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Burt Ward


Gentle Giants Rescue and Adoptions - Care and Feeding
 

 

Many Of Our Dogs Are Living As Much As Twice Their Normal Lifespans!

Wonder Woman and Samantha
"Wonder Woman" is our Great Dane
who is 14 years old (
left),
"Samantha" is our American Eskimo
who is 18 years old (right)

 
Princess Leah
We adopted "Princess Leah" at 16 years old (left),
we adopted "Marble" at 8 years old (
center),
and we adopted "Sadie" at 2 years old (right)
3 Great Danes adopted to Ed and Lindy Kalpakoff
Email correspondence from our adopters, Ed and Lindy Kalpakoff (above right)
Hi Tracy,

Just wanted to let you know that your 16 year old "Princess Leah" acts like she's a puppy.

She's Ed's baby. Follows him everywhere and loves her walks.

She's awesome!!! 

I take "Marble" with me to the park on the weekends. All she wants is to be by my side.

YIPPEEEEE, I have my own dog, ha! ha!

"Sadie" is always causing some kind of ruckus. She's just like "Holly" in so many ways.

We will take some good photos of all of them and send them to you.

It just melts my heart to see "Princess" enjoying life in our home.

She's soooo happy!

And, so are we!!!

Lindy Kalpakoff

All Natural Gentle Giants World Class Canine Cuisine Dog Food
is now available in selected Walmart Supercenters!

If you want to have all natural Gentle Giants dog food available to you in your local Walmart,
please speak to your local store manager to have it ordered for you!

Walmart display of Gentle Giants dog food
All natural Gentle Giants dog food and all natural
Gentle Giants 100% pure beef and chicken liver treats

Here is how we feed and care for our dogs








OUR FEEDING AND CARE PROGRAM
ADD MANY YEARS TO THE LIFESPAN OF YOUR DOG!


We have achieved amazing success in lengthening the lives of our rescued dogs. We have many of our small, medium, large and giant breed dogs living as long as twice their normal lifespans. All dogs can benefit from our feeding and care program!

We have accomplished this by utilizing our feeding and care program and feeding all natural Gentle Giants dog food.

Here are the three critical areas that you should focus upon:

(1) What you feed your dog;

(2) How you feed your dog; and

(3) How you care for your dog.


What You Feed To Your Dog - Gentle Giants World Class Canine Cuisine

Many of our dogs are living far longer than is traditional for their breeds. Our program for increased longevity combines early spay/neuter at 5-6 months of age, our special feeding and care program, and our high nutrition, balanced protein, low fat all natural Gentle Giants dog food. Because our Gentle Giants dog food is so nutritious, your dog can obtain all the nutrition he/she needs by eating less food than with other dog food formulas. This can provide your dog with increased protection against bloat and torsion, a major killer of giant breed dogs, and a killer of other breeds as well.

To provide a longer, healthier, happier, and more active life for our rescued dogs, we feed all natural Gentle Giants dog food with our unique specifications that differ significantly from other dog foods. These specifications are:

Crude Protein = 22% - lower protein content to protect against hypertrophic osteo-dystrophy in puppies and panosteitis in adult dogs, as well as to reduce the chance of developing kidney disease

Crude Fat = 9% - lower fat content to protect against heart disease

Lard (Saturated Fat) = 0% - to eliminate fat build up in your dog's arteries - other manufacturers of dog food spray Lard (the hardened white fat that you see on a steak the next day that you would never eat) on the outside of their dog food to get dogs to eat their dog food, because dogs don't like the taste of their fat saturated dog food. However, Gentle Giants World Class Canine Cuisine dog food tastes good to dogs because our dog food is not saturated with fat and contains delicious all natural, chemical free ingredients.

In three to four weeks after switching your dog to all natural Gentle Giants dog food from any other dog food, your dog can look and act like a new dog! Why? Because with the low fat content inside Gentle Giants dog food, and the dry, non-greasy outside of Gentle Giants dog food, the constantly accumulating fat currently saturating your dog's arteries will be flushed out and eliminated from your dog's body, opening up your dog's arteries and allowing more blood to flow throughout your dog's body, which can bring about increased health and nutrition. You dog can not only look and feel a lot better. Your dog can feel wonderfully content and be much more alert and significantly healthier. Healthier dogs live longer!

