A 5 Minute Guide to Natural Rearing
Natural Rearing sounds complicated. It really isn’t. At Wavemaker, we use the term to describe a simple philosophy: pay attention to the dog in front of you, build health through good everyday husbandry, and make thoughtful decisions rather than doing things simply because they are customary.
The idea has a long history in the dog world. Natural-rearing advocate Juliette de Bairacli Levy wrote extensively about fresh foods, herbs, exercise, sunshine and raising animals in a more natural environment. Our interpretation has evolved over the years. Natural Rearing is not a rejection of science or veterinary medicine. It is attentive stewardship of the whole dog.
Start With the Basics
Good food. Clean water. Fresh air. Sunshine. Exercise. Rest. Enrichment. Healthy body condition. Clean surroundings. Low stress. And close observation. These simple things matter, yet they are sometimes overlooked while people search for supplements and complicated protocols. A dog should have opportunities to move, explore, sniff, play, learn, rest, interact socially and experience the world.
Feed the Dog in Front of You
Nutrition is an important part of how we raise our dogs. Wavemaker has fed raw foods for many years because that approach works well with our dogs and our management style. But raw feeding itself is not Natural Rearing, nor do we believe every dog must eat exactly as ours do.
Whether food is raw, cooked or commercially prepared, the important question is whether the overall diet provides appropriate nutrition for that individual dog’s age, activity and health. A growing puppy, an active performance dog and a twelve-year-old retiree do not have identical needs. We watch weight, muscle condition, digestion, appetite, coat and overall condition and adjust accordingly.
Observe Before You Intervene
Learn what normal looks like for your dog: eating, stools, drinking, movement, energy and behavior. When you know your animals well, subtle changes become easier to notice. Natural Rearing encourages observation before automatically reaching for a product or medication. It does not mean ignoring illness or delaying needed medical care.
Be Thoughtful About Preventive Care
Vaccination, parasite control and other preventive decisions should not be reduced to slogans. Risk varies with age, health, lifestyle, location, travel, exposure, vaccination history and local disease prevalence. We prefer individualized decisions made with holistic veterinary guidance. The same principle applies to fleas, ticks, heartworm and intestinal parasites: use what is reasonably necessary for the dog and situation in front of you.
Let Puppies Develop Naturally
Natural Rearing also influences how we raise litters. Whenever possible, we allow mothers to participate fully in raising their puppies rather than treating them simply as a food source. Maternal interaction is part of puppies’ earliest social education. We combine that principle with thoughtful handling, enrichment, socialization and exposure appropriate to their developmental stage.
Natural Does Not Mean No Veterinarians
We use veterinarians, specialists and reproductive professionals when their expertise is needed. We ask questions, seek to understand recommendations and get additional opinions when appropriate. The objective is to use the right intervention at the right time.
Keep It Simple
For us, Natural Rearing means giving dogs an excellent foundation, observing them carefully, questioning unnecessary intervention, using good judgment and changing course when something is not working. There is no badge for being the most “natural.” There is only the responsibility to make good decisions for the animals entrusted to us.
Feed thoughtfully. Keep them fit. Let them be dogs. Know what normal looks like. Ask questions. Watch the individual. Adjust when necessary.