I figured this deserved its own thread and if deemed not by moderators, you can merge into the Show off your dog thread.
So we get our new dog Friday via Delta Airlines at 445p, so naturally I ask the breeder what brand of food he has been on, so I can get a little bag of that to mix in with what we are going to feed him to reduce the chances of him getting stomach issues related to a shock in food.
We currently feed Greta Royal Canine Large Breed Adult. It is a good, high quality (and make the beast with two backsing not cheap) food with little fillers in it, so it actually lasts a long time. Greta only eats 2-3 cups a day to begin with. She is an odd eater.
Anyway..........
so the breeder told me that this dog should be cooked for, giving him Purina dog food, mixed with rice and boiled chicken and cooked carrots.
Also, to give him one cooked egg a day, as well as cottage cheese.
So I ask how long.................she goes "for the dogs entire life"
WTF?
Also, she said to give him adult large breed food and not large breed puppy food as that will cause him to grow to fast. I have heard that before, but of course never done it as my Vet said puppy food for 10-12mons, then on to adult food.
What do the other dog owners think about the puppy vs adult dog food?
There is no way in hell I am cooking every meal for my dog as described. I think that is just ridiculous. Sure, occasionally we give Greta chicken, but not very often. When she has the shits or something, yeah, she gets boiled chicken and rice. But not every day.
From my understanding, large breed puppy food vs regular puppy food is that it specifically has less nutrition in it to help prevent said dog from growing too quickly.
our dogs eat cat shit from the litter box and drink from the toilet..... and they do just fine.
Just cook One meal a day. Bacon grease over dog food works sometimes. We vary what Our dogs eat. they always get kibble. In our case Kirkland brand. Pretty good quality and cheap as most Kirkland brand stuff is. Cottage cheese is easy, so is shredded cheese and appropriate leftovers. That old Taco meat can go in the bowl, Pizza crusts, what ever they will eat and not be bad for them. Both dogs have beautiful coats and seem to be pretty healthy. I take them on a good (At least 45 min) off leash walk every morning. So they get exercise and don't bother me to death all day.
Quote from: bobspapa on April 21, 2010, 08:04:48 AM
our dogs eat cat shit from the litter box and drink from the toilet..... and they do just fine.
^^ Some funny S#!t^^
Quote from: MrIncredible on April 21, 2010, 07:54:05 AM
From my understanding, large breed puppy food vs regular puppy food is that it specifically has less nutrition in it to help prevent said dog from growing too quickly.
The breeder is saying to give Tag Large Breed ADULT food........!
I just don't think that sounds right. My Vet has always said, depending on the breed, puppy food for a year, then slowly move to adult food.
We raised Greta on Large Breed Puppy and now she is on Large Breed Adult.
Re Food: thanks for the info. We mix in shredded cheese with Greta's food. She LOVES it.
and
we are bad parents. We will give her food from the table. She loves steak, chicken, and any other form of meat.
she also loves onion (but only in small moderation as if you feed too much = not good) and goes nuts over Romaine Lettuce.
I usually throw her the "stalk" portion and she loves to chew on it.
crazy animal
My 12y.o german shepard was diagnosed with diabetes 2 months ago, and I have been cooking her food and mixing it with a high quality dog food. My case is a litle different because I felt I coould control her diabetes better by offering her fresh fruits, veggies and high fiber whole grains and oats. I cook up a few pounds of boiled chicken breast, a few bags of brown rice, and feww mashed sweet potato, raw oats, carrots, and occasionally kale, spinach and apples about 2x a week. Its not that much of a pain in the ass (i cook for a living), my dog loves it, and bags of dank ass dog food are lasting way longer. That much food feeds my shepard and chihuahua as well.
You're going to get hundreds of answers.
My suggestion is talk to your local pet food/supply store (not big box retailer). My experience has been that they will have more knowledge than an employee at said big box stores, about what foods for what dogs and pups.
You don't want your pup to grow too quickly which causes all sorts of issues later.
If you listen to anyone, listen to whatever suggestions Somegirl has.
Quote from: Stella on April 21, 2010, 08:31:23 AM
You're going to get hundreds of answers.
My suggestion is talk to your local pet food/supply store (not big box retailer). My experience has been that they will have more knowledge than an employee at said big box stores, about what foods for what dogs and pups.
You don't want your pup to grow too quickly which causes all sorts of issues later.
If you listen to anyone, listen to whatever suggestions Somegirl has.
I was just sort of looking what everyone has done and their experience.
We only buy our dogs supplies and toys at a locally owned and operated pet store.
I've discussed the issue with them and they said large breed puppy.
