, Lhasa Apsos, Tibetan spaniels, terriers, and mastiffs evolved in the Himalayas on yak and millet, and there’s no soy there! And on it goes.

Personalizing your dog’s diet

How do you find out which ancestral foods your own dog’s breed ate? Start by reading some good books on your breed, then find out which foods the people local to your dog’s ancestral region hunted, grew or raised before the age of supermarkets. One book I’ve found helpful is William D. Cusick’s Canine Nutrition, Choosing the Best Foods for Your Breed. With a little research, you can put together a shopping list of ancestral ingredients best suited for your dog’s particular breed.

Happily, there are many raw frozen and premium canned and dry foods that incorporate different meat, vegetable and grain choices. We can purchase rabbit and venison for our sight hounds, fish and sweet potato for northern breeds, beef and buffalo for red meat lovers, duck for our retrievers, and chicken and fish for Asian breeds. Even ostrich is available, although I’m not sure which breed apart from the Rhodesian ridgeback ate ostrich with any frequency!

It’s also easy to make homemade cooked or raw meat meals using ingredients from your dog’s ancestral diet. For some of my breed-specific homemade recipes, see Animal Wellness Volume 5, Issues 4 and 5, and Volume 6, Issues 1 and 3.

Keep in mind that besides your dog’s breed, you must also take into consideration his individual lifestyle, age, and health needs. Done with care, breed specific nutrition can make a big difference to your canine companion’s health!

Kate Solisti is the author of The Holistic Animal Handbook, A Guidebook to Nutrition, Health and Communication. She has produced two videos on dog and cat nutrition and preparing raw food diets at home. Kate does private nutritional counseling sessions including meal planning for individual animals. She is also an animal communicator with 13 years’ experience and is author of the series Conversations with Dog, Cat and Horse. www.akinshipwithanimals.com