What We Believe Is Absolutely Critical!
Only Feed Your Dog 100% All Natural Gentle Giants Dog Food!
Never Feed Your Dog More Than 22% Protein!
Never Feed Your Dog More Than 9% Fat!
Never Feed Your Dog Any Food That Has A Greasy Feel On The Outside!
(Check the "Guaranteed Nutrient Analysis" information on your dog food bag)

Our additional specifications are:

3 Protein Sources: Chicken, Fish and Eggs;

9 Vegetables: Carrots, Sweet Potatoes, Beets, Peas, Celery, Lettuce, Parsley, Watercress and Spinach;

3 Fruits: Cranberries, Blueberries and Apples;

4 Nutritious Grains: Pearled Barley, Brown Rice, Oatmeal and Flax Seeds;

Many Vitamins and Antioxidants: Vitamin A, Vitamin B12, Vitamin C, Vitamin D3, Vitamin E, Vitamin K, Beta-Carotene, Dried Kelp, Taurine, Niacin and  Biotin;

Omega-6 Fatty Acids = 1.25% minimum for healthy skin and a healthy coat;

Omega-3 Fatty Acids = .5% minimum for healthy skin and a healthy coat;

Glucosamine = 600 mg/kg for bone, hip, and joint benefits;

Chondroitin = 300 mg/kg for bone, hip, and joint benefits; and

Prebiotics and Probiotics to increase digestion and absorption of food.

We recommend Gentle Giants World Class Canine Cuisine dog food to maximize the longevity of all dogs. It is specially formulated with the highest quality ingredients and with the proper balance of protein and fat content to maximize the longevity of all breeds at all ages.

In addition to complying with our minimum specifications, all natural Gentle Giants World Class Canine Cuisine contains enriched levels of antioxidants (Vitamin E, Vitamin C, Beta Carotene) to help support the immune system, sequestered trace minerals (SQM) for improved mineral bioavailability, and numerous important vitamins and nutrients.

How You Should Feed Your Dog

Here is how we feed our dogs to maximize their life spans . . .

We feed Gentle Giants World Class Canine Cuisine ONLY, because it is highly nutritious with balanced protein and low fat content to be heart healthy.

We feed dry food only - don't add water or anything else. Only if a dog is severely underweight or upon the recommendation of a veterinarian, do we add canned food.

We elevate all of our food and water bowls at a height so that our dogs don't have to lean down to eat, they just tilt their heads down to eat. We do this to avoid bloat and torsion, the number two killer of giant breed dogs and a killer of all dogs. If you have a puppy, you should be continually raising your dog's food and water bowls as your puppy grows.

We do not limit the amount of dog food that we feed at each feeding. If our dogs are hungry, we feed them more. Unlike other dog foods, Gentle Giants is designed for dogs to self-regulate how much they eat. With other dog foods, you need to limit how much your dog eats, so you never know whether or not you are feeding your dog too little or too much.

We feed our dry food for 10 to 15 minutes only, and then we remove the food. We never leave the food out (free feeding) because if dogs have any stress or exercise with food on their stomach, they can bloat and die. Gentle Giants dog food is designed to reduce the risk of bloat and torsion, a major killer of dogs.

We always provide fresh water daily.

We do not allow our dogs to exercise for 1 hour before and for 1 hour after each feeding - We do not feed for at least 1 hour before and after riding in a vehicle.

We feed our puppies under 6 months of age 7 to 8 times a day.

We feed our puppies 6 months of age to 1 year old 6 to 7 times a day.

We feed our puppies and adults over 1 year old 5 or more times a day.


How You Should Care For Your Dog

Longevity: Our Physical And Emotional Care Has Doubled The Lifespan Of Many Of Our Dogs!
Nurturing The Physical And Emotional Needs Of Our Small, Medium, Large and Giant Breeds
We Have Many Of Our Dogs Living Into Their Late Teens And Earlier Twenties!


Because we have been enormously successful in prolonging the healthy, happy lives of our Gentle Giants (giant breeds) and our Little Giants (small, medium and large breeds), we have strict care requirements so that our adopters and other dog owners can hopefully enjoy the same amazing success that we have had. Everyone wants their dog to live the longest, healthiest, happiest life, and if you follow our feeding and care techniques and feed all natural Gentle Giants dog food to your dog, you will have the opportunity to love and enjoy your loving canine family member with you as much as twice as long.

Our Gentle Giants and Little Giants are house dogs, not outside dogs. And, they are not garage dogs, laundry room dogs, barn dogs, shed dogs or patio dogs. Your dog should live inside your home in the main living area as a member of your family, day and night, and go outside only to eat, to go to the bathroom, for short periods of play, and to be with you and your family whenever you are outside. At all other times, they should be inside the main living area of your home.

Many people have traditionally left their dogs outside during the day, and brought their dogs in only at night. Their dogs usually live short lives (in the case of Gentle Giants, usually 7 to 9 years). Some people leave their dogs outside day and night, and their dogs usually live even shorter lives. We cater to the physical and emotional needs of our dogs, and they live a lot longer.

For example, we allow our dogs the freedom to go outside whenever they want to, and conversely, the freedom to come back inside whenever they want to. These are the same freedoms that a human has. So, it does take a little extra effort to pay attention to what your dog is trying to communicate to you. And by doing this, your dog feels that he or she has some say so in their life and they don't give up and resign themselves that they are either “cooped up” outside or “cooped up” inside. This freedom we give them enriches their emotional needs and their spirit, and they are happier. Happier dogs live longer.

