# Looking for Recs for Dry Food



## lonestarghost (Oct 3, 2017)

Hi everyone,

We were transitioning our 18 wk old GSD to Fromm Large Breed Puppy from TOTW Puppy. Now that we are getting to where Fromm’s is 75% of the mix, he is refusing to eat it. He sniffs the bowl and turns his nose up. I’ve seen a few people say that their dogs didn’t like it much either. It’s fine that he doesn’t like it, we have enough of the old to keep him going and transition to a different brand so we are starting to hunt for a different food again as I want to get away from TOWT and it’s ties with Diamond. 
We are looking for recommendations for a new food for our pup. Where we live we are really limited to only “grocery store level” dog foods so I will have to order it in. I’ve been browsing the boards but would like some recommendations so I can start to research more brands. 
My head is spinning with trying to keep certain foods straight with what their ingredients are, the calcium and phosphorus ratio, sourcing, how much to feed, calorie content, etc. 
Thanks in advance!


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## WIBackpacker (Jan 9, 2014)

I fed this to my last puppy when she was young, and had zero complaints. You can order it through Chewy - 

https://www.chewy.com/holistic-select-adult-puppy-health/dp/37765

Holistic Select Adult & Puppy Health Salmon, Anchovy & Sardine Grain-Free Dry Dog Food



> CRUDE PROTEIN	29.0% min
> CRUDE FAT	14.0% min
> CRUDE FIBER	5.5% max
> MOISTURE	10.0% max
> ...





> Salmon, Anchovy and Sardine Meal, Potatoes, Peas, Menhaden Fish Meal, Dried Ground Potatoes, Canola Oil (preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Dried Molasses Beet Pulp, Pea Fiber, Flaxseed, Pumpkin, Natural Flavor, Cranberries, Apples, Brewers Dried Yeast, Salt, Papayas, Choline Chloride, Blueberries, Pomegranates, Vitamin E Supplement, Inulin, Dried Kelp, Zinc Proteinate, Mixed Tocopherols added to preserve freshness, Zinc Sulfate, Niacin, Ferrous Sulfate, Iron Proteinate, Vitamin A Supplement, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C), Ground Cinnamon, Ground Fennel, Ground Peppermint, Copper Sulfate, Thiamine Mononitrate, Copper Proteinate, Manganese Proteinate, Manganese Sulfate, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Sodium Selenite, Dried Enterococcus faecium Fermentation Product, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Biotin, Dried Lactobacillus bulgaricus Fermentation Product, Dried Enterococcus thermophilus Fermentation Product, Calcium Iodate, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Folic Acid, Dried Bacillus licheniformis Fermentation Product, Dried Bacillus subtilis Fermentation Product, Dried Aspergillus oryzae Fermentation Product, Dried Trichoderma reesei Fermentation Product, Dried Rhizopus oryzae Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus acidophilus Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus casei Fermentation Product, Rosemary Extract, Green Tea Extract, Spearmint Extract.


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## Ken Clean-Air System (Feb 27, 2012)

Fromm is an excellent food, you could try the grain free version of the Fromm LBP food, or pretty much any of their other grain free foods from the 4 Star Line ... they are all All Life Stages and pretty much all are perfectly fine for a large breed puppy (calcium/phosphorous levels fine pretty much across the board). 

Other foods I'd look at are Orijen/Acana, Victor, Dr. Tim's, and Annamaet.


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## Magwart (Jul 8, 2012)

What's your monthly budget for food? That really is what will drive the answer. If you can afford to take the dog onto The Honest Kitchen, Dr. Harveys, Ziwi, commercial raw or the like, that would be great -- but not everyone can afford to do that.

From your handle, I'm going to guess you are in Texas? If so Victor is made there, so it's likely to be very fresh buying it close to the source.

There's also a Texas brand sold mostly in the DFW area (and some Texas Costco stores) called Zach's Quality Dog food. It's made in the Great Life (Pied Piper) plant in Texas and is a heck of a deal if you can find it -- Costco sells it for less than Kirkland ($26 or so for a 40#) for a chicken-and-rice bag that rates 4* on Dog Food Advisor. It looks like a generic food in a plain green bag -- so you'd walk by it without even realizing what it is, as they put almost nothing into making the packaging pretty to maximize spending on what goes into the bag. If you call them, the owner will call you to answer questions. I *think* they have a puppy food (though not sold by Costco), and they home-deliver to local customers in some parts of Texas.

