Re: [pyrnet] BARF

["Linda Weisser" <lmweisser@home.com>]

----- Original Message -----
From: "Smith, Deborah" <dsmith@iolinc.net>

Tracy said her dogs are fine with it and has a point about the
shepherds in the Pyr Mts. >>

It's not just the shepherds in the Pyrenees.  Many, many stock raisers in
this country feed the carcasses of dead animals to their working dogs.  And
they may leave that carcass intact and let the dogs have at it.  They don't
butcher it and feed it in pieces.  Nor, I suspect, did the Basques.  The
dogs seem to understand the difference between living and dead flesh.  I
remember a story from many years ago of a really good working bitch who
would carry the carcasses of the stillborn lambs to her owner.  if he took
it from her and put it in the dead animal "pile" she would leave it alone.
If he did not take it from her, she would eat it.  And, of course, the
butchered flesh of any animal as is used in BARF feeding, doesn't smell
like the living animal does.  Thank god <bg>

In response to Cindy, I don't think that eating dead animals has anything
to do with keeping predators away from the flock.  I think that it's just a
good and available food source.  The shepherd may have some thought of
keeping the territory cleaned up but I doubt that the dog does.  Complex
thought processes aren't a dog's strong suit.

Linda