Post by: oldleclercrd on September 25, 2012, 05:58:58 PM
Post by: mallard79 on September 25, 2012, 08:53:03 PM
Post by: Rick on September 25, 2012, 08:59:52 PM
My brother feeds his dogs kibbles and bits. Those dogs leave mounds of soft serve all over the yard. :chuckle:
My labs have done well on Nutro or Pro Plan. They have turds like tootsie rolls. Firm and easy to clean up.
Post by: Huntbear on September 25, 2012, 09:04:27 PM
I have him on Pedigree and he is making turds now, but still on the soft side.
I know that the higher the protein the worse his runs get...
Post by: DoubleJ on September 25, 2012, 09:07:44 PM
Post by: deerhunter_98520 on September 25, 2012, 09:08:46 PM
Post by: oldleclercrd on September 25, 2012, 09:36:30 PM
Post by: DoubleJ on September 25, 2012, 09:38:52 PM
http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/dog-food-reviews/natures-domain-dog-food/ (http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/dog-food-reviews/natures-domain-dog-food/)
Post by: runamuk on September 25, 2012, 09:42:39 PM
Post by: Swatson on September 26, 2012, 05:43:11 AM
Post by: buglin4bulls on September 26, 2012, 05:50:20 AM
Post by: Dhoey07 on September 26, 2012, 06:06:28 AM
Post by: Alchase on September 26, 2012, 06:15:00 AM
"she eats it in less then a minute, there is no way she can taste it. Besides she likes kitty rocca and licks her own butt!"
:DOH:
Post by: GrousePointer on September 26, 2012, 06:42:05 AM
Pro Plan
Pro Plan Performance
Had great luck with all of them.
If you are running a performance dog, take a look at Dr Tim's dog food.
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Post by: Labs07 on September 26, 2012, 07:23:57 AM
Post by: gallion_t on September 26, 2012, 07:32:46 AM
Post by: oldleclercrd on September 26, 2012, 08:24:44 AM
I feed my lab puppy Nutra Nugget- The puppy version. I have had a couple different vets along with my breeder tell me its good stuff. I haven't had any issues with it. My dog seems to like it and she stays fairly regular. Price wise its not bad. Its about $31 a bag. However it is a 40lb bag compared to most of the other more expensive brands that are 30lb bags.
Ive heard of that kind. Where can you buy it?
Post by: Huntbear on September 26, 2012, 08:31:41 AM
Vets are like Your DOCTORS.... they get benefits by promoting a certain brand from the reps... just like your doctors get certain benefits by prescribing certain drugs (especially the new expensive ones).
Do your own research. Find something with meat as the first ingredient. See what YOUR dog likes and dislikes... and how they look, and act on it..
Post by: DoubleJ on September 26, 2012, 08:33:53 AM
There's the write up from the same place that the Nature's Domain came from. Cruise that website. a ton of good info on there
Nutra Nuggets, like Nature's Domain is sold at Costco. Nutra Nuggets is a 40lb bag and is $31 or $1.12/lb. Nature's Domain is a 35lb bag and is $31 or $1.14/lb and is a vastly superior food according to the ingredients.
Post by: Goldeneye on September 26, 2012, 08:56:52 AM
http://www.goactivedog.com/ (http://www.goactivedog.com/)
Post by: oldleclercrd on September 26, 2012, 12:16:45 PM
Post by: buglin4bulls on September 26, 2012, 06:27:39 PM
Post by: RightPlace-RightTime on September 26, 2012, 06:33:45 PM
Duck and potatoe
Post by: highmuley on September 26, 2012, 07:15:49 PM
Post by: Bofire on September 26, 2012, 07:56:28 PM
Carl
Post by: tmike on September 26, 2012, 08:06:54 PM
(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi238.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fff110%2Ftkswhanson%2FDSCN1486.jpg&hash=9a74e3200709f4f5f97fec188489b51780d80d49)
Post by: ORCA_SIX on September 26, 2012, 09:21:39 PM
I personally use Nature's Variety INSTINCT. Great dog food and a little less expensive than some of the others.
Post by: tmike on September 26, 2012, 09:52:41 PM
Post by: oldleclercrd on September 26, 2012, 10:24:04 PM
Post by: Happy Gilmore on September 26, 2012, 10:26:59 PM
My brother in law worked at a research company that did studies on dog foods. He said that out of the reasonably priced grocery store foods that Beneful was by far the best food out there. That is what I have been feeding my lab since she was a pup. It is not the cheapest nor the most expensive..... :twocents:
Lots of filler grains high on the ingredient lists. Lots of food coloring to make the pretty colors. Your dog needs a food with a meat protein as a primary ingredient. A balance of fat and protein is important. Don't rule out a food with grain on the list. Dogs have been fed food with grain fillers as long as dog food has been produced. The original reason for grain free foods was for dogs with allergies. If you have a dog who cannot maintain a good weight it is a good idea to back off the protein and up the fat content. Too much protein is common to many popular dog food. Diamond foods(taste of the wild and Costco's line) are a good choice. I've fed Nutra with good success in the past and know many performance and show dog homes who have also used the brand. The last two years I've been happiest with feeding Nature's Domain from Costco. I feel it is the best bang for the buck. Seen 20+ performance dogs do very well on the brand for over 2 years.