Our dogs go outside every few hours (or sooner if they want to). Yes, they frolic and play in between feeding times. You can see that in the many photos on our website. But, after about 15 to 20 minutes, they've had enough and that frolic and play gets old for them and they want to come back into their "den" (figuratively speaking), which is your house.

We say in our literature that a “doggie door” is optional, not required. What isn't optional is leaving your adopted dog outside other than when it is eating, going to the bathroom, briefly playing, or being with you or your family when you are outside.

Our dogs are house dogs, and your dog should be allowed to stay in your house, whether you are home or not.

When we started rescuing Great Danes 19 years ago (and more than 40 other breeds since then), our dogs were living an average of 7 to 9 years. Now, many of our Great Danes and the other 45 breeds that we rescue are living an average of 15 to 22 years, some longer. A significant attribute of our success in doubling the length of their lives is to nurture their needs and instincts, and living inside has shown itself time and again . . . in fact, thousands of times with the small, medium, large and giant breed dogs that we've had living here during the last 19 years, to be a key ingredient in lengthening their lives.


Spaying And Neutering

All of our Gentle Giants and Little Giants are spayed or neutered at 5-6 months of age or as soon as we get them after six months of age. Spaying (females) and neutering (males) does not only prevent excessive breeding, which, if left unspayed and unneutered, results in so many millions of unwanted dogs that end up in animal shelters each year (most of which are put to death), but, spaying and neutering your dog at an early age (the optimum age is five to six months) is critical to extend and prolong your dog's life.

Cancer is the #1 killer of dogs, and 85% of all cancers (whether they end up developing in the bones, organs, blood or skin) originate in the reproductive organs. So, by spaying or neutering your dog at an early age, you are giving your dog the gift of a much longer life! This is one of the most important things that you can do for your dog, and it is one of the key things that we do to help our dogs live an average of 15 to 22 years.

If you want to adopt a dog from us, you must spay or neuter your own dog prior to be approved for adoption. Also, unspayed and unneutered dogs do not always get along with spayed and neutered dogs, and we have achieved an amazing level of socialization, good behavior and easy handling with our dogs (see Our Gentle Giants Training) by combining spaying/neutering with our immensely successful training techniques. We feel that it is in the best interest and safety for our dogs and for your dog that you spay or neuter your dog before we adopt a dog to you.


We Use Crates To House Train Puppies!

Our dogs are crated trained, but we only use crates when our youngest puppies are learning to be housebroken. When our puppies are housebroken, usually at four to six months of age, we stop using crates. If a puppy is still in the chewing stage, we will "baby gate" them in our kitchen when we can't watch them. Giant breed dogs are not comfortable in crates, and they are not happy in kennels, so we don't use either after four to six months of age.

Keeping Your Dog Out Of The Sun And Out Of The Heat

The sun's rays can be very detrimental to your dog's health. Giant breed dogs and some smaller breeds need to stay out of the sun. Most giant breeds have a single coat of fur, and have no protection against the harmful rays of the sun. They can develop skin cancer very quickly. Once the skin cancer develops, the dogs usually develop internal cancerous tumors as well. This can quickly lead to death.

Other breeds of dogs have a short, thick inner coat of fur that protects them from the sun. Because most giant breeds do not have a short, thick inner coat of fur, they should not be allowed to lie out in the sun at all.

Giant breed dogs also need to stay out of the heat. Their bodies do not dissipate heat well, and they can get heat stroke, which can cripple them or kill them.

If someone wants to keep their dog outside, whether it is during the day or at night, whether they are home or not, we will not adopt to them.


Feeding Your Dog To Maximize His/Her Life Span

Our care and feeding program has worked magnificently for the thousands of giant breed dogs and many small breed dogs in the last 19 years here where we could see and experience the results first hand. No one else in the country that we know of who cares for dogs has accomplished this or anywhere near this to our knowledge.

It is our love for these dogs and our total commitment to saving, enriching and lengthening their lives that has provided us with the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of these magnificent animals.

That is why we do what we do and why we have (what may seem strict to some people) the requirements that we have. In the end, the dogs we adopt have proven to be living longer, happier lives in their new adopted homes, and that has made their adopters happier because their loving canine companion is with them longer. You can read this first hand in the many emails that we have posted on our website.


You can experience the same or similar results with your dog by following our feeding and care techniques and by feeding all natural Gentle Giants dog food to your dog.

10 Frequently Asked Questions


QUESTION 1: WHY ARE YOUR DOGS LIVING SO MUCH LONGER THAN EVERYONE ELSE'S DOGS?
ANSWER: Because we are not prematurely killing them by how we care for them, by how we feed them, and by what we feed them. Dogs are physically not designed as sophisticated as humans are. Their bodies wear out easier and much sooner than ours. So, if we want to keep our dogs with us longer, we need to make a special effort to feed and care for them to maximize their life spans. We will tell you how to do that so that you can enjoy the same success that we've had, and so that you can have your dog with you a lot longer! Speaking of our success in helping dogs to live much longer lives, please watch the informational video near the top of our home page. Many of the dogs that in that video are 15 to 22 years old.

