Dog food for new puppy.

[BMWTurboDzl]

I like Nature's Variety pet foods.

On an aside I've read that with breeds such as the GSD hip dysplasia can be somewhat mitigated by not over working the dog (limit vertical jumping) as a puppy and waiting a year rather then six month to neuter. Something you can look into.

Enjoy the GSD, I've gone through periods where I was going to get one. Nice thing about these dogs is that they only blow coat once a year (Jan-Dec). ROFL..hahaha..

 

[Anon9283]

Purina Pro Plan here. Been using it for our 6.5yr old golden retriever most of his life and now on the puppy blend with our four month old golden retriever. Never a food problem and you can rest easy knowing it’s a quality product

 

[alarmguy]

Purina Pro Plan main ingredients is Corn Meal and Rice. Even the rice is left over rice from the brewing process.
There is one Purina wet food that we like to mix in, which we feed no less than 7 or 8 different brands of wet food. The Purina being the cheapest but its their Organic Line of foods and actually has no corn or corn meal and has real named meat.

 

[Anon9283]

Purina Pro Plan main ingredients is Corn Meal and Rice. Even the rice is left over rice from the brewing process.
There is one Purina wet food that we like to mix in, which we feed no less than 7 or 8 different brands of wet food. The Purina being the cheapest but its their Organic Line of foods and actually has no corn or corn meal and has real named meat.

But the main ingredient is what is listed on the bag. My dog’s chicken and rice “flavor” lists chicken as the first ingredient. But as others have said it’s a rabbit hole when researching. Stick to a main brand and it’s hard to go wrong

 

[alarmguy]

But the main ingredient is what is listed on the bag. My dog’s chicken and rice “flavor” lists chicken as the first ingredient. But as others have said it’s a rabbit hole when researching. Stick to a main brand and it’s hard to go wrong

Correct but that Chicken is wet weight so once it is dried and turned into kibble it’s near the bottom of the ingredients in the list.
These are tricks of the trade, the Whole Dog Journal teaches this.

If it’s canned food that is a whole other thing as canned food is all wet, nothing beats it but is expensive for some.
Anytime you see the word “meal” such as chicken meal that moves it to the top of the list as it’s a dried product already. Nothing wrong with named meat meals.
Except for Purina Organics most all Purina is corn based and not something that is natural to dogs or humans for that matter.

 

[Jimmy_Russells]

I have done an absolute ton of research on dog food over the last ~8 years and I always keep coming back to Acana. The price to quality ratio is pretty much unparalleled, at least here in Canada. I would imagine it is a good option in the US also.

High-Quality Puppy Food | ACANA

Browse the best premium puppy food for all breeds & sizes at ACANA. Explore a variety of meat-based puppy food that's packed with nutrients dogs need to thrive.

www.acana.com

 

[Malo83]

Beautiful pup, stay on top of him, when mine was that old we had a difference of opinion, had to pin him down and let him know that I am the Alpha, mine is a picky eater, tried different foods and settled on Pure Balance from WalMart. going on 6 yrs, he's my shadow and never leave his sight.

 

[walterjay]

I have a GSD. As such I researched a of of foods. A dogs stool should be firm and be able to roll it with a stick without breaking apart according to the vet. Also, no corn in the food. This can create allergies for dogs. They are carnivores. A breeder that I am familiar with and who breeds only GSD's for thirty years has strongly recommended Victor dog food. I use Victor Professional. It is modestly priced and has allowed my German Shepherd to be healthy and beautiful. All USA ingredients. Some Tractor Supply stores carry it. Transition your dog to Victor and you will see the positive results.

 

[loneryder]

Well I got a new puppy, 4 month old German Shepard. Never had a big dog before, I grew up with Cocker Spaniels and I’m assuming their dietary needs are different. I know about the hip dysplasia and reduced calcium needed. I’m not sure which brand would be best. Got doing research and it’s quite overwhelming and I don’t want to feed him the Pedigree that the wife feeds her Morkies. (I don’t think they’re real dogs, shhh).

What do you guys recommend for a young growing pup?

