Puppy food

[Capt'nMorgan]

I am getting a GSP and want to know what kind of puppy food and later adult food is good for a hunting dog. Never had a dog before. Thanks

[Tom7227]

Native

[machohorn]

I use Pro-Plan my lab does really well on this , then during the hunting season I switch over to Pro-Plan High Endurance. No big yard piles either.

[gr8icefishinmind]

I did a bunch of research on dog food when i got my pup and ended up going with FROMMS Surf and Turf! Very nutritious and not much for grains (which are basically just a filler)! Had a tough time finding it but ended up finding a place in hutchinson to get it from and i order it online!

[HookEmHard84]

We have an 11 week old GSP, we are feeding him the Purina Pro Plan Performance. That's what the breeder was feeding them, and they said it's what they feed all thier dogs. So far so good for our pup, no upset stomach and PLENTY of energy!

[brittman]

Iams. Nutrionally sound. Available at pet food outlets, Target and Mills.

Our puppy did not like Native that came with the breeder, she wanted the food that tasted and smelled like her big sisters' food. When we moved her to Iams she stopped raiding the other bowls.

Past one year old, I like a food that is 22% - 25% protien and 12% fat.

If you go the Native route just be careful on the Level you use. Protien and fat content remain the same, but total calories per cup go way up. Fine if they are training, hunting hard - not good if they are spending more time relaxing.

Keeping your dog in a trim and fit state is critical to good health especially as the age. Overweight dogs just like us humans are more susceptible to health issues and injury when overweight.

[BOUNCED]

Raw, bone in chicken, Venison, Beef, fish, eggs, flax seed or fish oils for fatty acid. Once every couple weeks he'll get a meal of organ meat. I've never had a healthier dog.

Why feed anything other than what nature intended?

[brittman]

I'll be honest our Britts get meat supplemented to their diet, but bone in chicken?

Spear: you are not the one offering to pick-up freezer burned meat on the List are you?

[BOUNCED]

Yes, bone in everything as long as it's raw. The bone is where all the nutrients they require are. Every see canines in the wild cook their food ?

And no the food is not freezer burned, if I wouldn't eat it I wouldn't feed it to the dog....with the exception of organs, you're not getting me any where near liver!

[jeffreyd]

blue buffalo large breed puppy then switch to the adult. do some research online with the various types listed look at what the first couple ingredients are. if they have corn or corn meal in the first 3-4 dont use it. corn is sugar, sugar can cause a hyper dog to become more hyper. when they have boneless skinless chicken on sale i will buy a couple, boil them, make a huge thing of white rice and frozen green beans, peas, carrots and give the dogs a break from regular dog food.

most dry dog food is better if warm water is added to soften and make gravy.

[LABS4ME]

Skip the white rice... not much better for the dog than corn.

Use Brown Rice or Brewers rice or even switch to Barley.

Good Luck!

Ken

[gr8icefishinmind]

check out the fromms line

[note from admin: Please read forum rules before posting again. Thank You]

A grain-free blend of fresh Wisconsin duck, wild salmon, chicken, hand-picked vegetables & fruit, eggs, and real Wisconsin cheese prepared with the proper balance of protein and fat avoiding excessive levels of protein and ash.

Completely Grain-Free

High-Meat Content

Low Ash Content

Cartilage Rich in Natural Glucosamine

Real Wisconsin Cheddar Cheese

Prebiotics & Probiotics to Aid Digestion

Optimum Omega Fatty Acids Ratio

I have heard of people preparing all their dogs food by hand which i have given some thought to doing! Everynow and then I scramble up and egg or two and mix it in with his dog food and man does he love it! But it just sounds like alot of extra work and alot of extra dishes!

[BOUNCED]

It's alot faster and more beneficial if you don't cook it. Throw a couple raw eggs in the bowl whole and let him have fun.

[gspman]

There are plenty of good dog feeds out there. Buy a few small bags and do a little research to find what is right for your pup. I've used Iams, Eukanuba, Purina, and a couple others. They all worked just fine.

[angle]

a puppy needs until he's full grown. (Ask your vet for guidelines on when that might be--small dogs of course mature more quickly than big dogs.) Regular food labeled "for all life stages" is fine too.

[jeffreyd]

meant brown rice sorry, i agree the white is just a sugar load for them

[caseymcq]

We fed Iams and then Science Diet in the past. Now our lab gets Eagle Pack. Our vet said that's pretty good stuff. He also was big on feeding the real food, as others have mentioned. The vet put in a plug for raw eggs and canned green beans. I thought it was kind of funny but our dogs love the green beans.

[jeffreyd]

give them peas too and carrots, one it is good for them but it is kind of funny to watch them eat them. what a flippin mess

[vman11]

I've had good luck with Nutro. Like many others, I switch to high energy during the hunting season.

It seemed like my dog's stomach couldn't handle Eukanuba when she was a pup. I switched to lamb and rice small bites and it seemed better.

I also would like to try raw food.

[Ely Lake Expert]

All of my dogs have always gotten purina. My old dogs all lived very healthy and between 12-16 years. My gsp's are 3 now and have been on a purina diet and are very healthy.

[zumbromuskie]

I bought the name brands for years, until I did a little research. The main thing is to look at the ingredients! If the first two ingredients aren't real food (chicken, duck, lamb, vennison, etc.) you should reconsider what you are feeding your dog/pup. Check out the ingredients in the food you are buying now, if it's full of by-products (...meal) and/or corn you should reconsider. You can get good quality for for the same price as IAMS.

I've been using "Chicken Soup for the Pet Lovers Soul" for the last year and my labs are doing fine. There are plenty of other good brands though, just check out a specialty store.

[311Hemi]

If the first two ingredients aren't real food (chicken, duck, lamb, vennison, etc.) you should reconsider what you are feeding your dog/pup. Check out the ingredients in the food you are buying now, if it's full of by-products (...meal) and/or corn you should reconsider.

I hate jumping into these dog food talk...but I am gonna anyways.

Since everyone is making recommendations on which food to buy and why......can you tell me which has more meat content: chicken or chicken meal? Why do you write "full of by-products (...meal)". Are you insinuating that chicken meal is the same as by-products? Why should the first two be be a "real food" or we should reconsider?

It's been mentioned a few times in this post and others....but why should I reconsider a food that has corn in it? Does it offer any benefit in a dog food?

[nofishfisherman]

Corn is basically just a filler that does not get processed by the dog. It fills the dog up but not much if anything is gained. Because it does not get processed you'll notice that what goes in must come out, basically you are just paying for bigger piles in the yard.

[311Hemi]

Hhmmm...based on what I have read cooked starch (corn) is well digested in dogs. Where did you get your info?

And what role does corn play as a source of energy?

[nofishfisherman]

Well after I read your post I went and did a quick google search. I could only find 1 source that stated what you claim about corn and page after page of results saying the opposite.

Corn does provide an energy source since it is a carbohydrate, the same as rice, wheat, barley, etc. Some carbohydrates are good for dogs as it gives them some quick energy but its up to you to decide what value you put on quickly produced energy.

By all means do your homework and select what you think is best for your dog. If you put a high value on corn thats fine. Most people put a low value on corn and avoid it but to each their own.

If you can post some convincing information about the benefits of corn I'm sure we'd be interested to read it.