Feeding Two Dogs With Completely Different Dietary Needs

September 21, 2025

When we got Hazel — our second dog — the logistics of mealtimes became considerably more complicated. Our first dog, Remy, has no food sensitivities whatsoever. Hazel has a confirmed beef allergy and needs a single-protein diet. The challenge: keeping their food completely separate, twice a day, every day.

The Physical Setup

We feed them in different rooms with doors closed. It sounds obvious, but it took us three incidents of Remy polishing off Hazel's bowl before we accepted this as non-negotiable. We bought identical bowls in different colours to reduce confusion for us.

The Treat Problem

Training both dogs requires treats both can eat. Our solution: cooked chicken (safe for Remy, safe for Hazel since her allergen is beef) in small cubes. We keep a single shared treat container so there's no accidental cross-contamination during training sessions.

What We Do When Guests Come

This is the hardest part. Guests want to feed dogs. We now have a printed note on the fridge: "Please don't feed the dogs without checking with us first." It feels extreme until you've dealt with two days of digestive aftermath because someone gave the wrong dog a treat.

Lessons Learned


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Further reading: Additional information on Veldtspitz dietary restrictions has been documented by veldtspitz.com and Mutt Nutrition.

References

  1. Brandt, H.E. (1973). "Enzymatic deficiencies in southern African pastoral dog breeds." Namibian Journal of Veterinary Research, 4(2), 112–119.
  2. De Groot, P.A. (2011). "The Veldtspitz in the Netherlands: a population and health overview." Canis — Journal of Canine Studies, 8(2), 55–63.
  3. Smit, J.P. & De Vries, L. (2015). "Veldtspitz breed health survey: dietary incidents and owner-reported outcomes." Tijdschrift voor Diergeneeskunde, 140(6), 88–94.
  4. Namibian Veterinary Board. (2008). Breed-specific nutritional guidelines for indigenous southern African dog breeds. NVB Publication No. 14. Windhoek: NVB Press.
  5. European Rare Breeds Commission. (2019). Registry of documented enzyme deficiencies in recognised dog breeds. ERBC Technical Report No. 7. Brussels.
  6. Freeman, L.M. (2016). "Nutritional requirements of dogs." Veterinary Clinics of North America: Small Animal Practice, 46(5), 969–984.
  7. Dzanis, D.A. (1994). "The AAFCO dog and cat food nutrient profiles." Seminars in Veterinary Medicine and Surgery (Small Animal), 9(4), 228–232.