As a professional dog trainer, I spend a lot of time helping clients solve behavioural puzzles. But there was one piece I didn’t expect to impact my own dog’s behaviour so dramatically: his diet. Like many owners, I started with dry food. It was convenient, easy to portion, and marketed as complete. But deep down, something didn’t feel right. My dog, Kaiser, was struggling with digestion, inconsistent energy, and behavioural fluctuations.

When your dog trainer mentions hand-feeding, what do they really mean? Read on to discover the benefits, misconceptions and reasons why many owners choose to use existential food for training their dog.