For training treats, my favorite is Vital Essentials Freeze Dried dog food and I also make my own by baking chicken or making little meatballs and baking them, but those get your hands messy, the VE doesn’t.
HDM hit all my favorites for large breeds, which are the 2 by Earthborn and the 2 by Nature’s Variety. I love Brother’s Complete and Nature’s Logic too, but they will have to wait until your pup is done growing.
Thankyou Hound Dog Mom ,Love this breed <3 its hard to find the healthier foods here in Texas all I have is petco which sells wellness halo and natures variety which I usually get would anyone know where to get better foods maybe on a trustworthy website ? Or a local store they know of ?
Patty, is there any brand you would add to the “top 5” HDM listed on page 36?
Thanks! I forgot to ask about training treats. This puppy is very full of himself and is going to need a lot more training than my last standard. I don’t want to undo any good I’m getting from the right food by using poor training treats. This pup is highly food motivated so I’m sure I’ll be using treats alot. I always cut them in to tiny pieces but I’d still love to know if there are any particular brands/types recommended to go along with these feeding guidelines. Thanks!
Since she doesn’t believe that breed specific foods are anything more than a marketing gimick, they are general. I have to agree with her. Genetically, your dog is almost completely identical to a wolf, coat type doesn’t matter, since good food will feed any coat type, so feed your domestic wolf, and let the poodle take care of itself.
Free feeding is fine if your pup doesn’t overeat. I don’t like it personally, but I understand your vet’s reasoning. Don’t put out more than your dog will eat in a day, so you aren’t feeding stale or rancid kibble.
I just saw that HDM gave her “top 5” kibble favorites on page 36. Was this a breed specific recommendation or does it apply in general? Any changes to this list considering I have a 11 week old standard poodle puppy? Thanks!
Hello everyone! I’m new and found this site while trying to search for answers for my 11 week old standard poodle puppy. The breeder sent me home with instructions to feed him adult food not puppy food. She feeds a 50/50 mixture of Purina Pro Select for Sensitive Stomach and Skin (salmon) and Eukannuba Adult Large Breed. My vet disagrees and told me to only feed a large breed puppy food. I’m glad I found this site! I haven’t read all 37 pages of this forum but did read several pages on either end as well as looked at the document link on page 15. My head is swimming (numbers/stats/percentages make my brain hurt). I will be spending days on here trying to get a grasp on this subject, but meanwhile I wondered if there are any recommendations for this breed? The document listed foods by alphabetical order… is there anyone willing to give me a top three or five choices in the grain free and grain inclusive categories? Also, the breeder said to free feed to avoid bloat. Is that the consensus here or are scheduled feedings preferred for puppies? Thanks! I’m feeling a bit overwhelmed!
I think Hound Dog Mom recently reported the list on page 36. (Easier to scroll back to). Wish it could be a sticky at the top of this thread.
The updated list also has grain inclusive foods and I would strongly advise anyone with a dog on Purina that is showing signs of food intolerances to avoid chicken and all grains, like the plague. And at 10 months calcium levels are not that much of a concern anymore.
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This reply was modified 12 years, 7 months ago by
theBCnut.
Page 15 has the updated list.
justme2,
Look at page 1 and 2 of this thread for the food recommendations. There’s a google doc link in there.
Justme2,
If the shepherd is a “large breed” then he needs a food with a special calcium level and calcium:phosphorus ratio for proper joint development and to avoid too fast growth of bones and orthopedic disease till he’s at least 18 months old. There’s a section here in the forum for “large breed puppies”. Check it out for sure. As for the yorkies, the smallest kibbles I’ve used are Nutrisource Small/Medium Breed Puppy, Nature’s Select Hi-Pro, Amicus (for toy breeds, grain free) and Nature’s Logic. These are ok for pups and adults and all of them are gluten free last time I checked. Then the next size up kibble but still very small is Nature’s Variety and Brothers Complete, Nutrisca, and Nutrisource grain free Lamb. I’ve used all of these in my house. I’ve fostered over 200 pugs now! On a side note, as Patty mentioned a possible grain mite issue, Purina did have a recall for mold in the recent past. How do you store your kibble? Do you keep it in the original bag and in an air tight container in air conditioning and preferably roll the bag down so there’s not much air in it? Or do you pour it out into a container? Do you clean the container before you refill it?