Post by: Happy Gilmore on September 26, 2012, 10:28:52 PM
Post by: windygorge on September 26, 2012, 10:48:40 PM
i use MERRICK WHOLE EARTH FARMS ADULT DRY DOG FOOD. switched to this brand last month. was using diamond brand. get it from our local feed store in washougal.
trying to find a food for my yellow lab that will help with his shedding. its not normal shedding. way too much, to a point is more like hair loss. but he looks healthy. maybe an alergy test will tell me is he has allergies.
Post by: DoubleJ on September 27, 2012, 07:19:14 AM
Dog food ingredients most likely to provoke an allergic reaction include…
Beef
Dairy
Chicken
Lamb
Fish
Corn
Wheat
Soy
Yeast2
We started on the Natures Domain Salmon formula and both dogs started itching really bad about a week into it and one of them got bad poops. Switched to the Turkey formula and all those problems went away
Post by: dvolmer on September 27, 2012, 09:17:59 AM
Save that money for your kids college and your summer vacations and don't let your ignorance (that we all have quite a lot of) fill the pockets of your vets and dog food companies.
Post by: GrousePointer on September 27, 2012, 09:27:15 AM
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Post by: snowninja on September 27, 2012, 09:36:56 AM
Post by: DoubleJ on September 27, 2012, 11:12:17 AM
I was at one time a lab breeder. In the early and mid 2000's I raised well over 200 pups. There is a lot of hype when it comes to dog food. Vets are pushed into selling and promoting this high end, high priced food. they package it all fancy and sell it for 3 to 5 times what it should be. People love their dogs so much that they go into the "If it cost more it must be better" mode and the dog food companies make out like bandits. They literally use guilt to get you to buy it and the vets get a cut of the profits. When you bring your dog into them with problems it will allways be diagnosed with some problem that the food that they sell and promote will help with. When I had puppies that need supplemental feeding i would go and buy puppy formula that was very expensive. I was than told by a friend that was a vet to go and buy powdered goat starter formula in the big tub for 1/10Th of the cost and it was the exact same stuff and i could buy it in bulk. the only thing I had to do is supply the water (boy was that tough). with that said I used Wal Mart brand puppy food soaked in hot water with a half cup of powdered goat starter when they where real young and buy the time they left at the desired 49 days to their new owners they where eating it straight and recommended that the new owners switch them to Atta-Boy High Protein (get at COSTCO for a very reasonable price) at around 12 weeks and they ate that the rest of there lives with no problems I ever witnessed with my 8 labs that I had.
Save that money for your kids college and your summer vacations and don't let your ignorance (that we all have quite a lot of) fill the pockets of your vets and dog food companies.
I am not trying to be a jerk here, but this ranks right up there with the worst advice I have ever seen on this site. Can a dog grow up and live on cheap Walmart food? Sure. I'm sure my kid would grow up on party pizzas and pop if that's all I fed him. But it sure as hell is not what is best for either one. I have seen coats on dogs look much better and energy levels go up when people have switched to better foods. A dog is like any other living thing, the better it eats the better off it will be.
I'm not saying you have to break the bank buying the most expensive food. Several people on this thread have recommended some reasonably priced decent foods. And if you choose to feed the cheapest garbage out there that's right, and your dog will live. But don't try to convince people asking honest questions that it is just as good as feeding better foods. There is enough science out there to prove this completely false.
I had almost the identcal post typed out but you got it in there sooner than I did. Sorry but, I don't trust a breeder who is trying to make a profit any more than I do a vet who's getting paid to push a certain brand of food
Post by: DoubleJ on September 27, 2012, 11:29:03 AM
Post by: rideorange on September 27, 2012, 11:29:45 AM
Post by: DoubleJ on September 27, 2012, 11:37:22 AM
my :twocents:, raw. i do not believe a dogs digestive system has been changed by being domesticated. :crap: not an issue, 115lb dog, 1 pile a day, same size as a 35lb coyote pile, dries or washes away with the weather. pile amounts to about 20% of what they eat daily,, .50 cents a pound average
Are you doing just meat or are you adding the recommended powder to add the needed vitamins and minerals?
