When it comes to dogs I write about many things, but food is not one of them.
You want to know why I do not blog about dogfood? Because I am not an expert in dog nutrition. It's not a topic I feel comfortable writing about because I have no idea which dog food is best. I know which brands to avoid but I don't feel comfortable telling others what to feed.
It's likely that you've seen it before in Five Dog Articles That I'm Tired Of Seeing. But today, let's dig a bit deeper.
Let me clarify – I'm not talking about dog food posts in general. I find those interesting & informative. I like articles such as “5 Superfoods for Your Dog”, because they are written by dog owners who share their experiences. I like honest reviews, especially those written by people who actually tried the foods they are praising.
The only ones that I dislike, don't trust and find unethical are those that have very specific recommendations for a particular dog breed.
Looking at the dog blogs which appear every day, I see more and more people telling you what to feed your dog. The problem is that I don't buy it and I am not sure if you should as well.
What I find untrustworthy in dog food posts
Even if they are written with the sole purpose of earning affiliate income, I am perfectly happy with a lot of reviews. I'm fine with reviews about dog toys or harnesses, as they won't have a negative impact on the health of my dog.
To me, food & nutrition is a serious subject and shouldn't just be dismissed. It's not a good idea to change your dog's diet just because of a review. I wish people who write these posts about crappy food for dogs understood that some diets have serious consequences. The people who write these posts never mention that gradually transitioning your dog onto a new food can be a good thing. They just say “hey, this one is great for Golden Retrievers”, and leave it there.
Unfortunately, nutrition is not a subject that can be treated as if it were. Yet many reviews of bad dog food treat it like this. It's not entirely true. It's not true that there is a single food that can make all dogs thrive.
You might wonder which reviews I mean. Well, let me show you. These are the reviews I dislike: those that are breed-specific and clearly written to target the keywords “dog breed plus best dog food.” I do not trust titles such as “The 10 Best Foods For Your Greyhound” or “The 5 Brands of Food For Your Beagle.”
Why don't you trust them? Why do I think they are so unethical to me?
If you read the “about” section, there is no mention that the bloggers are experts on the breed or nutrition. Nor do they have real-life stories about their experiences with the products they're selling. You won't find many photos of the authors with their dogs, much less a picture of them with the dog and the food they are promoting.
You can call me strange, but I feel more comfortable if you have photographic proof of you having at least owned the dog food that you are reviewing at some point. If you don't have photographic proof, why should I even believe that you've tried the dog food? Why are you telling me to use something you haven't tried yourself?
Second, you can find the nutrition information listed on Amazon – where they want you to purchase it. They make it easy & convenient for you with their fancy 5-star rating system & comparison tables. It's understandable, they are very professional looking.
They're spinning articles that have been written by other owners on Amazon and making them their own. They hope that people who search “what is the best food for my Wheaton Terrier” will end up at their articles, so that they can send them to amazon to earn some affiliate income.
If you want to see some of the ‘crappy dog food reviews’ I speak of just look up the ‘best dog food’ and let google do the rest. It can be a lucrative topic to blog about – if you don’t mind selling your soul first.
Why I don't blog about dog food
It's understandable that we all want money. Writing about dog food is a lucrative business. This sort of “reviewing things I don't use” mentality doesn't seem ethical to me, especially when it comes to food that could directly affect your dog's health and wellbeing.
I don’t have children, so I don’t blog about what's best. How could I possibly know? What I know is that if I tried to earn my living by telling people what to feed to their children, I would have a hard time sleeping at night. It's a topic you shouldn't even touch if don't know what you're doing.
Since I don't own a Bearded Dragon you won't see me write a blog post entitled “The 5 Best Lights for Your Bearded Dragon-Guaranteed!” I'm certain there is a lot of cash to be made if you so desire.