My Vet has said the same.
But then I agree that it could accelerate their growth, and when you are looking at having a >100lbs doberman, you want to make sure all joints and bones grew at a normal rate so you don't have issues down the road.
My Uncle is a retired vet of 35 years and a very good one at that. (Now his only Vet job, which he has done for years is he takes care of the Monkey's at the College of Wooster).
off to meeting, write more later
Quote from: bobspapa on April 21, 2010, 08:04:48 AM
our dogs eat cat and drink from the toilet..... and they do just fine.
Fixed. ;D
Cyrus, this is where I went to research dog food for Grace: http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/ (http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/)
We ended up slowly moving her over from the shelter food to Purina but she wouldn't eat it and got really sick (went from 9lbs to 6lbs). After that, I decided to try the Chicken Soup for Puppies. Grace seems to like it and digests it well. We also tried Taste of the Wild but her digestive track seemed to have some trouble with it.
Hope that website helps.
No turkey bacon. It makes you all runty.
Quote from: MrIncredible on April 21, 2010, 09:26:29 AM
No turkey bacon. It makes you all runty.
LOL!
Like has already been said, you're going to get a bunch of different opinions on this topic.
You also seem to have your mind made up, which makes me wonder why you would pose the question in the first place?
Have you checked on any dog and/or doberman specific forums to see what they say?
Our dog was getting non-puppy food (Canidae ALS) as soon as he was weened. He didn't seem to like that once we got him home, so we've tried a number of different combinations (all of them were top shelf, high quality, all natural dog foods) until we found a mix he eats with regularity. I think there may have been one small bag of "puppy" food during that process, but it was about when he was a year old.
On occasion, he gets boiled chicken pieces (white meat) or premium canned meat.
Probiotics always added to each meal (boxers are known for having sensitive digestive tracts and are gassy and this definitely helps).
Usually gets 1-2 tablespoons of fish oil (because of his legs).
Quote from: JBubble on April 21, 2010, 09:11:21 AM
Cyrus, this is where I went to research dog food for Grace: http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/ (http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/)
Thanks for the link [thumbsup]
I will check it out.
Quote from: Randimus Maximus on April 21, 2010, 10:19:33 AM
You also seem to have your mind made up, which makes me wonder why you would pose the question in the first place?
Have you checked on any dog and/or doberman specific forums to see what they say?
I have my mind made up on brand, just unsure of the puppy verse adult argument, which I think goes both ways.
I was just seeing what others do with their animals, that's all.
re Doberman Forum - They are a bunch of pretentious pricks. And I say that nicely. I've been there before.
I posted when we first got Greta and pretty much got reamed because I bought a Dobe that the breeder didn't already crop her ears....................
make the beast with two backs that site.
Rommel, my 3 yr old, 130lb rottie eats whatever is in the bowl, around the bowl, under the table, in your hand, in the kids' hands, growing in the yard and/or floating in the toilet bowl. What he prefers, beyond all else, are used tissues. I guess all 3yr olds are bugger eaters at heart.
Quote from: cyrus buelton on April 21, 2010, 12:07:58 PM
re Doberman Forum - They are a bunch of pretentious pricks. And I say that nicely. I've been there before.
I posted when we first got Greta and pretty much got reamed because I bought a Dobe that the breeder didn't already crop her ears....................
make the beast with two backs that site.
So you did what they said this time? [laugh]
Go to that chicken thread, learn how to raise chickens and feed the dog one live chicken a day with a little chick as a snack if the dog is good.
Here's another useful website in addition to the one JBubble posted: http://www.dogfoodproject.com/ (http://www.dogfoodproject.com/)
Make sure you switch over from the breeder's diet gradually (anytime you change diets, do it gradually).
Do your research, then see what works well for your pup.
Different foods have worked well for our whippets at different stages of their life. They don't eat the same food despite being the same breed and both seniors.
And check out the ingredients/nutritional content of each one, I don't think there is a fixed standard on what qualifies as "large breed puppy" vs "large breed adult". It's really more the individual formulation.
Good luck!
Like Mr. I said, I was under the impression that large breed puppy food keeps them from growing too fast and a supplement for joint health. Mine gets Nutro Ultra large breed adult and no table scraps.
We feed our golden Avoderm chicken and rice. He loves it. I used to give him Eukanuba but it gave him skin problems. Since switching to Avoderm ( avocado based) he his really happy. My ridgeback has a sensitive stomach and was on special food when we got him from the shelter. The Avoderm works for him too.
Congrats on the new pup.