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This reply was modified 12 years, 7 months ago by
pugmomsandy.
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This reply was modified 12 years, 7 months ago by pugmomsandy.
hello,
we have a 10 mo old 105lb shepherd, we leave the food out all the time and he only eats when he’s hungry, both parents are 150lb so he’s going to be big. We’ve been feeding him Purina Pro Plan Focus large puppy breed but we’ve noticed on the last 2 bags he’s been scratching terribly, no fleas and he’s starting to get red spots on his stomach. Is there a better dog food to feed him? thank you so much
GSDguy:
I also have a shepherd puppy. he’s 3 months old. I feed him Fromm Large Breed Puppy. But HDM did include her list of appropriate foods and that’s where I picked mine out. I chose it because 1) Fromm is a family owned company 2) it’s easy to find here in L.A 3)I pay about $51 for a 33lb bag. it lasts a very long time. the only thing I didn’t like at first was that it is a bit rich, so my puppy’s stools were somewhat loose. but that was something simple canned pure pumpkin cleared right up. other than that, it’s awesome
It’s too high in calcium – Storm’s Mom posted the levels earlier on the Performatrin thread and they’re too high.
I switched my 11 week English Setter puppy from what the breeder was feeding her (Purina Large Breed Puppy) to Wellness Core Puppy over about 8 days. My husband thought her stools seemed loose (they had a shape, but lost consistency when picked up) and wanted to switch her back as a trial to the Purina. I did not want to do that, so called the vet and the person I talked to recommended mixing a bland diet of chicken & rice into her food.
So for lunch, I cooked organic long grain rice, mixed with chicken (which I have been treating her with all along) in Wellness Core. Within 10 minutes she was throwing up all over the place. I took her to the vet, who thinks it could be a reaction to something else, but I also had some of the rice and my tummy has been gurgling and knotted.
My gut (and gut instinct) tells me it was the rice, but the vet said they had never seen rice cause vomiting and that it is likely not it. Anyone else ever have a reaction like this?
I called the manufacturer of the rice and store that sold it to inform them, and saved it in my freezer for them to examine.
I know there is such a thing as too much calcium, but is there such a thing as too much protein? The animal behaviorist I am working with to stem Annie’s biting and jumping said that the protein shouldn’t be above 28 (she raises rhodesian ridgebacks) but I think the people on this site know better. Appreciate your input.
Thank you so much for reposting this link HDM.
Does anyone know anything about the calcium levels of Performatrin Ultra, grain-free? It is the store food of PetValu and ranked high on Dog Food Advisor, but didn’t make the your list so was wondering if it was calcium or something else that kept it off the list?
Thank you.
slippmanjr –
I wouldn’t just look for a quality food and not worry about whether it’s grain-free or grain-inclusive – aim for a food that has at least 30% protein. There are some great grain-free foods and horrible grain-free foods – same for grain-inclusive. It’s about the quality of the ingredients and the amount of quality, animal-derived protein. I typically lean toward grain-free kibbles because they generally contain more protein but the Dr. Tim’s and Annamaet Ultra I mentioned are two very high quality grain-inclusive foods that I don’t have any issue with recommending.
Ok great, Thank you HDM. Would you think it is better to start the pups with a grain free diet or grain inclusive?
I need to know a few dog foods good for a german shepherd puppy he’s 9 wks of course for bone and coat and joint you know gsd stuff,right now he’s eating blue buffalo life protection chicken and brown rice (puppy) ,I just want to know a brand to were I can stay on for a while cause he needs the best food right now I’m some what knowing what to look just not exactly
No the grain-inclusive Kinesis – the grain-free is too high in calcium.
sharfie:
I believe HDM said that around 8 months, we don’t have to monitor so closely anymore
I know this has been asked and answered but I can’t find the answer. As the puppies mature, at what age is calcium level no longer an issue.