With Fromm, I feed the Four Star line on rotation, and there's a real difference in enthusiasm in my crew over some of the flavors. The Hasenduckenpfeffer is a big favorite here. So even if yours doesn't love the Fromm Gold food, it might like one of the others.


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## Stangbait (Sep 21, 2017)

I too would try the Fromm Heartland Gold Large Breed (grain-free), might be more appetizing than just the regular Large Breed variety.

We feed a mixture of 66% Fromm Heartland Gold Large Breed Adult (grain-free) and 33% Orijen Six Fish with salmon oil, coconut oil, and fresh chopped blueberries and carrots added. Our GSD wolfs this down, but she's also not a picky eater. We originally tried 100% Orijen Six Fish, but her stool was too loose. She also gets a quarter can of Ziwipeak Tripe & Lamb canned wet food mixed in her morning meal; you could try a topper like Ziwipeak air-dried tripe & lamb to make it more appetizing.


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## Katanya (Nov 27, 2017)

i feed my dogs either a raw diet, or drs foster and smith foods. i prefer raw diet but when i can't do that this food is what i like for a puppy. 

Dog Food: Dry Puppy Food from Drs. Foster and Smith


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## lonestarghost (Oct 3, 2017)

Magwart said:


> What's your monthly budget for food? That really is what will drive the answer. If you can afford to take the dog onto The Honest Kitchen, Dr. Harveys, Ziwi, commercial raw or the like, that would be great -- but not everyone can afford to do that.
> 
> From your handle, I'm going to guess you are in Texas? If so Victor is made there, so it's likely to be very fresh buying it close to the source.
> 
> ...


I actually live in KS. Our nearest Costco is several hours away:frown2: I think I found Zach's online via their website but its only sold in 50lb bags. I like to try smaller bags when testing a food to make sure he likes it and we aren't out more $$. We'd (my boyfriend and I) really like to keep dog food under/around $60/mo. I'm only working part-time right now as I am working on my masters'. It has helped tremedously when training, bonding, and house training Ghost but not so much in the cash department lol. We also have two spoiled Siamese cats that think they need to be fed too :wink2:


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## Magwart (Jul 8, 2012)

They *might* send you some sample packets--the owner is extremely responsive to customer inquiries by email, so there's no harm in asking. I know he has them, as he sent me a box for the rescue when Costco was selling it locally (they stopped selling it at my Costco, unfortunately).

Otherwise, of the brands mentioned here so far, Victor has the lowest price point. Their entry level foods are around $40 to $45 for 40#. Victor also has higher end foods that go up in price. Sometimes feed stores stock it, so look at places like that if you have any nearby.


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## MidwestFarmersDaughter (Aug 13, 2017)

We feed our dogs Fromm and Annamaet and love both brands. I think Annamaet is slightly less expensive? Our picky eater likes the Fromm with a handful of crumbled Primal freeze-dried raw nuggets mixed in, with salmon oil and blueberries; or drizzled with The Honest Kitchen bone broth mixed with water. The toppers work wonders


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## Coreyyj (Nov 29, 2017)

I’ve always been happy with Fromm. I don’t have a GSD (yet...) but I’ve always been pleased with how my Great Dane looks on it. He’s had both the Gold and the Large Breed. I will note that he didn’t care for the large breed formula, but he’s an incredibly picky eater.


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## lonestarghost (Oct 3, 2017)

Has anyone fed Spot Farms? Its dehydrated like Honest Kitchen. I will say I did not know these types of products were available. Does anyone mix the rehydrated mix with kibble? I don't think I can afford to feed exclusively commercial raw at this time. Looking at honest, a pup of Ghost's age would go through a 10lb box in 10-20 days. I would like to incorporate it some how though.


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## marwin (Jan 6, 2015)

We have always fed Acana and swear by it for immune system and shiny coat. It's pricy but an investment in avoiding the vet! Poos are always perfect and our dogs love it. Got a new puppy now and can't wait to transition him off the eukanoba rubbish the breeders have been feeding them.


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