You hear all sorts of advice on how to provide healthy dog food for your pet - from pet food manufacturers, your veterinarian, friends and family - but what's the real story on giving your dog a diet to keep him in top form? We'll look at a few basic recommendations and some options for snazzy home cooking for your dog.

When buying dog food you want a product that breaks down to a ratio of 40% meat, 50% vegetables, and 10% grain, or something close to that. The meat component should be listed first and is commonly chicken, beef, or lamb. If you buy a cheaper product that doesn't have these ratios or ingredients you're not doing your pet any favor. Go after the best quality you can afford and you'll have a happier companion as a result.

Some pet owners are starting to also examine the preservatives used in commercial dog food. BHA, BHT and ethoxyquin are common preservatives that many consider toxic - ethoxyquin is even classified as a pesticide. While the jury is out on the effect these small amounts of preservatives have on the health of your dog, some owners are turning to more natural alternatives and developing their own dog food recipes.

The Internet is a good source for dog food recipes but you'll find both good and not-so-good recipes. If you follow the 50-40-10 ratio described above you should be OK. Make sure the meat is cooked well and free of bones. The best choice for grain is usually considered to be brown rice or cooked oatmeal.

Once you know the basic ratios, you can experiment until you find a combination of ingredients that your dog will love. Remember not to salt the food, and that some ingredients - chocolate, garlic, onions, avocados, grapes, raisins and mushrooms - are actually dangerous for your pet and should never be used. Make certain that your healthy dog food is also safe!

Can you feed your dog a purely vegetarian diet? Most experts say that you can, but dogs are carnivores and they really are in top form with meat included in their diet. There's also the danger that your dog will grow bored with a vegetarian diet and become a finicky eater.

If you don't want to spend time cooking for your dog you might check with your local health food store or look to the Internet and you'll find a variety of organic dog foods available which may well fit your needs.

As you can see, there are many options when it comes to providing a healthy diet for your best friend, from checking the label of commercial food to developing your own delicious recipes to going organic. Your dog's health starts with his diet so it's worth the extra effort to make sure he's in top form and will be able to give you many years of love and companionship.