Thank you.
When you say Dr. Tims… You are referring to the Grain free , right?
Great, thank you for the info! I had always heard kibble was better than canned but I will definitely start looking into some other choices. At least as a topper. When you say eggs, raw or cooked?
Hi sippmanjr –
I personally prefer raw (my dogs eat a homemade raw diet) and in terms of the best – I believe raw is as good as it gets. I would also give preference to dehydrated, canned and freeze-dried foods over kibble. However assuming you’re looking for a kibble, if I had to choose my “top 5” they would probably be (in no particular order): Annamaet (Aqualuk, Salcha or Ultra), Dr. Tim’s Kinesis, Nature’s Variety Instinct (LID Turkey or Rabbit), Wellness CORE Puppy or Earthborn (Coastal Catch or Meadow Feast). I love Orijen foods and their new large breed puppy formula is an improvement over the previous formula (the old formula was way too high in calcium) but it’s still slightly high in calcium for me to recommend. Don’t feel that you need to pick one food and stick with it, rotating is healthier and it’s good to get puppies accustomed to a rotational diet as soon as possible. If you feed kibble, I’d also recommend topping the kibble with a quality raw, canned or dehydrated food or healthy fresh foods (like eggs, tinned sardines, lean meats, or plain yogurt or kefir) as often as possible.
One more thing… How does Orijen large breed puppy formula stack up?
Also, anyone else with knowledge of this subject or this breed please respond. Looking for any help I can get. Thank you !!!
Hi Hound Dog Mom,
You seem very knowledgeable on this subject. I just found your post after beginning to do a lot of dog food research. My fathers Golden Retriever just gave birth to 11 puppies a week and a half ago. We are not backyard breeders trying to profit of these dogs. They pups came from a 55lb female Golden, and a 110lb male. Both are my fathers family dogs. This will be there first and last litter. All dogs will be staying close and going to family and friends. One of them will be my young families first dog in our home. With that being said, I want to wean them onto the best food I can to help curb any growth or health issues. I also want to pick a food that I can keep my puppy on as well throughout their puppy stage and into adulthood. We live in Southern California so getting these foods is usually not the issue. Not to mention there are endless resources online. My Question to you is… What would be your top 5 choices for this breed? Any help you can give would be great. This is the food I purchased yesterday on the recommendation of my local feed store. I am starting to regret my decision since it is not grain free and am probably going to return it based on what you have to say. it is the Canidae large breed puppy http://www.canidae.com/dogs/life-stages/dry/large-breed-puppy/duck
Definitely go with Fromm – not Blue Buffalo.
I’m sure the calcium content of S&C freeze-dried formulas are the same as the frozen but if you’re just using them as treats you don’t need to worry about calcium content.
A lot of people swear by Fromm. I would choose it over Wellness.
Thanks all I have not contacted Wellness yet have to go back to the store, and hunt down the lot number and see if they have a record of my purchase. Right now he’s eating Fromm Chicken and veg along with my shih Tzu Leo. Boris is feeling much better after his vet trip he received a shot and some antibiotics I guess I will have to keep the bags from now on for sure. I wish I had room and enough money to home cook but cooking for a 150 lb dog is a little daunting. Thanks again for the responses.
I’m sure this has been addressed, but are there any freeze dried raw foods that are ok for large breed puppies? My trainer has recommended Stella and Chewys Lamb dinner “cakes” for training purposes because they are healthy, nutritionally balanced, very tasty and easy to break apart for small treats and the pups love them. Does anyone know the calcium content?
