And the best puppy chow is.....

[Spokerider]

Just wondering what you think the best commercial puppy food is on the market and why?

My full grown airedale gets homemade [ barf ] that I make, but it's not for puppies.

[Blacktail]

You dont need pup food for that dog of yours

or did you get another one??

I give my guys IAMS or the Kirkland stuff from Costco

They seem to like it and it agrees with them

[Bow Walker]

Just wondering what you think the best commercial puppy food is on the market and why?

My full grown airedale gets homemade [ barf ] that I make, but it's not for puppies.

Personally, I like Innova, large breed - for puppies. I find that it stays crunchy even when I mix it with water. Also, doesn't cause heartburn like the mass produced stuff does.

[Chuck]

I think that this is a very good topic. I've yet to find anybody who will agree or stand up together and say "YES" this is the best and only brand to buy. All I've heard for years is just plain arguing one brand over another over another. Although most people I've talked to seem to think that dog food IS more nutritious in many ways to human food. IMO dogs are meat eaters, and the more of that you can give them the better.

[houndogger]

Not sure what kind of barf diet you are feeding Spoke but all my dogs get the barf diet. Just the pups get more.

[3kills]

i feed my puppie purina puppy chow i dont know if its good or what but she likes it....my question is how long do i feed her puppy chow for? a year or longer?

[Blacktail]

If she is a large breed dog you have to watch that she doesnt grow to fast for her bone development.
I have always started my dogs out with a mix of adult and puppy food at around 8 or 9 months.
They still get the nutrition they need from the puppy food but growth is slowed so the bones and muscles can develop at a more uniform rate.

[Spokerider]

Thanks for the replies fellas.

Yes, Blacktail, I've heard / read that feeding puppy chow [ more cal. per cup than adult chow ] can cause muscle and soft tissue growth at a rate faster than the skeletal growth rate. If this is so, why do the commercial pet food manufactures even make it........just because it sells I dunno? That is a concern of mine however.

Yes, I am getting another puppy. My wife kinda knows that's it's coming, she just doesn't know when . An english x treeing walker.........lion hunter extrordinaire!.........er....at least I'm hoping so!

Hounddogger, this what I make my barf from. Each batch varies in quantity depending on the season of items. Everything is raw, except for fish. It needs to be cooked as freezing does not kill all of the parasites.

Squash, apples, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, pumpkin, bok choy, celery, turnip, sweet potatoes, beets, parsley, kale, rosemary, cranberries, pears, bananas, cantaloupe, honeydew, alfalfa, kelp, flax seed, olive oil, cider vinegar, beef, beef liver, venison, turkey, salmon, cod, chicken, eggs, vitamin C,
All of the veggies are pureed. Chicken backs / necks are ground fine. No fish bones.
It usually takes me a day to shop and make the food from start to finnish. Lasts a couple of months. Lots of work.

Houndogger, how do you make your barf and at what age do you start feeding the pups?

Some of the brands of commercial chow I've been looking at are: Merrick, Innova, Go Natural, Iams, Firstmate, and others.

[houndogger]

A buddy dad has a chicken farm, they pickup all the dead ones twice a day and throw them in a frezer. I pick them up if they are big split them in four and throw them to the dogs feathers bones and all. They get some vegs also. THeir energy level is second to none. DOgs can go all day on a hard running bear and get up tomorrow and do the same.

Good luck with your new pup.

[Spokerider]

Houndogger,
Yikes! Reminds me of when I used to feed my pirahna's...............used to throw chickens in live. Did I say chickens? I meant gold fish lol.

No complaints with my dogs energy / skin / coat either.