QUESTION 2: WHAT MAKES YOU AND YOUR GENTLE GIANTS DOG FOOD DIFFERENT FROM OTHER DOG FOOD MANUFACTURERS AND THEIR DOG FOOD?
ANSWER: We are worlds apart from other dog food manufacturers. Dog food manufacturers are in the business to make money selling you dog food. We're in the charitable business of helping dogs live longer! Dog food manufacturers' main focus is on MAKING MONEY WITH DOGS. Here at Gentle Giants, our main focus is on ADDING YEARS TO DOGS LIVES! We measure our success by how long dogs live, not by how many bags of dog food that we sell. Dog food manufacturers test their dog food on dogs in cages in laboratories (usually 10-15 dogs during a 1-2 week period). We've tested our dog food on thousands of dogs since 2005, feeding 600 lbs. of our all natural Gentle Giants DAILY! Who do you think has conducted more valuable testing on more dogs in a real life situation rather than testing a few frightened dogs cooped up in cages in a testing laboratory?

QUESTION 3: WHY DO I HAVE TO LIMIT HOW MUCH MY DOG EATS WHEN I FEED OTHER DOG FOODS?
ANSWER
: Other dog foods are not designed for your dog to self-regulate how much your dog eats. In fact, they are designed just the opposite way . . . to make your dog become hungrier and eat more of their dog food! Other dog foods contain way too much fat, among other things (which they have purposely put into their dog food), to make your dog hungrier to sell you more dog food! So, when you feed your dog other dog foods, what is actually happening is that the dog food that you are feeding to your dog is making your dog wanting more and more, which may be good for the dog food manufacturer who gets to sell you more of their dog food, but it is really bad for your dog to overeat. So, what do you do to keep your dog from overeating the dog food that you are currently feeding to your dog? You
LIMIT how much you feed your dog to keep your dog from overeating and becoming overweight. And why is that so bad? Well, first of all, when you LIMIT how much you feed your dog, you don't know if you are feeding your dog too little dog food or too much dog food . . . you're guessing. Much worse for your dog, though, is the fact that what you are feeding to your dog at every meal is making your dog more and more hungry, and then by you denying your dog the additional dog food that he/she thinks that he/she wants/needs, you are causing your dog to always be hungry and to be stressed that he/she can't have all the dog food that he/she wants to eat, leaving your dog ALWAYS HUNGRY, NEVER SATISFIED, AND ALWAYS STRESSED. Stress kills! How much shorter do you think that your own life would be if you were always hungry?

And if your current dog food contains more than 9% fat content (please see "Guaranteed Nutrient Analysis" or "Guaranteed Analysis" as required by law to be printed on every bag of dog food), what you are feeding to your dog is filling your dog's body with excessive fat and nutritionally empty calories. Do you remember the story on TV several years ago called "Super-Size Me?" A man went into McDonalds every day eating every meal there for one month. He gained 50 lbs. and became quite ill. He gained the weight because of the fat content in the food that he ate. A recent report currently circulating through veterinarian clinics states that as many as 43% of all the dogs in America today are overweight. Ask your vet if your dog is overweight, and if so, ask your vet if being overweight can and will likely shorten your dog's life? The answer is "Yes."

Occasionally, someone says that their dog is not hungry and leaves dog food in their bowl. When we ask them if their dog is overweight, they admit "Yes." Then, we ask them how energetic their dog is, they answer "Not as much as he used to be." This is an unhealthy situation where their dog is being overfed and is not as fit and healthy as he/she should be.

QUESTION 4:
WHY IS IT IMPORTANT FOR DOGS TO SELF-REGULATE HOW MUCH DOG FOOD THEY EAT?
ANSWER: Assuming that your dog is not being tricked into believing that he/she wants more and more dog food by the excessive fat content in the dog food that you are currently feeding to your dog, when your dog eats all natural Gentle Giants dog food, your dog gets all the nutrition that he/she needs with low fat content, so your dog won't feel hungry, won't feel stress, won't become overweight, but instead will feel better, and can live a much longer, healthier, happier, more active life. Please watch this
video (CLICK HERE) of our dogs self-regulating how much of our all natural Gentle Giants dog food that they eat. You will notice that NONE of our dogs are overweight and ALL of our dogs are HEALTHY and LOOK GREAT!

QUESTION 5:
HOW IS IT THAT YOUR GENTLE GIANTS DOG FOOD IS THE ONLY DOG FOOD DESIGNED FOR DOGS TO SELF-REGULATE HOW MUCH THEY EAT WHEN EVERY OTHER DOG FOOD REQUIRES ME TO LIMIT HOW MUCH OF THEIR DOG FOOD THAT I FEED TO MY DOG?
ANSWER: All natural Gentle Giants dog food has maximum nutrition with minimal fat content. Gentle Giants is designed for dogs to eat less and absorb more, thus reducing the risk of gaining too much weight from the volume of fat saturated dog food that dogs normally eat.

