Ron Boehme—host of The Hunting Dog Podcast— has always been skeptical about all the nutritional products floating around for the athletes and dogs out there.

And for good reason, many products contain so many additives & fillers to make you feel like you're getting more bang for your buck, that the impact of the products is significantly reduced.

At that point, it basically turns into a marketing deal to make you feel like you're helping your workout, recovery time, etc.

But a conversation with Joe Scott - owner of Alpha Dog Nutrition - has him rethinking things a bit.

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"If we're all out there walking around with water bottles, nutritional supplements, & I'm taking Centrum Silver because I'm 60 years old, then I guess I'm going to have to try a little bit more of this stuff for my dogs.”

So after 35 minutes, Ron is now a believer.

And after a short 30 minute chat, it was pretty clear that Ron had agreed with a few core concepts that we here at Alpha Dog Nutrition are working to accomplish:

Ever tried to put on a coat or pair of pants that were a few sizes too small or too large? Didn't seem to work very well did it?  

That’s what Ron liked about our Free Range & Resurgence products, because Alpha Dog Nutrition's powder delivery system is all about allowing you to dial in the dosage specifically based on your dog's weight.

Our dogs don't come in 25 lbs increments, so why should supplemental nutrition be packaged that way?

Unless you drink the cool-aid that weight loss marketers are giving you, you probably realize that there isn't a surefire pill or supplement that is going to give you 6 pack abs all on it's own.

But put together a solid workout regimen combined with healthy eating & supplemental nutrition dialed into exactly what you need? 

Now you're on to something!

The same concepts apply to your dog. Make sure you aren't letting your dog go into the season out of shape, and keep up with them nutritionally. Your dog will perform better and, more importantly, better avoid injuries.

Location, Location, Location.

During their conversation on The Hunting Dog Podcast, Ron & Joe both agreed that the source of these nutrients is critical.

For Alpha Dog Nutrition, we focus on three "locations":

First Location: The geographical source of the ingredients. When possible, we source our ingredients from here in the USA. There are certain ingredients - like Krill that live in oceans - where that isn't possible, but we do the best we can to make sure the sources of our products come from here at home.

Second Location: The actual source of the ingredients. A good example here is Krill instead of fish for Vitality. Krill provide a more pure source of omega 3's that are more easily digestible & contain less contaminants than fish oil. 

Krill harvesting also poses almost zero risk to the ecosystem (harvest numbers could increase up to 50 times current levels without causing issues), while the fish harvest has become dangerously close to cautionary levels & often requires farming. As conservationists, this made for an easy decision to opt for the higher quality, more sustainable Krill.

Third Location: The manufacturer themselves. Alpha Dog Nutrition partnered with a manufacturer right here in the USA. Not only does this allow for much more strict quality control & a better overall product, but it also provides jobs to friends and family here at home.

One thing Ron & Joe didn't need to talk each other into is how they view their bird dogs.

They might be great hunting companions, but first & foremost they are members of our families.

And as members of our families, it's our responsibility to take the best possible care of our dogs.

Joe just had his first child (Elliott), and one of his goals is for Elliott to be able to experience a hunt behind his current bird dog Trigger. 

In order for that to happen Trigger not only needs to live a few more years, but he needs to remain healthy & active. Proper nutrition is a big part of the equation to get there.

Our dogs are athletes.

As grouse hunters, we're fully aware that our dogs are putting on anywhere from 3 to 7 times the miles that we walk ourselves & they're typically doing it through much tougher terrain. Duck dogs are no different when it comes to retrieves & swimming.

If we come back from a hunt exhausted and in need of a proper meal (plus maybe a beer or two...), you better believe your dog needs a little extra pick-me-up as well.

I hope you liked the podcast and have some great new insight into hunting dog nutrition & upland hunting!