Pet food marketers have made promises of healthier coats and fresher
breath over the years and now their latest claim--food that boosts
puppy's brainpower.
The target market for this new smart-puppy food is veterinarians
and breeders, two groups considered to be key influencers among
dog owners. The company, Eukanuba, views this new food, which contains
the cognitive-enhancing omega-3 fatty acid DHA, as an added tool
to help with training puppies.
The company also stated that their goal is to reduce the number
of dogs sent to shelters and eventually euthanized because their
owners couldn't handle their bad behaviors.
Testing the Food
- A study was done involving 39 beagles
- Dogs were trained to follow a simple H-shaped maze for a period
of 30 days
- 30 days later the dogs were trained to follow the maze, this
time with the symbols reversed
The Results
Around 70 percent of the dogs that ate the DHA-enriched diet passed
the test compared to 35 percent of dogs on the regular DHA diet
This product is the first of its kind to be tested on puppies.
AdAge.com
July 26, 2004
| 