PASSIONATE BREEDERS
ARE ALWAYS LEARNING.

Raising Smart and Trainable Puppies

Archive document IAMS COMPANY

Iams is since 1999 a registered trademark of The Procter & Gamble Company. This is an archive document used historically by the Iams Pet Food company or for Iams Pet Food products. Any and all mentions included herein needs to be replaced in context of the time and geography of its initial use as circumstances and products may have changed since then. Products and relative data are for US only. No assertion or further use of these documents can be made without P&G's authorization.


STUDY SHOWS PUPPIES NOURISHED WITH BRAIN-BUILDING NUTRIENT WERE SMARTER, MORE TRAINABLE

The Iams Company
July 29, 2004

As a breeder, looking for ways to give puppies an extra edge is nothing new. But, discovering that a distinct advantage is linked to their diet (a specific nutrient) - that's a different story. New research from The Iams Company reveals just that.

The Iams study shows puppies nourished with enhanced (high) levels of dietary docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) were significantly smarter, more trainable than puppies nourished with low DHA levels typical of most commercial puppy foods.

The research, unveiled at a press conference at the 2004 American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) Annual Convention in Philadelphia, examined the role DHA - a long-chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid - plays in puppies' neural development by focusing on the puppy's ability to learn.

In the study, puppies receiving enhanced levels of DHA before (in utero and via mother's milk) and after weaning (via puppy food) significantly outperformed puppies nourished with typical levels of the nutrient. In fact, in a shape-recognition food-reward test, the success rate among puppies receiving enhanced DHA was twice that of those receiving typical levels of DHA in their diets. Among leading U.S. brands, only the enhanced level of DHA in Eukanuba® Puppy Foods has been shown to promote significantly smarter, more trainable puppies.

In fact, puppies acquire 70 percent of their adult brain mass by six weeks of age and 90 percent by 12 weeks. The study focused on this time period, as well as the post-weaning stage.

"Good nutrition, combined with training and loving care, primes puppies for healthy lives," said Dan Carey, DVM, The Iams Company. "These findings reiterate to breeders and other dog enthusiasts the known importance of a young dog's neurological development. The puppy who gets that boost at an early age can then grow into the prize sire or bitch, or a thriving family pet."

Study Overview

In the highly controlled study, 39 genetically similar puppies were evaluated for the effects of dietary DHA. For each diet group, the puppies' mothers during pregnancy and nursing and the puppies through the testing period were fed the same complete diet that varied only in DHA content between groups. Additionally, to simulate an in-home environment, all puppies were socialized through the same types of play and human interaction.

After the age of nine weeks, with one week of training, each puppy was tested daily in multiple trials per day. For the trials, researchers used a maze course with a symbol associated with the location of a food treat.

Testing was conducted for 30 days. Throughout the trial, researchers evaluated cognitive function and trainability among the puppies, specifically comparing the results of the enhanced-DHA group to that of the typical-DHA group. The typical-DHA diet was provided to 20 puppies while 19 puppies were nourished with enhanced levels of DHA.

Study Results

Following 30 days of testing, the study showed the enhanced-DHA nourished puppies were significantly smarter and more trainable than the typical-DHA nourished puppies. Results were consistent over multiple replications.

"Findings from the research indicate dietary DHA level is a key determinant of success, with the performance of the enhanced-DHA puppies being superior in the maze testing, compared with the typical-DHA nourished puppies," Dr. Carey said. "With all other factors being equal, puppies fed an enhanced-DHA diet demonstrated superior memories and a higher receptivity to training, confirming the importance of DHA in healthy brain development."

Additionally, Iams notes feeding a puppy a diet containing fish meal provides a source of DHA and other omega-3 fatty acids to support development of neural tissues for optimal cognitive function. Only the level of DHA in Eukanuba® Puppy Foods has been shown to promote significantly smarter, more trainable puppies.

Practical Applications

For breeders, the study offers several potential implications, including:

  • Better socialization of the puppy with other dogs and the family.
  • The puppy more quickly grasping training and obedience challenges.
  • Improved cognitive awareness through enhanced brain development.
  • Lower likelihood of returns and pet-owner dissatisfaction with the new puppy, when coupled with proper training.

"I would recommend that breeders and pet owners feed their dogs foods enhanced with DHA," said Carmen Battaglia, Ph.D., founder of the "Breeding Better Dogs" program. "The research shows feeding dogs foods enhanced with DHA should begin when the dams are in whelp. I think they'll see better results not only in their puppies as they grow and develop but also in better training, due to the enhanced ability to promote better brain development."