Quote from: mraff on April 21, 2010, 12:48:53 PM
Rommel, my 3 yr old, 130lb rottie eats whatever is in the bowl, around the bowl, under the table, in your hand, in the kids' hands, growing in the yard and/or floating in the toilet bowl. What he prefers, beyond all else, are used tissues. I guess all 3yr olds are bugger eaters at heart.
Sounds just like my Lab but add any kind of garbage, paper towels and his favorite, his own poop!
(http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4029/4542632815_89cff9ce18.jpg)
Just feed your dog a high quality dry food with little to no grains. Absolutely no corn products. The suggestion to speak with your local high quality dog food shop (not Petco/Petsmart/etc...although they are starting to carry very good food) is a good one.
Almost all dogs are lactose intolerant, so feeding them cheese of any sort is asking for gas at best...and a messy yard at worst. Gas can also lead to bloat in large breeds. My dogs LOVE cheese, but Daaamn...we just can't take it! [laugh] [puke] The egg is unnecessary IMO. A high quality dry food has eveything they need for shiny, healthy coats.
I've heard of limiting large breed puppies protein intake to keep them from growing to fast. It's supposed to be a good practice. I'd say just compare the bags and pick whichever you like.
Here's a great site (might have been posted before).
http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/dog_food_reviews/ (http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/dog_food_reviews/)
Personally I like Innova EVO (rated 6 stars). My vet always compliments us on how healthy our dogs look.
Royal Canine products are rated 3 stars.
[laugh] [laugh] [laugh]
Quote from: The Architect on April 22, 2010, 03:24:24 AM
(http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4029/4542632815_89cff9ce18.jpg)
When I got my first Mckenzie River Husky (Cyrus, you may have seen pictures of them in the dog thread) I ignored my breeders recommendation and fed him puppy chow. He grew too fast and experienced horrible growing pains. After many trips to the vet and Xrays I at last called my breeder and she chewed me a new asshole. These are big dogs and they grow fast without the help of puppy chow. I've had two more of these dogs and fed them adult dog food with no problems. I warn that this result may be particular to my breed of dogs. Until I moved to Texas my dogs endured whatever weather happened in Anchorage and worked hard running and pulling. I fed them a high protein and high fat dog generic dog food. They did fine, remained strong and withstood the extremes of the weather. I do believe that the food you feed should fit the activity level of your dog and their breed. At that time I belonged to a club of skijorers and we spent much time sharing information of feeding and nutrition. I know that the food that I feed my dogs would be too high octane for a lap dog. I do think that the diet recommended by you breeder is BS. I would sometimes supplement my dogs diet with salmon or other high protein and fat meat source if conditions or their work load were to become more extreme but I would never do as she/he described.
Oh, by the way, happy new puppy! [clap] [clap]
Quote from: somegirl on April 21, 2010, 05:12:44 PM
Here's another useful website in addition to the one JBubble posted: http://www.dogfoodproject.com/ (http://www.dogfoodproject.com/)
Make sure you switch over from the breeder's diet gradually (anytime you change diets, do it gradually).
Do your research, then see what works well for your pup.
Different foods have worked well for our whippets at different stages of their life. They don't eat the same food despite being the same breed and both seniors.
And check out the ingredients/nutritional content of each one, I don't think there is a fixed standard on what qualifies as "large breed puppy" vs "large breed adult". It's really more the individual formulation.
Good luck!
Thanks for the info.
Oh yeah, we know all about the gradual moving of one diet to another as their stomachs are sensitive.
Currently the Pup eats chicken and rice.
So we will have to initially feed that for a day or two, so puppy gets a sense of where he lives, then over 4-5 days we will convert to the food we choose.
We are stopping at the Vet on the way home from the airport just to have him checked out from the flight. Probably paranoia on my part, but it can't hurt. At that time, the food discussion will come up with our Vet and I can properly weigh him to give him the correct amount of food based on the bag (which I don't really believe, but it is a close "guide") and what the Vet recommends.
Re Cheese: Talked to my Uncle who is a Vet about it and he said cheese is fine. Greta tolerates it well. Hell, Alex even tolerated it well. They used to get it in with their food (we still do with Greta.......but Alex gets to eat all he wants in Heaven) primarily so Alex would eat his food at once and not leave it because the Princess would attack his little kibble.
thanks all for the insightful info and what everyone feeds their animals. It is amazing that it seems not one person really feeds theirs the same.
I havent gotten a chance to check the links, but I've heard from my locally owned pet shot that Innova (I think that is right) is the best on the market. Based on the price, if that is an indicator..........they are correct
but you know what?
why should I eat a nice steak a few nights a week and not spend decent money on my dogs diet?