QUESTION 6: WHY ARE DOGS HEALTHIER AND WHY DO DOGS FEEL BETTER WHEN THEY EAT ALL NATURAL GENTLE GIANTS DOG FOOD?
ANSWER: You can easily discover that for yourself. Take what we call "The Clogged Arteries Test." Closely examine the dog food that you are currently feeding to your dog and compare it to all natural Gentle Giants dog food. Place a small amount of your current dog food into the palm of your hand. For 5 to 10 seconds, use your fingers to rub over the dog food firmly back and forth, then open your hand. Do you feel a greasy stickiness? If so, that is SATURATED FAT FROM LARD OR ANIMAL FAT that has been sprayed onto your dog's food to get your dog to eat it.

Now, think of that greasy stickiness coating the arteries of your dog. Think about what would happen to you if your own arteries were clogged with saturated fat and cholesterol from eating EVERY MEAL IN YOUR ENTIRE LIFETIME with your food coated with lard or animal fat? Now, isn't it easy to understand why dogs live such short lives?

Did you also know that dogs get heart attacks just like humans? Now, test Gentle Giants World Class Canine Cuisine dog food in the same way and you won't feel any stickiness - your hand will feel dry. Which dog food do you think is better for your dog's health? Which dog food do you think can help your dog live a much longer, healthier, happier, more active life?

We regularly receive emails from people who write to us in amazement that after feeding Gentle Giants to their dogs for 3-5 weeks, they say that they have "completely different dogs" - that their dogs are so much more alert, that they feel better, look better and act healthier. Other people with older dogs "thanks us for giving them their puppy back!" Some people ask us if Gentle Giants is "magical?" We tell them, "No, there is no magic involved, it is all science!" It usually takes about 3-5 weeks for the fat content to be removed from a dog's arteries. As the fat content is removed and your dog's arteries open up, your dog will feel significantly better and be significantly better!

Here is an email that we received from a Pet Care department manager at one of the Walmart stores that sells all natural Gentle Giants dog food. He has been feeding his dog Gentle Giants for three months. "I will continue to sell your product PROUDLY. My dog hasn't been the same since I started feeding him Gentle Giants. He is acting younger every day. Thank you for giving us back our puppy."

So, when your dog is eating
EVERY SINGLE MEAL of his/her short life with excessive fat content inside their food combined with saturated fat from lard or animal fat coating the outside of their food, is it any surprise to you that what you are currently feeding to your dog is prematurely killing your dog? We all love our dogs, so the next time you get ready to fill your dog's bowl with dog food, do you want your dog eating what you've been feeding or would you like your dog eating heart healthy all natural Gentle Giants dog food?

QUESTION 7: WHAT IS BLOAT AND TORSION, WHAT CAUSES IT, AND HOW CAN YOU AVOID IT HAPPENING TO YOUR DOG?
ANSWER: Bloat and torsion is the #2 killer of giant breed dogs and a killer of all dogs, including small, medium and large breed dogs. Bloat is the distension of a dog's stomach and torsion is the turning of a dog's stomach, which is what actually kills a dog in one of the most agonizingly painful deaths imaginable. Horses get a similar killer called colic.

We like to explain bloat and torsion in a way that everyone can easily understand. Do you remember when you were a child and your mother or father said to you, "Don't go in the swimming pool for at least 30 minutes after you eat!" Do you know why your parent told you that? It's because if you have any stress or exercise when you have food on your stomach, you can get a cramp. The difference between what happens to a human and what happens to a dog is that when a human gets a cramp when exercising or being under stress after eating, the human can get out of the pool, or stop the exercise, or take steps to reduce the stress they're under, then lay down, and the human will feel better and be fine. Unfortunately, when a dog's stomach torsions, their stomach turns on itself and THE DOG CAN'T DO ANYTHING TO ELIMINATE THE PROBLEM! The only solution to cure this deadly problem is immediate surgery! If this happens to your dog, you have about one hour to get your dog to an expert surgeon, not your typical veterinarian, but a highly experienced surgeon who can perform open stomach surgery, untangle your dog's stomach and tack your dog's stomach to the right side of your dog's body wall (muscle to muscle) at a cost of $3,000.00 to $9,000.00.

