# Food for a 9 month old GSD



## star5cr34m (Mar 16, 2010)

Hello,
Just wanted to throw this out there and see everyones opinions. 

Ive had my german shepherd for a little over 6 months now. She has always been a good eater. Up until she was about 3 months old, she was on the puppy food that the vet recomended (i honestly cant remember the brand).
One day when we were feeding my dog and my girlfriends dog (1 year old sheltie/collie), Kaiah (my GSD) moved over and started eating my girlfriends dogs food (Beneful healthy coat). she seemd to enjoy that food more than the puppy food so i had made the switch (over about 2 weeks) to the beneful since she seemd to like it so much better. 

recently, ive been talking with 2 local K9 officers who are also very good family friends of mine. They both said that the food i was giving Kaiah wasnt very good to give her. Both of them recomended Royal Canin Large Breed Puppy. 

I had went and bought the smaller bag of the food to see if Kaiah would like it (i honestly didnt want to drop $55 on a bag of food my dog wouldnt eat. 
so, i bought the bag home just at dinner time, mixed up the old beneful with the royal canin and set it down for Kaiah to eat. 
I kid you not, i watched her pick up mouthfulls of the food mix, drop it on the floor, and eat nothing but the Royal Canin puppy food. The next time i fed her, i mixed in much less beneful and almost all Royal Canin. Again, she ate nothing but the Royal Canin food.

I was told that when she is about a year and a couple of months old, to mix the Royal Canin large breed puppy with the Adult GSD food for about a year, then switch to the full GSD food. 

again, i just decided to post this to put it out there and to gather some of your thoughts on the food and the feeding (how much to feed and how many times a day)


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## doggiedad (Dec 2, 2007)

i never fed my dog puppy food.
i feed different kibble and different
can food. i also feed raw ground beef,
cooked boneless and skinless chicken breast,
veggies and fruit.

when my dog was a pup he received
3 cups a day. his kibble always had
some of the above mixed in. he also
received table scraps depending
on what they were.


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## lrodptl (Nov 12, 2009)

star5cr34m said:


> Hello,
> Just wanted to throw this out there and see everyones opinions.
> 
> Ive had my german shepherd for a little over 6 months now. She has always been a good eater. Up until she was about 3 months old, she was on the puppy food that the vet recomended (i honestly cant remember the brand).
> ...


I don't know how we all got along before this forum. This is the first time I've ever paid attention to what I was feeding my dogs and none of them (6) ever had health issues before that was food related. I have the 9 month old and 10.5 year old on a TOTW/Canidae mix because of what I've read here but I see no difference in the adult's coat,health,energy or anything else after 3 months.


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## jakeandrenee (Apr 30, 2010)

I wouldn't feed RC" ANYTHING" to my GSD....it's full of crap....go to the forums on feeding out puppy...there is tons of really good information on foods for our dogs...both contents and cost are covered! BTW...welcome!


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## GSDSunshine (Sep 7, 2009)

I agree with not agreeing with the royal canin choice. For a dog food, you want it to meet certain requirements. It must not have corn, wheat, soy, by-products, or any unnamed meat.

And royal canin (which is pretty pricey) has corn gluten, and soy gluten, both you don't want in a food


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## Gib Laut (Feb 21, 2010)

I applaud you for taking your dog off the Beneful; very poor food. Although I'm sure the K9 officers mean well, IMO their advice is poor also. I suspect they feed what they're told and I also suspect there is some kind of deal with the retailer or manufacturer for their dogs food.....based on my experience. I am curious what they would say if you asked "why is it so good?"; do they have education and experience in nutrition to support their opinion, based on the product ingredients? I really dislike the ingredients in RC, I think for the price it's very poor value. Personally I think Orijen is the food to go with if feeding dry. 

How much to feed is very dependent on the activity level and caloric density of the food...the higher quality grain free foods for example generally have a higher caloric density and require you to feed smaller amounts. By 9 months mine ate twice per day, from the three-four when he was a young pup.

PS If you're looking for new foods for the dog, ask for sample bags or buy the smallest one possible so you don't find yourself wasting large sums of money on the big bags, until you find the one you both like.


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## star5cr34m (Mar 16, 2010)

So being that she is 9 months old and a pretty active dog (go to the dog park at least every other day, run around inside as well as outside) what brand of food would be the best?

i understand that it is a good idea to get to know alot of the different brands, but in all honesty im looking for more of a straight forward answer.


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## Gib Laut (Feb 21, 2010)

star5cr34m said:


> So being that she is 9 months old and a pretty active dog (go to the dog park at least every other day, run around inside as well as outside) what brand of food would be the best?
> 
> i understand that it is a good idea to get to know alot of the different brands, but in all honesty im looking for more of a straight forward answer.


you will get a different answer from just about everyone!...I say orijen but that was based on over a month of research and I was looking for a company I could trust, who believes strongly in biologically appropriate foods, uses lower temps in the process, uses local foods, ethoxyquin free, natural preservatives, grain free and offers more than one flavor to rotate.....


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## star5cr34m (Mar 16, 2010)

Ive been looking through the food forums and ive found that pretty much the top 2 for grain-free puppy food is either Blue Buffalo or Orijen. (?)