I hope you find something that works for your Newfie! Please remember to keep all bags until the food is gone. I agree that Fromm is way better than Blue, if it works for your dog. Good luck to you, please let us know how it goes.
mfulton7
look at chewy.com and petflow
i have gotten small bags to try from chewy.com they tend to have more of the smaller increments (atleast for the earthborn and the drtims) the dogs just get a lucky care package as i boost the shop cart to 50 bucks for the free ship. (yeah im like that) i tend to order from petflow the most though as they ship quicker to me. (they are in vegas and im in utah)
a couple questions: is grain free a mandatory requirement? (maybe its in an earlier posting i missed) reason im asking is due to drtims kinesis ALS comes to mind as it has ocean herring meal, catfish meal, menhaden fish oil and salmon meal in it) . (i have a small size on the way to test it) its 1.48 per pound and on the 2nd list from HDM. earthborn coastal 1.82 a pound. if your concerned about coat health and you just cant find that ideal dog food you like. you could always toss an egg into the kibble and some canned sardines in water (buck a can at walmart) every so often. our boxer and dobe pup get an egg 3 times a week tossed into their kibble and a can of the sardines once a week.
there are tons of good foods out there, hound dog mom’s list is the best of the stars system and the petfood companies that actually were willing to divulge information to her
this is a question for anyone good with math and/or numbers. if a kibble has 30% protein and 15% fat, that gives it a protein-fat ratio of 50%. so what ratio does a kibble with 26% protein and 14% fat have?
Don’t go with Blue Buffalo, a lot of people have been reporting that their dogs have gotten diarrhea on BB lately.
Hello, I was wondering if anyone has been feeding Wellness Large breed supermix 5
I bought a new bag on Tues for my Newfoundland Boris and late Sat night he had very bad diarrhea. REALLY bad diarrhea upstairs downstairs everywhere. Now this dog is an avid counter surfer and had eaten just about everything (that’s what you get when you combine a large dog and kids) He has NEVER been this sick, he maybe gets loose poops but never full blown diarrhea. I brought him to the vet tonight because it had not resolved itself with a fast of 24hrs and small meals of chicken rice and pumpkin. After a stool examination my vet told me he has excessive bacteria in his stool which is causing the problem. She thinks it could possibly be the food because he did not get into anything else last week and he’s not a poop eater. Has anyone else had an issue with wellness lately, I am going to throw this batch away after I contact Wellness unfortunately I do not have the bag but I am going back to the pet store to see if I can locate the serial number.
I don’t what to feed the poor guy now I need to keep his weight down he has arthritis like I said hes 10yrs old. Maybe Fromm ??? Blue Buffalo
Look at Earthborn Holistic, Nature’s Variety Instinct, Nature’s Logic, and Brother’s Complete.
Mfulton: you can try online. on chewy.com I found the Coastal Catch for S47.99 with free shipping at $49. also, if the site isn’t from your state, I believe they don’t charge taxes. another kibble that is really good and I believe is around $48.99 for 30 lbs where I live is the Nature’s Variety Prairie Large Breed Puppy.
I have an 8 week old american bulldog that I was told to feed blue buffalo wilderness puppy but it’s causing loose stools. The vet says he’s healthy and worm free and suggested science diet which I won’t give. I’ve been reading up on the foods and I am so confused. Can someone please help me find a good food for my pup. I don’t mind the cost.
I use wag.com and chewy.com and it is super convenient even though I love in mii and have access to many pet stores. Online it’s cheaper always and you get free shipping on most 30 pound bags.
mfulton, can you use a service like Wag.com? I buy most all of my dog food from them. The shipping is free and they carry many high-quality brands.
Also, there’s a very good chance that you can save money by ordering dog food online.
Mfulton: until other new foods come out that are appropriate, this is *the* list to choose from. If you pick other foods, they will be not good foods or not appropriate for large breed puppies. It’s up to you to choose what you want but maybe you need to pull out another $5 or $10 from your budget to feed a correct food for a large breed puppy.
I can’t find a store anywhere around me that carries that food and I was going to go with Nutrisource but the calcium is way to high for my dobie. They said its a 1.9. This is so frustrating. If price didn’t matter ud have have no problem but unfortunately it is. Any other suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks all!
Well that’s a really good price. I’m going to check into that food also. I’m in Missouri so I will have to find a store that carries that brand. Thanks so much!
4 months ago