Here are the steps we follow to avoid bloat and torsion in our dogs:

(1) Elevate your dog's food and water bowls to a comfortable height to make it as easy as possible for your dog to eat and drink. The top of the food in your dog's bowl should be about level with the base of your dog's neck. Your dog should simply tilt his/her head down to eat and drink, never have to lean down or lean up to eat and drink;

(2) No exercise for one hour before and one hour after eating;

(3) No riding in a vehicle (no motion) for one hour before and one hour after eating;


(4) Feed your dog five (5) or more times each day. Smaller more frequent meals are much better for your dog than one or two big meals. Translating that to your own life, we suggest that the next time you visit your doctor for a physical, ask your doctor this question, "Am I better off eating one or two big meals each day, or four or five smaller meals each day?" You already know the answer. Your doctor will say, "Four or five smaller meals." Because dogs are not built as well as human beings, it is actually much more important for a dog to eat five or more meals each day than it is for a human."

(5) Feed your dog only all natural Gentle Giants dog food because it was designed to avoid bloat and torsion.

QUESTION 8: HOW IS IT THAT YOUR GENTLE GIANTS DOG FOOD IS THE ONLY DOG FOOD DESIGNED FOR DOGS TO AVOID BLOAT AND TORSION, THE #2 KILLER OF GIANT BREED DOGS AND A KILLER OF ALL DOGS?
ANSWER: Giant breed dogs are more prone to getting bloat and torsion than small and medium breed dogs. Nevertheless, all dogs can get bloat and torsion and all dogs can die from it. Remember the movie "Marley and Me?" That's how the dog died near the end of the movie . . . very upsetting, but unlike a dog being struck with cancer, bloat and torsion is ENTIRELY PREVENTABLE!

As the world's largest giant breed dog rescue having rescued, fed, cared for and adopted 14,600+ dogs (primarily giant breed dogs) in the last 19 years, we have had to be especially careful with all the dogs that we rescue (usually rescued dogs are under great stress when they first arrive here) to make sure that they don't bloat. Over the 19 years of feeding 600 lbs. of dog food every day, we have become acutely aware of what we need to do to avoid bloat and torsion in our rescued dogs. We are most proud of the fact that NOT ONE of our 14,600+ dogs under our care during the last 19 years has ever bloated!

Understanding that the best way to avoid bloat and torsion in dogs is to have a minimal amount of dog food in a dog's stomach at any given time (that's one of the main reasons why we feed our dogs five (5) or more times each day), we've spent ten (10) years developing our own dog food that contains the maximum amount of nutrition in the smallest quantity of dog food. All natural Gentle Giants dog food is the result of our observation and evaluation of feeding 600 lbs. of dog food each day for the last 19 years to our rescued dogs, ranging in size from 2 lbs. to 305 lbs., and ranging in age from 4 week old infants to 22 year old seniors.

Dogs eating our all natural Gentle Giants dog food usually eat 1/3 less of Gentle Giants dog food than other dog food formulas. That results in significantly added protection against bloat and torsion, 1/3 less stool to clean up, and your bag of Gentle Giants dog food lasting 1/3 longer than other dog food (which saves you money).

QUESTION 9: What is "
FREE FEEDING" and should I allow my dog to do that?
ANSWER: "Free Feeding" is leaving food out for your dog to eat all the time.
YOU SHOULD NEVER, NEVER DO THAT!! "Free Feeding" can cause bloat and torsion because your dog could decide to eat shortly before or shortly after stress or exercise, which is exactly what causes bloat and torsion! Remember, bloat and torsion are caused by food on your dog's stomach combined with stress or exercise!

Here are two examples why you should
NEVER leave food out for your dog to eat more than 10-15 minutes at a time and then remove it or close it so your dog can't have access to it. Suppose your dog is outside and playing vigorously, and then stops to eat the dog food that you incorrectly left out for your dog to eat. Because bloat and torsion is caused by food on the stomach combined with stress or exercise, your dog can bloat, torsion and die within one hour because your dog ate when your dog was under stress or because your dog was exercising. Or, suppose your dog is inside and hears someone knocking on your door and protectively barks and works himself up emotionally. If you left food out for him to eat, even though he was only momentarily upset and barking to protect his home and to protect you, he can bloat, torsion and die. This is a very deadly disease that can be completely avoided by always making sure that your dog NEVER EATS BEFORE OR AFTER WHEN YOUR DOG IS UNDER STRESS OR IS EXERCISING!

QUESTION 10: What is "GASTROPEXY" surgery that some vets encourage their customers to do under their belief that it will prevent your dog from getting bloat and torsion?
ANSWER: We absolutely don't believe in putting your dog through that major surgery for two important reasons: (1) your dog can die just from the major surgery; and/or (2) we've known situations where owners have given their dog the very expensive gastropexy surgery, and then their dog still died from bloat and torsion. Gastropexy is not the 'silver bullet' that some vets make it out to be. You might consider this in your own life. If you thought that there might be the possibility that later in your life that you might develop heart disease, would you consider making the decision to go have open heart surgery now and have a quadruple by-pass? Of course not! So, we don't recommend that you put your dog through that risky gastropexy surgery!