Dog food adviser site is a good resource. Diamond makes high quality food at resonable prices. They make Costco's Kirkland brand. I used to sell premium foods to Vet hospitals. I would look for a large dog puppy formula for the first year. Latest Veterinary research shows NOT to use grain free. Whatever you choose, make sure there's no corn, soy, or "meat by products in it. Quality food companies guarantee the nutrients on the label After cooking so don't fall for these ads you hear on radio and tv. If you feed a quality puppy food, he needs nothing else.

 

[SEMI_287]

Beautiful dogs! That’s what I’m thinking with him being a carnivore. Why on earth is there corn, soy, grain or by products in dog food. Understandably if it were all meat it would be insanely expensive. Never heard of Victor, I think I’ve heard of Diamond at some point. No Costco but there is a BJs. They have a grain free version of their house brand, the ingredients look to be food and I can pronounce them. But I can’t find out who makes it. My pup is my shadow too, never from me if not right by me. He took to potty training very well, basic commands too.

 

[SEMI_287]

double post

 

[kendrickson]

I am leaning towards Blue Buffalo, Taste of the Wild looks pretty good as well. His breeder had the pups on Purina Pro Plan. Any ideas for canned food? Or should I stick with dry. He has one hell of an appetite, if we leave the food down for the stubborn ankle biters, the Shepard will start scarfing that down too.

Taste of the Wild is a great dog food. It's a bit more expensive than some of the common cheaper brands, but very high quality. I settled on Taste of the Wild after going down the dog food rabbit hole, and I've been feeding it to my dog for the last ten years.

 

[Jaymie]

All good looking dogs! We’ve started our older dog (kelpie not Shepar) on a diet of meat, eggs, and those frozen meals that you get in the mail, wish we’d done it sooner as we’ve seen a huge uptick in his energy, coat looks better and noticeably better muscle definition. All the foods mentioned above sound fine as well just thought I’d share my experience

 

[alarmguy]

Awesome photos of Shepards in here, I have fond memories of my best friends Shepard when we were teenagers.
Very protective of his family, we would let his dog and my large mutt run around unleashed.
They were like best friends, went crazy whenever we met up, running fast as horses around the neighbors homes, jumping and play biting.
Man, dogs are great.

 

[zrxkawboy]

Diamond makes high quality food at resonable prices.

Take a look at Diamond Naturals.

 

[2strokeNorthstar]

Feed our Huskies Kirkland Natures Domain. Never had an issue. Our last one lived 14 trouble free years. Seems on the better end of average lifespan

 

[alarmguy]

Also if you feed your dog dry kibble, a small glass of milk poured in his bowl after he is done doesnt seem like a bad idea, even more so with a growing puppy.
What better source of calcium and nutrients can you get? Certainly not from the dog food itself.
I give our 12 year old 29 Lb dog about 6 oz or so of milk a day, in addition to the other human protein I mentioned in another post in this thread.

We buy our dog his own milk, if you do give your dog milk it is IMPORTANT that you give it Lactose Free milk, most dogs are intolerant of lactose in milk and will get an upset stomach.

We buy whatever generic brand of Fat Free (skim) Lactose Free milk, available everywhere. AS my other post says, we feel giving human quality food to supplement the dog food is the way to go, dog food is just that, bottom of the barrel stuff. Adding fresh human chicken, steak, even hamburger and some apple to the top of the food is good.

Important, we do give our dog a variety of fruit and vegetables, and if you give any meat it should be free of seasonings, garlic, onion ect. Some can be poison to a dog. Its really simple with the internet, if you considering giving a human food, pull out your smart phone and do a quick search to see if it is safe, Takes SECONDS and many times the results will be right from the AKC itself.

 

[alarmguy]

Take a look at Diamond Naturals.

Even though we dont feed him it now we did when we would mix large batches of different foods together. I have to agree, The better Diamond products, a little more expensive than there cheaper ones are very cost effective..

Daiamond Naturals is not based on Corn and corn meal. Real protein, I dont think anyone can go wrong with it way more so if they are feeding a cheaper product from a retail store based on corn, by-products and un-named meat sources.

They also make some higher end pet store brands. I almost look at them like the "Warren Oil" of the pet food industry. There is actually a Diamond plant not too far away from us in South Carolina.

(I have a story to tell about my best friend, but more fitting for a new thread some day)

 

[JB250]

4Health puppy food From Tractor Supply.