Step 1: lf a dog is in a new environment, has a new owner, or is being required to undergo some other emotional or physical strain, dog food changes should be postponed until the stress has been eliminated or the dog has adapted to it. With changes in ownership, the dog food fed by the previous owner should be obtained if at all possible and fed until the dog becomes accustomed to its new surroundings.

Step 2: Once the dog is in a proper emotional state to accept a dietary change it should be accomplished without delay. Start by substituting 25 percent of the old dog food with the new dog food. Mix the two thoroughly making every attempt to conceal the new food within the old. This mixture should be fed until the dog eats the mixture with the same relish that it ate its previous dog food. For some dogs this may be the first time the mixture is fed; for others it may take several days or even weeks. Don't hurry the procedure. After all, the dog may have had 24 months to get accustomed to its old diet. Don't expect it to change all of that in just 24 hours. Once the dog is eating the 25:75 mixture as well as it did its previous food, proceed to step three

Step 3: During the third step, 50 percent of the old dog food is replaced by new food and slightly less effort is made to conceal it within the old dog food. Again, when the dog is eating the 50:50 mixture with the same gusto it did its previous food, proceed to step four.

Step 4: Now 75 percent of the new dog food is present in the mixture being fed, and little if any effort is made to conceal the new dog food except to mix it evenly with the ordinal food. By now, most dogs will readily accept the increased mixture the first time it is fed. If the dog accepted the 50:50 mixture at the first feeding, step four can be eliminated and you can proceed directly to step five.

Step 5: This is the final step, the one in which all of the old dog food is eliminated from the dog's diet. One hundred percent of the new dog food is fed from then on. For some dogs this procedure may take only three days and require only steps two, three and five. For others it may take longer and must progress through each step separately. Do not become discouraged. With dogs, food likes and dislikes are mostly learned from previous experiences. Changing a dog food is a process of unlearning and relearning, and such things cannot be hurried.

The third general consideration is to make sure that the balance of dog nutrition remains the same.There is no better time to check out exactly what dog nutrition level your dog needs. Just hit the browser with dog nutrition and all the information is there before your eyes.