QUESTION 11: WHAT IS BETTER FOR MY DOG - EATING INEXPENSIVE GROCERY BRAND DOG FOOD OR EXPENSIVE PET STORE BRAND DOG FOOD?
ANSWER: Actually, NEITHER! Traditional grocery brand dog food is very low quality, usually with lower fat content and lower protein content (we've heard comments like, "How much protein can you get out of shoe leather?").

Pet store brand dog food is much higher quality, but is compromised by its too high fat content and too high protein content. Too much fat and too much protein is equally damaging to your dog's health and maybe even more damaging to your dog's health than poor quality dog food. Here's why and what we've experienced in our 19 years of operation:

(1) Excessive fat content (more than 9% fat): we've discussed that in our answers to the above questions;

(2) Excessive protein content (more than 22% protein): High end dog food manufacturers want to sell you their dog food. So, how do they market their dog food to you in comparison to another high end dog food on the store shelf next to them? They believe that you are more likely to buy their dog food if you see more protein in their dog food. They assume that you will think that getting more protein for your money is better for your wallet/pocketbook and better for your dog. They may be right that you will believe that,
BUT THEY ARE WRONG THAT FEEDING MORE PROTEIN IS BETTER FOR YOUR DOG! We have found that feeding any of our dogs - small to large and young to old - more than 22% protein can prematurely burn a dog's kidneys out, greatly shortening their life. We have also found that feeding any puppy more than 22% protein in their dog food can cause hypertrophic osteodystrophy - see photo at this link - where their forearms swell up so much that they can't even walk. Further, we have found that feeding any adult or senior dog more than 22% protein in their dog food can cause panosteitis (often mis-diagnosed as arthritis), a lameness that travels from leg to leg in older dogs that cripples them.

QUESTION 12: WHERE SHOULD I LOOK TO DETERMINE WHAT THE FAT AND PROTEIN CONTENT IS IN THE DOG FOOD THAT I AM CURRENTLY FEEDING TO MY DOG?
ANSWER: Look on the back or sides of the dog food that you are currently feeding. By law, manufacturers must provide a "GUARANTEED NUTRIENT ANALYSIS" or "GUARANTEED ANALYSIS." The first two items listed are (1) protein content and (2) fat content. The protein content SHOULD NEVER BE MORE THAN 22%! The fat content SHOULD NEVER BE MORE THAN 9%! Even one percent (1%) more protein or fat is way too much for your dog!

Your dog can experience the same successful results that we have with our dogs by following our feeding and care techniques and by feeding all natural Gentle Giants dog food to your dog.

How We Feed And Care For Our Dogs

Every day we feed more than 600 lbs. of our Gentle Giants World Class Canine Cuisine dog food to our rescued dogs.  We feed our adult dogs five (5) or more times each day, and we feed our puppies eight (8) or more times each day.

Unlike other brands of dog food where you have to limit and regulate how much your dog eats because your dog might over eat another brand of dog food, with our Gentle Giants dog food, your dog will actually SELF-REGULATE itself how much he or she eats and will not over eat our Gentle Giants dog food. Most people find that their dog will actually eat as much as 1/3 less of our Gentle Giants dog food than what they fed their dog before switching to Gentle Giants dog food. Feeding all natural Gentle Giants dog food to your dog can make your dog's coat healthier and shinier, can help your dog have more energy and be more alert. Feeding Gentle Giant dog food can provide your dog with extremely high quality dog food that lasts 1/3 longer than other dog foods, and you can benefit from having to clean up about 1/3 less stool!

We receive dozens of emails each month from people who have had amazing results from feeding our all natural Gentle Giants dog food and following our feeding and care techniques that provide their dog with the opportunity to live a much  longer, healthier, active life.

Switching Your Dog's Food To Gentle Giants


Here is our recommended method for switching your dog's food to all natural Gentle Giants dog food:

Mix the dog food that you are currently using with Gentle Giants in the following proportions:

Day 1: 80% current dog food, 20 % Gentle Giants
Day 2: 70% current dog food, 30 % Gentle Giants

Day 3: 60% current dog food, 40 % Gentle Giants
Day 4: 50% current dog food, 50 % Gentle Giants
Day 5: 40% current dog food, 60 % Gentle Giants
Day 6: 30% current dog food, 70 % Gentle Giants
Day 7: 20% current dog food, 80 % Gentle Giants
Day 8: 100 % Gentle Giants

If during this transition period your dog gets loose stool, stop the ratio change until your dog's stool returns to normal. If for some reason the loose stool persists, then cook one (1) cup of rice, allow it cool down to room temperature, and then feed it to your dog separate of when you're feeding your dog Gentle Giants. Your dog's stool should tighten up properly.

Here is something that you might find interesting: Recently, we've been receiving questions from dog owners who are newly feeding Gentle Giants about what to do when transitioning their dog to Gentle Giants. Many dog owners are finding that when they mix Gentle Giants with the current dog food that they've been feeding during the transition period that THEIR DOG IS ACTUALLY PICKING OUT THEIR FORMER DOG FOOD AND DROPPING IT ON THE FLOOR/GROUND AND ONLY EATING GENTLE GIANTS. Their dogs love Gentle Giants so much that they are refusing to eat any of their old dog food!

