We talked about different breeds that we liked, that would be appropriate for our family & life-style, investigated different breeders and in the end Aidan flew into our lives on a flight from Winnipeg.

The decision to get any companion animal should never be made on a whim ... they are after all a lifetime commitment. While this web site is focused primarily on the nutritional needs of dogs & cats there is a great deal more to responsible companion animal ownership than just feeding a nutritious diet. A nutritious diet combined with a reasonable amount of exercise, mental stimulation and proper veterinary care is the best way for a long healthy life for all of us!

You may not know it, but the life expectancy of the giant breed dogs is sadly not very long ... on average, about only five-years. So at almost 8.5 years, our sweet Aidan did very well. He was happy and still chasing his ball in the yard until just a few days before his death. One of the things we had discovered while talking to many different Irish Wolfhound breeders and owners was something called a BARF diet. Many were feeding this raw food diet in an effort to do as much as they could to extend the tragically short life expectancy of their dogs. At that time there weren't too many books on the subject, but the one that many had started with and were recommending was Dr. Ian Billinghurst's "Give your Dog a Bone". Check out our Reading List for other suggested readings. So, after reading Billinghurst's book, signing up on an Internet chat group list and figuring that the potential benefits out weighed the potential risks we decided to try our six month-old Aidan on a raw food diet.

How does Max figure back into our story? Well, being a bit lazy we weren't about to feed our two dogs differently and so after mixing up the meat & vegetables in Aidan's dish, Max would get a few spoonfuls of whatever was on the menu for that day. Max's health improved almost immediately! His mobility improved, he was able to get up and down the stairs without as much difficulty, he was awake and taking an interest in what was going on around him. Max lived over a year longer than we thought was possible for him. He was healthier and happier than he had been in a long time. So, while it was Aidan who got us into feeding a raw food diet, it was Max that convinced us of the health benefits of feeding a raw food diet.