Dog Food, Supplements and Nutrition Products for Working Dogs

My knowledge of dogs was a result of a parent's desire to pass a gift on to his son. As a child I watched my father feed and care for healthy as well as ailing dogs. He simply fed the same foods we ate. It is interesting to note, we felt we were attaining average canine longevity when in reality we easily surpassed the life expectancies todays canids. My dad & I fed fewer carbohydrates with more meat, both raw and cooked. We added greens, fruit and after the first 12 months of a pup's life vaccinations were curtailed. Compared to current life expectancies our results were exemplary.

During my high school years I worked at the EDGELE kennel in Oceanside NY owned by Ed Byrne. The store was managed by Joseph Frank Biscardi. Joseph was in the K9 Corps & fought in Korea. He became a friend & teacher. Their operation was primarily German working dogs. Later, and at the same location, I worked for Mura Zietlow who bred Afghans. Coursing dogs were an interesting departure from the traditional European working dogs. The Afghans I cared for were developed by Sunny Shay, who was a prominent breeder in the middle of the century.

In the late 1960s, we were duped into believing dry food was the nutritional panacea for canine ills. It took about ten years to sort through the lies, realizing that the notion of complete and balanced was just a scam. I returned to the feeding practices I embraced as a boy. Augmenting these practices with the teachings of Juliette de Baircali Levy. My foundation of knowledge would continue to grow as I sought out the more celebrated masters of conditioning.

I eventually decided to create a breed or a cross breed of my own. I wanted a large disease resistant dog, with an oversized rear quarter and heavy prey drive. However, this notion was some what modified when I met John Swinford VMD. John & I collaborated and began developing the Bandogge. This cross had adequate defense with heavy prey drive. In addition, all breeding stock were workers. Shortly after I completed the Bandogge standard, John Swinford passed away. 

Some months later I moved to Southern Illinois & started a business near the SIU Campass in the city of Carbondale. At this point in my life I no longer had the time for cross breeding dogs. In fact, most of our breeding stock were placed with my closest friends. 

In the late seventies, I began experimenting with various feeding combinations. Eventually, MK9 Formula was born & with it our feeding ideology.