Converting Your Dog's Feeding Program To Gentle Giants

Here is our recommended method for converting your dog's existing feeding program to Gentle Giants multi-meal
self-regulated feeding program. Our dog food is designed for dogs to self-regulate how much they eat, not limit how much they eat. The amounts shown on our dog food bag indicate what you will eventually offer to your dog, not what is expected to be consumed by your dog.

Most regular dog food has 12% or more fat content. This causes dogs to eat more than they should and more than they need.

Gentle Giants dog food has only 9% fat content, which does not cause dogs to eat more than they should or more than they need.

If a dog has been raised on Gentle Giants, it will only eat what it needs to eat. That's why we can present it with more dog food than we expect it to consume, and that is how it can self-regulate how much it eats without overeating.

If a dog is switched from another dog food to Gentle Giants, the conversion period to allowing the dog to self-regulate how much it eats can be several months.

Converting dogs to our way of feeding (5 or more feedings per day), which is how we believe that we are able to help dogs live considerably longer lives, must be a very gradual process for a dog who has only been fed a high fat content dog food (over 9% fat) and who has only been fed 1 or 2 times a day.

How we convert them is as follows:

1. Immediately spread the same total daily amount of dog food that you are currently feeding to your dog into five smaller meals. Do not change the total daily amount of dog food that you are currently feeding until your dog is 100% on Gentle Giants for at least 30 days. For example, if you are currently feeding your dog 2 1/2 cups of dog food twice a day, your total daily amount of dog food is 5 cups. In that case, you would spread the 5 cups of dog food over five feedings, thus feeding 1 cup at each of the five feedings. At the same time, you should begin switching from your current dog food to Gentle Giants as described above in "Switching Your Dog's Food to Gentle Giants."

We receive questions all the time from people who work 8 hours a day, and adding their travel time, are actually away from home 9 or more hours a day - they ask us how they can follow our feeding program when they are away from home so long.

Here is the answer: Feed Gentle Giants to your dog in the morning (1st time), removing the food after 10-15 minutes, but leaving your dog with fresh water at all times. When you come home, feed your dog again (2nd time). Then, one hour later, feed your dog again (3rd time). Then, one hour later, feed your dog again (4th time). Then, one hour later, feed your dog again (5th time). Your dog will start leaving food in the dish - this is the beginning of converting your dog to Gentle Giants' feeding program.

2. When your dog has been eating only Gentle Giants for 30 days (about five weeks after you began switching your dog's food to Gentle Giants), add 50% more Gentle Giants to each feeding. Using the example above, you would feed your dog 1 1/2 cups of Gentle Giants at each of the five daily meals and visually evaluate how your dog responds.

In the unlikely event that your dog starts gulping down the additional amount, then immediately reduce the amount of dog food to the amount that you were feeding (using the example above, you would return to feeding 1 cup of Gentle Giants per feeding) so your dog doesn't over eat. Again, using the example above, you should then slowly increase (carefully watching that your dog eats normally) the amount that you feed to your dog until you are up to the 1 1/2 cups of Gentle Giants per meal.

If your dog eats the additional 50% amount of Gentle Giants at each of the five feeding per day normally, or picks at the additional Gentle Giants, or leaves some of Gentle Giants without eating all of it, that is excellent, and that is what you want - your dog is starting to self-regulate how much he/she eats.

Over a period of time, usually two to three months after you have switched your dog to Gentle Giants, you will likely notice that your dog actually eat less of Gentle Giants. This is because Gentle Giants is so nutritious and low in fat content that your dog will only eat what he/she needs and leave the rest. Dogs eating Gentle Giants dog food usually eat about 1/3 less of Gentle Giants than other dog food formulas, which results in 1/3 less stool and your bag of Gentle Giants lasting 1/3 longer than other dog foods. You should also see your dog look and act healthier, feel better, and lose any extra weight if your dog was overweight.

We regularly receive emails from people whose dogs have displayed amazing results from eating all natural Gentle Giants.


QUESTIONS?

We invite you and encourage you to follow our feeding and care techniques and to feed our all natural Gentle Giants dog food to your dog. Please let us know of your results. If you have questions, you can send email to us at
info@gentlegiantsrescue.com and we will answer every question. We want your dog to live the longest, healthiest, happiest life!

Burt and Bigfoot
Gentle Giant

Burt Ward appearance


We Would Like To Hear From You!

Do you have questions about how to feed and care for your dog?

Do you have questions about our all natural Gentle Giants dog food?

Ask us! We will answer your questions and give you the benefit of our expertise!

And, of course, we would like to hear your results of feeding
all natural Gentle Giants World Class Canine Cuisine to your dog.

You can call us here: (951) 818-2512
You can email us here: info@gentlegiantsrescue.com


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