Understood. I think lots of people in the past (most everyone) placed the nutritional needs of humans onto the dogs.

The performance dog needs as much fat, if not more, as protein in their diet. The beef heart is indeed a nutrient dense protein and is an excellent choice when feeding raw or even using it to supplement dry food.

When I shop beef I prefer cow cheek. It is a fatty cut of meat, even cheaper than beef hearts, and pushes the percentage of fat in the diet.

If I am looking for straight type protein raw food I lean toward leg quarters. Again, it is cheaper (you may start to see a trend with how I don't like to spend money). Plus chicken breaks down faster than red meats so the percentage of assimilation and what ends up as waste is more efficient when using chicken. (and again, cheaper as well).

Mot people with bulldogs feed crappy shit out of a bag. (me included). I feed raw a lot, but my raw is not RAW where the bowls are balanced daily. Mine is more raw food supplemented with dry food for convenience. I know that makes me a horrible dog owner but when working 50-60 hours a week every minute counts with the dogs. I could do better by lessening the amount of dogs but some addictions are harder to kick than others. If that makes sense.

The mushing article is really neat in that a thousand years ago they fed dogs they way nature intended. Then we as brain surgeons placed the human needs on the canines, coupled that with our 'fascination with efficiency' (laziness/need for convenience) and we developed bag food. Then people saw the kibble industry as a billion dollar enterprise and profits became far more important than the health of the dog. Then a thousand years later with modern day science coupled with a million dollar study, we found out the sledders from a thousand years ago were pretty much on point with how to feed a performance dog.

With that said, not many people are working in that climate and that plays a huge part. The fat content can back off a bit and the protein source can be changed from meats and chickens to fish which is really nutrient dense as well. It takes more energy to digest/assimilate fish so it creates heat. Heat is a good thing when sledding thru the arctic but not so much in the rural south. I shy away from fish and fish products when working a dog but use them for dogs not putting in serious work.

I have fed my dogs as much as 40% fat in their bowl, with 40% to 50% proteins and then a couple hand full of dry food to make up the rest.

I am also a water content guy when the dogs are working so the dry food is as much a water tool than a food source, actually both, but I use it as a water tool.

A working dog's diet should be based upon water first, fats second and proteins third.

When water is not #1 and proteins move to a higher percentage point that is usually when the dog runs hot.

Apologies. I did not mean to hijack your thread. Just really dig these types of posts/conversations.

EWO