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## jakeandrenee (Apr 30, 2010)

BB isn't grain free...the Wilderness line made by BB is...


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## star5cr34m (Mar 16, 2010)

thats what i meant, the Blue Buffalo Wilderness. 


Put it this way, im looking for the best possible food for my GSD puppy so that she will have no (foreseeable) health concerns. I have just recently lost my golden retriever due to heart problems so i am very particular and a bit on edge when it comes to my dogs health now.
I dont want to go through again what i went through with my golden. So all im asking is that someone can recommend a good food (that is the healthiest and most health-benefiting) for a gsd puppy thats 9 months old and about 55lbs who is very active.


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## jakeandrenee (Apr 30, 2010)

I think either choice is very good, what's more available and less expensive?
Have you been to dogfoodanalysis.com???


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## Gib Laut (Feb 21, 2010)

star5cr34m said:


> Put it this way, im looking for the best possible food for my GSD puppy so that she will have no (foreseeable) health concerns.
> 
> 
> So all im asking is that someone can recommend a good food (that is the healthiest and most health-benefiting) for a gsd puppy thats 9 months old and about 55lbs who is very active.


Raw

YOU make the decision on what food YOU think is best. As you have personally found out, some people will recommend a food, but have no real idea why. You may want to start reading more on the canine digestive process, biologically appropriate foods and how diet impacts overall health....that way YOU can make a good choice that is comfortable for you.....

Sorry about your golden....my education in nutrition began when my last dog was diagnosed and subsequently died of cancer....what I learned in the past two years has changed how I raise my pets.


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## roxy84 (Jun 23, 2007)

star5cr34m said:


> Ive been looking through the food forums and ive found that pretty much the top 2 for grain-free puppy food is either Blue Buffalo or Orijen. (?)


the last information i saw on another forum was that the Blue Buffalo Wilderness (which is their grain free line) has a macx Calcium level over 2%, which many of us consider too high. if you are determined to feed grain free, my opinion is that the orijen is the safest choice.


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## star5cr34m (Mar 16, 2010)

Ok, after looking into it more, I've decided to go with the Blue Buffalo Wilderness.
right now i bought her the chicken flavor.
i mixed it with her royal canin and she did the same thing she did when i mixed the royal canin with the beneful. she picked out all the blue buffalo pieces and left the royal canin behind. 
Im hoping that this will be the best food for her. It seems very good to me (rates high on dogfoodanalysis.com) and Kaiah seems to like it as well.


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## unloader (Feb 16, 2010)

star5cr34m said:


> Ok, after looking into it more, I've decided to go with the Blue Buffalo Wilderness.
> right now i bought her the chicken flavor.
> i mixed it with her royal canin and she did the same thing she did when i mixed the royal canin with the beneful. she picked out all the blue buffalo pieces and left the royal canin behind.
> Im hoping that this will be the best food for her. It seems very good to me (rates high on dogfoodanalysis.com) and Kaiah seems to like it as well.


I think you might have missed the above post, here it is again:



roxy84 said:


> the last information i saw on another forum was that the Blue Buffalo Wilderness (which is their grain free line) has a max Calcium level over 2%, which many of us consider too high. if you are determined to feed grain free, my opinion is that the orijen is the safest choice.


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## LaRen616 (Mar 4, 2010)

star5cr34m said:


> Ok, after looking into it more, I've decided to go with the Blue Buffalo Wilderness.
> right now i bought her the chicken flavor.
> i mixed it with her royal canin and she did the same thing she did when i mixed the royal canin with the beneful. she picked out all the blue buffalo pieces and left the royal canin behind.
> Im hoping that this will be the best food for her. It seems very good to me (rates high on dogfoodanalysis.com) and Kaiah seems to like it as well.


Is your puppy still 9 months old?

Blue Buffalo Blue Wilderness is great (I have my GSD on it)

I think that if you wanted to put your puppy onto the Blue Buffalo brand you should have them on the Large Breed Puppy Formula until they turn 1 year old and then you can make the switch to the Blue Wilderness. But I dont know how much of an impact it will be on your dog because he is only 3 months away from being 1 year old.


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## star5cr34m (Mar 16, 2010)

yes, Kaiah is still 9 months old.


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## unloader (Feb 16, 2010)

On second look, 

BBWilderness:
Calcium 1.3% min 
Phosphorus 0.9% min

Orijen LBP:
Calcium (min.)1.5% 
Calcium (max.)1.7% 
Phosphorus (min.)1.1% 
Phosphorus (max.)1.3%

How is Wilderness bad for puppies?


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## star5cr34m (Mar 16, 2010)

Im telling you, ive went to 5 different stores to get different opinions. (i hate spending hours going from website to website on the internet to only wind up being more confused)

I went to a Petsmart, a pet wholesale store, a "feed" store, and 2 pet specialty stores and i asked the people with the dog food what they would recommend for a grain free dog food. 
All of them said that the Blue Buffalo Wilderness was the bes that they would use, and 4 of the people i talked to had their dogs on it as well.


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## LaRen616 (Mar 4, 2010)

unloader said:


> How is Wilderness bad for puppies?