Post by: rideorange on September 27, 2012, 11:44:40 AM
Post by: GrousePointer on September 27, 2012, 11:46:42 AM
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Post by: 87Ford on September 27, 2012, 11:47:15 AM
Post by: Goldeneye on September 27, 2012, 11:56:25 AM
Post by: DoubleJ on September 27, 2012, 01:00:58 PM
I started a thread in the bird dog section several months ago about an issue I was having with Kirkland puppy food. Happy and DoubleJ helped out there a bunch as well. Long story short I swore off using anything made by Diamond and switched to Blue Buffalo. Well I had a change of heart and switched to Natures Domain (salmon) at the 9 month mark with my lab. I just couldn't resist giving it a shot at the price. He is doing great on it. I still believe though its not a bad idea to feed a large breed puppy food through the first 8 or 9 months when they grow the fastest. But others here have had great results on other foods as well.
Yours ended up being a food alergy wasn't it?
Post by: whackemstackem on September 27, 2012, 01:27:43 PM
Post by: akirkland on September 27, 2012, 07:39:45 PM
Natures Domain from Costco. Best food for the price. For all life stages. Grain free. $31/bag.:yeah:
Post by: gasman on September 27, 2012, 08:10:35 PM
They dont like any thing better then socks and the crotch out of the underwear :DOH:
Post by: Cascade_fisher on September 27, 2012, 08:13:57 PM
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Post by: Happy Gilmore on September 28, 2012, 09:57:40 AM
I fed Natures Domain to the puppies. It is an all life stages food. My pups were beautiful, their weight and size proportions were perfect. My vet is a "breeders" vet. She caters to dog breeders. She does not recommend puppy food. From people I've talked with who have been breeding a long time, most are in agreement that all life stage food is better for puppies. I just listen to folks who have been producing amazing dogs for a very long time and follow their advice.
(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi463.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fqq357%2Fgilmore_spirits%2FKaie%2520Pictures%2FECBRCspecialtyKaie.png&hash=bfc88eb96dbad2b23d11c6470f214b476d5c7e42)
Post by: GrousePointer on September 28, 2012, 11:23:35 AM
I would feed it a good puppy food designed for large breeds for the first 9 months to a year. They can grow to fast on other puppy foods and all life stages causing hip and joint problems. Wellness and Blue Buffalo among several others make a good large breed puppy food.
Labs come in a lot of sizes. Not all of them need large breed foods.
Of course, I'm a firm believer that no lab should really weigh much more than 60-65 lbs. Especially if they're going into the uplands.
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Post by: bobcat on September 28, 2012, 11:55:22 AM
Post by: DoubleJ on September 28, 2012, 12:00:26 PM
Post by: GrousePointer on September 28, 2012, 02:02:42 PM
I would feed it a good puppy food designed for large breeds for the first 9 months to a year. They can grow to fast on other puppy foods and all life stages causing hip and joint problems. Wellness and Blue Buffalo among several others make a good large breed puppy food.
Labs come in a lot of sizes. Not all of them need large breed foods.
Of course, I'm a firm believer that no lab should really weigh much more than 60-65 lbs. Especially if they're going into the uplands.
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I don't know about that. Mine wieghs in at around 95 solid pounds and is a hell of a grouser. I do agree the American version is a lot sleaker dog and could out run mine in a second, but I love the traditional stocky bear head on my boy.
I look at it this way, a dog in the uplands is pounding the ground a lot. More weight means less endurance and that's why a lot of real runners like setters and Pointers of the field trial flavor check in around 50 lbs or less these days. A lot of people confuse drive with endurance, but they aren't the same, though drive can to some extent overcome poor endurance.
Like them or not, that's one area I think some pointing lab guys have a leg up on other lab breeders.
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Post by: GrousePointer on September 28, 2012, 02:06:23 PM
I'm not a fan of heart, but the dog loves them. I just brought home the heart from a buddy's elk. I boil them then cut up into snack size pieces for the dogs and freeze in week size packs. I do the same with any trimmings off of my animals I get. I try to avoid giving them anything that has been seasoned. I've read that the seasoning is where dogs start to have issues. Supposedly not supposed to have any onion or garlic type seasoning and I love both. Not sure how true that is, but I figure why risk it. I love having the dog around and want to give him the best I can.
Onion and garlic can be toxic to dogs. It's true.
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Post by: benbo30 on September 28, 2012, 07:29:08 PM
You want your dog to eat well, give them plenty of "people" food. There's no way to know what kind of garbage is put in commercial dog foods, so I prefer to feed as little dog food as possible. I give my dog all of the leftovers from our dinner (meat and fat mostly).
thats what my mom does to my brothers lab , holy *censored* that dog looks good and chubby , but healthy haha
Post by: ghosthunter on October 31, 2012, 11:15:46 AM
http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/dog-food-reviews/brand/ (http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/dog-food-reviews/brand/)
Post by: Stilly bay on October 31, 2012, 11:23:19 AM
Ran across this.
http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/dog-food-reviews/brand/ (http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/dog-food-reviews/brand/)
oh boy... :o