Previous Myth: RAW DIETS MAKE DOGS AGGRESSIVE«
You are fully capable of feeding your pet. True, you may not know all there is to know about canine nutrition or feeding a raw diet, but this does not mean you cannot learn! And you do not need to know all there is about canine nutrition; there is no need for this. All you have to do is have an open mind and be able to look to the model nature has designed for our canines: whole prey animals in the raw.
The pet food industry and some vets and other professionals want you to believe you are incapable of feeding your own pets and should therefore leave it to the experts. This is an insult. These "experts" have received only a little more nutritional training than you have, and in all likelihood have not even considered the excellent model nature has set for our canines. They may know all the biochemistry behind the body and how it digest food, but their education has short-changed them immensely when it comes to designing a proper diet for pets. You are fully capable of feeding yourself, so why should you not be able to feed your dog?
There is no reason to remain uneducated about feeding dogs and cats species appropriate raw diets (well, only if you are selling kibble and want to make sure you have a returning source of revenue). Research the raw diet. Look to nature as your ultimate instructor. What diet has nature created for dogs? One consisting of whole animals, raw meaty bones, and organs. We do not necessarily need to know how it works; all we need to know is that it does work, and has worked for a million years. The raw foods contain the exact nutrition your dog or cat needs. You do not need to be an expert, just a critically-thinking, common sense-wielding, concerned pet owner. You will be the kind of pet owner veterinarians talk about in their professional publications, the pet owner who is educating him/herself about pet nutrition and is learning how to properly take care of his/her own pets without needing to depend on the advice of a veterinarian, the kind of pet owner they refer to as a "potential problem" because you no longer depend on them for all your pet's needs. I encourage you to be that well-informed pet owner. Join the Yahoo! Raw feeding group and browse the archives and ask questions (please note: the Rawfeeding list promotes a prey-model raw diet based on a variety of raw meaty bones and organs, not a BARF diet that includes veggies and supplements.). Borrow or pick up a copy of Tom Lonsdale's Raw Meaty Bones book; it is an investment that is well worth it. Visit the Raw Learning website and read more about the raw diet. Check out the Feeding a Raw Diet page for answers to common raw feeding questions, and read through the Switching Your Dog to a Raw Diet page. The key is to get involved for your pets' health. They will thank you for it.