The discussion of whether dogs should be pointed in the direction of raw meat diets is an ongoing debate. Many wonder in what ways will the dog be affected both positively and negatively by this diet. Some feel that feeding your dog commercial dog food takes less time and is much safer than raw food meals while others say commercial foods are inadequate and shortening the lives of our dogs. The truth is raw meal diets should be avoided. In fact commercial dog food should be promoted world wide. Raw food is very dangerous to the owner as well as the dog, time consuming and nutritional adequacy is an issue of concern with home prepared diets. There are many raw food diets but the BARF (bones and raw food) diet is the most popular, gaining many owners to switch over from commercial dog food. This diet requires owners to feed their pets raw meat, offal and raw bones in addition to vegetables, grains and dairy products. Bones being a big part of the BARF diet come with advantages and disadvantages. Although bones are great for dental hygiene and the overall health; they can cause choking, blockage, perforations, chipping and breaking of the teeth. Many owners knowing the risks will still turn to the diet(s) because raw food diets are great for fresher breath and cleaner teeth and gums overall. Aside from other diets commercially available, complete raw food diets are sold frozen. This diet is known for being complete and balanced and is regulated by the American Association of Feed Control Offices also abbreviated AAFCO. Although the diet is adequate, it also contains dangerous bacteria that can be a threat to both the dog and owner. Bacteria known as E. coli is most common but not the only one to be found in the diet. Lucky for us this bacteria can be shed in feces. Bacteria can be avoided if careful when preparing the meal. Simple tasks like washing your hands can go a long way in staying safe. Two other raw food diets are known as th