I dont think it's bad for puppies. But Blue Wilderness is more of an adult dog food. I like to keep my puppy on a Large Breed Puppy formula until they are a 1 year old. 

Some people say that puppies should have grains while they are puppies and that they should not be put on grainless until they are at least a 1 year old.

I dont think it really matters? I mean his puppy is 9 months old, it's only 3 months old from being a 1 year old.


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## LaRen616 (Mar 4, 2010)

star5cr34m said:


> Im telling you, ive went to 5 different stores to get different opinions. (i hate spending hours going from website to website on the internet to only wind up being more confused)
> 
> I went to a Petsmart, a pet wholesale store, a "feed" store, and 2 pet specialty stores and i asked the people with the dog food what they would recommend for a grain free dog food.
> All of them said that the Blue Buffalo Wilderness was the bes that they would use, and 4 of the people i talked to had their dogs on it as well.


 
Blue Buffalo Blue Wilderness is a great brand, my dog is on it. I think that some people are against putting *puppies *on a grainless food. Some people believe that puppies should have grains in their diet until they are at least a 1 year old and then switch to grainless.​


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## star5cr34m (Mar 16, 2010)

Ok. i think with the past posts ive missed that point.


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## LaRen616 (Mar 4, 2010)

star5cr34m said:


> Ok. i think with the past posts ive missed that point.


 
I honestly dont think that you have anything to worry about. Your puppy is only 3 months away from being 1 year old. I dont think it's going to effect anything.

Wait until you see the improvment in her/his fur! When I switched Sinister over to grainless all his flakes went away and he doesn't shed nearly as much as he used to, his fur is very soft, silky and shiney.


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## star5cr34m (Mar 16, 2010)

That is what im hoping for. 
when Kaiah was a much younger puppy (around 3-4 months) she had really dry skin. we thought she may have had allergies. luckily it went away, but every now and then she does get a bit of dry skin. and right now shes shedding like crazy.


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## ZAYDA (Apr 22, 2010)

ORIJEN... just read read read and make the choice but my vote ORIJEN


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## Gib Laut (Feb 21, 2010)

LaRen616 said:


> Blue Buffalo Blue Wilderness is a great brand, my dog is on it. I think that some people are against putting *puppies *on a grainless food. Some people believe that puppies should have grains in their diet until they are at least a 1 year old and then switch to grainless.​


From what I've seen the issue may not simply be they don't want grainless for a pup, many are just not appropriate for puppies when you look at nutrient content, specifically calcium/phos, but some still believe high protein diets are not safe for puppies. That's why doing your own research is so beneficial, you can make the decision you believe in.


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## GSDSunshine (Sep 7, 2009)

People are not saying that grainfree is bad for puppies, or that puppies need grains (they don't). The problem with most kibbles that are grainfree is the maximum Ca levels. Most are too high. I honestly am a little weary myself of Orijen LBP because it is quite high in Calcium. Most of the GF kibbles are above 2% which is very high. 

Little 8 week old puppies gain weight and grow fast. Adding extra calcium (by supplements or calcium rich food) will stimulate the pup to grow even faster than the normal freakishly fast growth. When a pup grows at a slow rate the bones get a chance to develop properly. 

Your pup is 9 months old so while is not a great idea to have her on it already, she should be fine since about 80% of her growth is already done and should be slowing down at this point.


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## GSDBESTK9 (Mar 26, 2002)

There is no one perfect kibble for a dog. There are plenty of good ones out there to feed like Orijen, Innova and any of the other grain free kibbles. You just go with whichever is more convinient for you to get or whichever you pup likes best. I have all my dogs on Canidae ALS Grain free and they are all doing great.


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## [email protected] (Sep 18, 2017)

My gsd now 9mnth old can I give Royal canin Maxi junior but problem with me I don't know how much quantity give him


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## tim_s_adams (Aug 9, 2017)

The chart on the bag should give you some idea of a starting point. Then just look at your dog. You don't want to see bones protruding, but should be able to see the last couple of ribs. From a top view from behind, you should be able to see the waist, a distinct tapering just before the hind quarters. If the ribs are showing feed more. If you can't see even threats couple, feed a little less. If you post pictures it word be easier to tell.


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## Jrenkie (Jun 9, 2004)

*Puppy food*

Izzy is 8 months old today. I will probably keep her on puppy food at least until her first birthday. I have read that GSDs can keep growing up to 24 months and keeping hem on puppy food is appropriate. I don’t think I’ll go that far with it but transition after the 12 month mark. FYI, I use Fromm Large Breed Puppy food; she loves it and is doing well on it.


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## Beachlover (Jul 2, 2017)

star5cr34m said:


> So being that she is 9 months old and a pretty active dog (go to the dog park at least every other day, run around inside as well as outside) what brand of food would be the best?
> 
> i understand that it is a good idea to get to know alot of the different brands, but in all honesty im looking for more of a straight forward answer.




I fed my Shepherd pup Blue Buffalo LG breed puppy wilderness for one month. When he was 12 weeks I switched him to Orijen large breed puppy. He is now 8 months old and is still doing great on that food.


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