We have a lab and our vet was in the camp of large breed puppy chow for about the first 9-12 months. We just made sure to follow the vets guidelines for serving amounts and monitored his grow. As it turned out our lab is not terribly motivated by food, well except people food. Last 2 years he hs been on duck and potatoe food for allergies. He grew at a moderate rate and is a very healthy weight.
Quote from: cyrus buelton on April 22, 2010, 09:27:33 AM
why should I eat a nice steak a few nights a week and not spend decent money on my dogs diet?
For the same reason you don't lick your butt. You ain't a dog.
Quote from: cyrus buelton on April 22, 2010, 09:27:33 AM
I havent gotten a chance to check the links, but I've heard from my locally owned pet shot that Innova (I think that is right) is the best on the market. Based on the price, if that is an indicator..........they are correct
but you know what?
why should I eat a nice steak a few nights a week and not spend decent money on my dogs diet?
I've used Innova in the past, it worked well for one dog but not the other.
When you get higher quality foods they have less filler, so generally dogs eat less and poop less. The higher prices are not as bad as they seem when you take the lower volume into account. [thumbsup]
BTW, most vets do not get much training in nutritional/dietary information, and a lot of what they do get is sponsored by dog food companies. Just something to keep in mind.
Congrats on your pup's arrival at last! :)
Quote from: MrIncredible on April 22, 2010, 02:18:51 PM
For the same reason you don't lick your butt. You ain't a dog.
Aren't you being a little presumptuous?
Quote from: somegirl on April 22, 2010, 02:30:44 PM
BTW, most vets do not get much training in nutritional/dietary information, and a lot of what they do get is sponsored by dog food companies. Just something to keep in mind.
True dat. Its a shame too because a whole lot of skin and coat problems are caused by food allergies. Most vets will just try to fix the symptoms with meds instead of fixing the cause.
Cyrus, I would trust the advice of your breeder over the advice of your vet when it comes to food. Another good brand is Solid Gold HundenFlocken. They make large breed puppy food too. We would be feeding it to our dogs but one was allergic to one of the ingredients. Melissa had a Belgian Shepherd/Dane that lived 16 years on the stuff.
sac
/post lots of puppy pics!!
My beagle stole a pound of steak off of the kitchen counter this evening. [roll]
Quote from: Adamm3406 on April 22, 2010, 03:13:02 PM
My beagle stole a pound of steak off of the kitchen counter this evening. [roll]
[laugh]
I'm trying to picture how a beagle even gets up counter height and I can't quite do it. Buy more steak and take pics.
My dogs are pretty good about not stealing food from the counters. Except for butter. They loves them some butter. Can't turn your back for a second if you've left the butter out.
sac
/my Great Dane has to tip his head down to take things off of the counter.
My lab mix won't eat anything unless given to her, even if it's on the coffee table and easily accessible. She'll get about 1/2 a millimeter from it though...and will probably drool on it. [roll]
My Dane on the other hand...she has stolen 1/2 of a pork tenderloin, several cans of cool bacon grease, a large tube of Natural Balance food (we use it as treats), a pork chop from my plate on the coffee table, a mango, about 1/3 of a red velvet cake, and probably a few things I still don't know about. She knows better, but if it's left where she can get it and we leave (even for a couple minutes) she can't help herself it seems. I just wonder if she shares with the other dog? [laugh]
Quote from: Triple J on April 23, 2010, 11:04:30 AM
several cans of cool bacon grease
I'll bet that was interesting later.....
Quote from: Speedbag on April 23, 2010, 11:23:56 AM
I'll bet that was interesting later.....
[laugh] Not at once...one can several different times. I forgot to throw them away after they cooled.
Quote from: SacDuc on April 23, 2010, 10:31:01 AM
[laugh]
I'm trying to picture how a beagle even gets up counter height and I can't quite do it. Buy more steak and take pics.
My dogs are pretty good about not stealing food from the counters. Except for butter. They loves them some butter. Can't turn your back for a second if you've left the butter out.
sac
/my Great Dane has to tip his head down to take things off of the counter.
Beagles are pretty resourceful, one of mine took some food off the counter just the other night.
And you gotta see this
Escaping Beagle (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5sJjE5qelXQ#lq-lq2-hq-vhq)
^
:o
I loved when the little guy at the end put his paw up to the door as if to say, "take me with you."
sac
I had a real problematic alpha GSD a few years back...
out of control..an eternal contest of wills
he snatched an 8 lb. sack of potatoes off the counter when we were out and ate about half the bag
it was the only thing that ever slowed him down
I feed the mastiff and the border-bull Purina dry mixed with a concoction my wife makes every Sunday consisting of 2 or 3 boiled then boned roasted-chicken carcasses (accumulated during the week) chilled and fat-skimmed then mixed with a bucket of cooked brown rice
settles their stomachs and keeps them nice and solid at the back-end
When he was younger, Grover would hop up onto the counter (all the way up) for freshly baked bread, his favorite. He also took a loaf out of Dave's tank bag (which was on the floor), managed to unzip it and get the bread out without damaging the bag.
