Natural Rearing is utilizing and promoting the old, natural ways, which includes feeding a raw diet, supporting natural immunity and using safe/natural alternatives to chemicals, in order to give each dog the opportunity to live a long life of wellness and well being.

What is Natural Rearing?
By Christine Swingle

Christine, Garth and Shania

Natural Rearing ways support each animal to have and maintain as healthy a level of immune and digestive system function as possible. As your companion's guardian, by practicing the NR ways, you are doing all you can to help your animal avoid developing disease or illness. While good health cannot be guaranteed, the NR ways are the only ways to ensure and guarantee the best opportunity for animals to avoid cancer, arthritis, periodontal disease, digestive upsets, ear infections, allergies, etc.

Food - The Foundation of True Good Health
So, what exactly are the NR ways? To start with, NR dogs never eat processed/artificial dog food, regardless of the brand or quality of the ingredients. Processed dog food is cooked and not a natural diet at all. Instead, they enjoy a diet that mimics what their cousin the wolf eats. A species-Appropriate Raw Food (ARF) diet of mainly meat and bone is the foundation to keeping our dogs healthy. You may have also heard the term BARF, which stands for Biologically Appropriate Raw Food or Bones and Raw Food. Use whichever term suits you. A raw food diet with a good variety of meat and bone has been the diet of our dogs' ancestors for hundreds of thousands of years. Scientists are insignificant when it comes to the knowledge of Mother Nature and therefore, processed/artificial dog food products are totally wrong for long term good health. While it is very important to start feeding raw to puppies at weaning time, it is far better and beneficial to get dogs off processed dog food products and switch them to their species-Appropriate Raw Foods (ARF) at any age. I did just this with my Sierra when she was 9 years old. In 2004, Sierra celebrated her 17th birthday and has no disease. Please read the article, ARF4Westies II The Best Raw Diet for Dogs.. You will need to read Kymythy Schultze's book, The Ultimate Diet before you begin to switch to raw. Her book is precise, easy to read and understand and under $10.00

Natural Immunity - From True Good Health and For Good Health
Naturally reared dogs are not laden with chemically man-made vaccinations that include carcinogens (cancer producing) such as mercury and formaldehyde. I consider vaccines akin to a poison and they cause more harm to an animal's immune system over time. They have been implicated in allergies and autoimmune diseases. Naturally reared dogs have a better edge on good health and thus, a better opportunity to develop natural immunity, the way nature intended it to happen. In other words, NR dogs are NOT vaccinated at all. Despite what you may have come to believe, vaccines are not the only way for an animal to develop immunity, nor do vaccines guarantee immunity to anything. For more information on this important subject, please read ARF at 4 Years-Silent Spring to Lively Summer '03. A truly healthy immune system; true good health keeps dogs from getting sick. Recommended reading is Catherine O'Driscoll's, What Vets Don't Tell You About Vaccines.

No Toxic Chemicals
Naturally reared dogs do not have toxic chemicals put in them or on them. No heartworm or flea and tick pesticides/insecticides are used on NR dogs. Chemicals are NOT safe, despite the spin. Just think about it? How do you think these products kill fleas, ticks and heartworm? Would you knowingly put these chemicals on yourself or children? If not, why would you think less of your companion? Do not use chemicals on your lawns, either. Experts warn that pesticides you put on your lawn pose serious health risks, especially to children and pets. We live in a society where so many products are made up of chemicals. Many things we can't do much about, but we can make choices not to add to the burden. When we can make those choices, let them be informed choices. Using chemicals only increases the likelihood of the immune system weakening. When the immune system weakens, disease has a good opportunity to take hold.

Holistic Medicine over Allopathic Medicine
Naturally reared dogs, when needed, are supported by holistic medicine, which seeks the underlying reason for each symptom and assists each animal to heal itself to its highest level. That healing, many times, may include a "cure" for the health issue. Each animal's ability to heal itself depends on many factors. Therefore, guardians of NR dogs avoid the use of steroids (immune system suppressors) and antibiotic use and other "drugs" of allopathic medicine. Instead, with the assistance of our holistic veterinarians, and if we have a health issue (yes, even NR dogs can carry unhealthy baggage from their parents and grandparents), we seek to help the dog to heal itself with the many holistic modalities available. We don't go for the quick fix or band-aid effect and treat the symptoms, as allopathic medicine does. All this does is drive the underlying problem deeper within the body.

Guardians of NR dogs make sure they support their companions in body, mind, spirit and environment. This includes walks, playtime, quiet times, giving our dogs something to do like agility, obedience, tracking, retrieving (water sports); the list is limitless. We also communicate with our animals and provide a loving and as stress free environment as possible.

The natural rearing ways are the only ways to promote the best health an animal can have, with the expectation that our companions will live a long, disease free life. This is possible with education, courage and commitment.

2004