Many otherwise intelligent and thoughtful humans are perplexed about what to feed their dogs. This is a huge topic and there's something for almost everyone to learn.

Today I am going to take the first bite and talk about fish. While many dogs love beef, lamb and such, they also need the nutrients in fish such as salmon and mackerel. Why? Just as we humans, dogs need those "good fats," the Omega-3s, offered by fatty fishes. These are noted for the way they help the heart and brain, and yep, they work the same way in dogs. Foods like salmon are also naturally anti-inflammatory, so they they are great for dogs with allergies.

One of the ways to feed your dog healthier stuff is to stop worrying so much about the perfect diet and work good stuff in as "treats" or toppings for the main diet. The more variety you give them, the happier they will be.

If your dog has a sensitive stomach, and some do, try giving them much less of a new food, and use your common sense. I have a "kibble" type food for each of my dogs and Bennie, who is much younger and has no health issues, only gets a few tablespoons of kibble at each meal. The rest of his diet is raw or cooked fresh foods.

This past weekend I had a large party and made poached wild sockeye salmon for my guests. The fish was filleted and I cut off the tail end tips of each large fillet and broiled it for Bennie. That's what he got for his breakfast, skin and all, with a small amount of kibble.

Now, all you really thoughtful people out there will note that there is a huge controversy over farmed vs. wild salmon. I prefer wild because it tastes better; however, farmed usually has more Omega-3. If you are feeding your dog a small bit of salmon now and then as a treat, just feed whatever you feed yourself.

In future postings, I will talk more about what to feed, and not feed your dog (the good news is, the "bad for dogs" list is really pretty short). I will encourage you to add variety and whole foods to your dog's diet and explore ways to think outside the kibble bag.