What I mean is, if you do not own a Cocker Spaniel or even a dog, you shouldn't feel comfortable making money by writing articles like “The 7 Best Dry Dog Foods For Cocker Spaniels.” And guess what, I wouldn't be comfortable writing the article if I owned a Cocker Spaniel. It's not possible to find a miracle food for every Cocker Spaniel.
You should always consider the individual dog when it comes to nutrition. Do not think of the breed or the label “medium-sized dog” as a general description. It doesn't matter if two dogs are the same age and breed, they won't thrive on the same diet. It could be, or it might not. It all depends on the dog.
Lies are the most extreme form of this. Bloggers will often take a bit of knowledge to pass themselves off as experts on complex topics. You can give advice and discuss complex topics, but don't pretend to be a specialist in the field if that's not your background. – Unscrupulous Blogging Practices To Avoid
Not all dogs thrive on the same food
These articles on ‘best dog foods' are not based on any specific nutritional requirements of a dog.
It's obvious that you shouldn’t blindly follow any advice found online, but this hasn't stopped many people from asking questions on forums about things like “what should I do if my pet won't stop bleed” and searching for answers. We have so much access to “all the answers” on the internet, but we often forget that these answers are created by ordinary people like us – who may not be experts in their field.
We all do different levels of research and investigation when it comes to choosing the right food for our pets. Many of us, including myself, do a lot of the work on our own.
There's plenty of bad advice online, so it can be difficult to sort through. When it comes to my dog's diet, I won't trust any website I come across – I need proof they are educated on dog nutrition and not just affiliate marketers.
If we could stop thinking that every dog of a particular breed needs the exact same diet. It's not what I would expect an expert to say. Anyone who has owned more than one pet dog knows that each dog responds better or worse to certain diets. It's not just a matter of breed.
What the hell would I feed Laika, or any other mix breed dog if I followed that logic? We should divide the best dog food for each breed equally. It's a marketing strategy to use specific breeds for dog food reviews. You can't get ranked in Google for ‘best food for my dog', but you might be able to rank for ‘best food for Silky Terriers.'
How to read dog food reviews?
I now know that we cannot purge the Internet of all unethical practices. There are some things to consider when deciding if a dog food review blog is trustworthy.
Consider their intentions first. Consider the motives of those who are willing to offer you advice about what food to feed your dog. Does their “about” page mention that they are an expert on dog nutrition? Does the reviewer write the review from their own experience with their dog or do they simply rewrite the same crap that you can find on other websites?
Are there a lot of reviews about dog food on the blog? If so, are they all aimed at different breeds of dogs? If so run. Just run. Do not give them any affiliate income. The same information that they are regurgitating can be found on Amazon.
I wrote this article to help people decide whether to do some research before buying dog food. Like when I wrote Does There Really Exist a Best Dog Breed for First Time Owners, I hope that someday in the distant future, perhaps, someone searching ‘best dog foods for x' can find this article and see the other side from a blogger perspective.
Bloggers have a lot of responsibility, because it is so easy to believe most things online if they are presented well. Pet bloggers write about things that directly affect another living creature. I think we should only write about what we have first-hand experience with. I cannot tell you which food is the best for your dog, so I won't even if I could make money.
I know that we cannot make the Internet a place where everyone writes to entertain, inform or inspire. Dog food is a big part of the money made by dog bloggers. If there is money to be had, you can bet people will hustle for it.
We can make the web a bit more decent if we don't support blogs who make money by selling garbage they have no idea about. The next time you see a “Best Canned Dog Food For Your German Shepherd”, just leave. Do not return to that website. The site is not there to inform or help you. They are only out to make money. When it comes to choosing the right food for my dog, I won't give them a penny.
What do you find unethical in the dog blog world?
You probably already know that I hate blogging about dog foods without being an authority or providing proof. Don't get me started with reviews of dog medication – they're equally bad. It's very unsettling to me when products directly affecting your dog's health are marketed.
What bug you about dog blogs What topics would you rather people not write about? Have you ever come across these “crappy dog food reviews” yourself?