My gf's mini dachshund is a resourceful little bugger. If you leave any sort of zipped back on the ground and leave the house she will use her nose to get the zipper open. Once we came home and she was caught red pawed during the act. We found her completely inside the backpack eating a muffin or something. It was kind of funny because she was trying to get out of the bag once she heard us, but it was too late.
We fed our Lab large breed puppy food until 1 yr or so,then switched over to adult.
Solid Gold HundenFlocken at the time that was the best option. They now offer from the same company Wolf Cub for large puppies and Wolf King for Adults. At 6 month on a large dog you should mix the two and at 9 I think they go totally off. You don't want to keep feeding them puppy food because their bones will grow to fast and that can cause all kings of problems. We feed them Gentle Giants food and mix a handful of the Natural Balance Turkey Formula (it looks like a large sausage). We also use it for treats! We are having great luck with these foods, all their coats are shiny and or beautiful and things come out the back end the way the should...well that's very important with the amount we pick up :-\
If your breeder made a suggestion I would go with that she has the most experience with her dogs.
Oh... Boy.... our dogs sure like to eat :o
Someone else here mentioned how Vet's usually lack nutritional education and I've found this to most often be true. They seem to be as 'up' on animal nutrition as most GP's are on human nutrition.
I feed my dogs raw chicken backs (bones and all) and organ meats that I get from a local free range farm for less than a dollar/lb. I will also pick up beef or chicken when it goes on sale at the grocery store close to the due date and feed it raw or frozen/raw for nice treat on a hot day. To that I add a little fish oil. Sometimes I will grate a little carrot and green bean into the food, but it's likely overkill and completely unneccessary.
I also keep a bag of high quality, grain free dog food (orijen, innova, canidae....whatever's on sale) around in case I'm too lazy to make their meal or run out of fresh food.
My 11 and 12 year old dogs still run around like puppies and last year I had to put down my 14 year old, 130lb rottie/great dane cross, after a long and healthy life. He was spry right till the last month before his hips finally gave out completely.
...skipping ahead...
listen to your vet.
i have raised 3 Rottweilers, and the vets advice has always been the best.
so much is dependent on the individual animal, and only you and the vet know your dog well enough.
everything else is generalizations
Quote from: herm (not herb) on April 24, 2010, 06:58:39 PM
...skipping ahead...
listen to your vet.
i have raised 3 Rottweilers, and the vets advice has always been the best.
so much is dependent on the individual animal, and only you and the vet know your dog well enough.
everything else is generalizations
Saying vets know best is also a generalization. Your vet maybe. But our vet is just getting to know our dogs and frankly, while I trust them with health issues, I think we know our dogs a whole lot better. We have acted against our vet's advice on occasion. We've been right each time. In the end, vets are in business to make money, only you have solely your dog's best interest at heart.
sac
Most vets carry Science Diet...proving they know shit about every day nutrition.
My vet is awesome, but I feed my dogs what I feel is best based on my research. He also compliments my dogs on their overall health every time he sees them...so I'm doing something right. [thumbsup]
Quote from: Triple J on April 25, 2010, 06:20:01 AM
Most vets carry Science Diet...proving they know shit about every day nutrition.
My vet is awesome, but I feed my dogs what I feel is best based on my research. He also compliments my dogs on their overall health every time he sees them...so I'm doing something right. [thumbsup]
or worse.........up here (Canada) most vet places carry medi-cal..........horrible stuff.
Quote from: SacDuc on April 24, 2010, 07:08:17 PM
In the end, vets are in business to make money, only you have solely your dog's best interest at heart.
sac
Everyone is in business to make money.
Not just Vets.
Find a good vet and trust their judgment
or
don't.
Quote from: cyrus buelton on April 25, 2010, 08:07:17 AM
Everyone is in business to make money.
Not just Vets.
Find a good vet and trust their judgment
or
don't.
Exactly. [thumbsup]
Quote from: cyrus buelton on April 25, 2010, 08:07:17 AM
Everyone is in business to make money.
Not just Vets.
Find a good vet and trust their judgment
or
don't.
thank you. thats the part i forgot to include in my earlier post. [thumbsup]
/hate agreeing with cyrus