# A Couple Of Questions



## Brown314 (Jun 18, 2010)

I just recently got a GSD puppy, hes around 12 weeks old right now and I have a couple of questions about puppy food.

The shelter was feeding him Purina One, so he's on that right now and since he has gotten used to the house and everything, and is doing great I want to switch him over to a good dog food.

I have done research on Orijen dog food, BB dog food, etc etc.

Im still torn apart about which to get him, I was thinking of BB Large Breed puppy food then the Wilderness line when he is a year old but some people say you can start him straight on adult dog food and Im just confused and could use some advice. 

Thanks for any help.


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## doggiedad (Dec 2, 2007)

i've never fed puppy food.

my dogs kibble is always mixed with some of the 
following: 
can food, chicken, ground beef,
veggies, fruit, yogurt, rice, etc.

my GF gives him his kibble
without anything it sometimes
to make sure he'll eat his kibble plain.


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## Elaine (Sep 10, 2006)

This isn't that confusing. Pick one of the premium brands that you have ready access to and if your dog does well on it - no diarrhea, likes it, and looks good on it - that's what you feed. If your dog doesn't do well on it, try something else. No one kibble is the best. The best dog food is the one you can get and your particular dog does well on.

I would never add anything to dry kibble except as a rare treat as some dogs can become picky eaters and demand you keep putting extras in or they won't eat.


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## roxy84 (Jun 23, 2007)

Brown314 said:


> I was thinking of BB Large Breed puppy food then the Wilderness line when he is a year old .


sounds like a plan. sure, some adult foods are fine for our pups, but you have already chosen a food that is fine as well. stick with that and see how he does on it. plenty of folks on here have started on the BB large breed pup and switched to the wilderness at adulthood.


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## DJEtzel (Feb 11, 2010)

Some adult foods are fine for dogs, but you need to pay attention to calcium content. 

And I've heard that grain-free foods are bad for puppies, so avoid those adult foods if you start him on adult. 

I've heard nothing but good things about orijen, personally.


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## Dawn (Jun 23, 2010)

When Raven was at the shelter they had her on science diet dry and pedigree wet. She hated it..
I have now slowly switched her over to blue buffalo dry chicken and rice and blue buffalo wet ( mix 1/2 can in each feeding)
she loves it.


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## Andrew (Jun 16, 2010)

Elaine said:


> This isn't that confusing. Pick one of the premium brands that you have ready access to and if your dog does well on it - no diarrhea, likes it, and looks good on it - that's what you feed. If your dog doesn't do well on it, try something else. No one kibble is the best. The best dog food is the one you can get and your particular dog does well on.
> 
> I would never add anything to dry kibble except as a rare treat as some dogs can become picky eaters and demand you keep putting extras in or they won't eat.


As a broke college student who tries to get the "best" for his baby girl, I had a few factors in mind. Factors to think about?: Price/Affordability, Ease of Access, and of course how well your dog does on it.

Price/Affordability: 
Just make sure the brand you're getting won't break your bank, or force you to work overtime in order to afford that food. More time spent with your doggy is a happy healthy doggy, opposed to working your butt off to pay for food you can't really afford..

Ease of Access: 
Hopefully you live near a petstore and don't have to drive more than 15-30 minutes to get to one. I currently have my dog on TOTW (I will probably get scrutinized for that), and she FINALLY has firm stools. The 2 pet stores I go to (Petco and this independent store), both have VERY lenient return policies on their dog food. "If your dog doesn't do well on it, bring it back for a full refund."

I've purchased 3 different brands, and were able to return them all!
-Wellness Puppy: Gave my on and off runny stools, and she never seemed "interested" it in. I asked PEtco if I can return it, and try another brand even though I've nearly finished the bag, surprisingly they said YES.
-Canidae: Bought 2 bags from the independent pet store, and got home to read a lot of consumer complaints about this "formerly dependable brand" making their pets sick. Didn't bother trying, and took both bags back to the store for refund, and purchased Innova Puppy.
- Innova Puppy: Gave her watery stools. AT first I thought I "Transitioned" too fast, so I started over transitioning. Didn't work out.
- TOTW PS: Took Innova back to store for full refund, and tried the controversial/not-recommended TOTW Pacific STream. FINALLY firm stools after 3 days.

So after you've checked on the return policies of the store(s) you're planning to purchase from, you can then see which brand(s)/formulas will fit your dog best.

From what I learned from this forum, most importantly to check for is the calcium/phosphorus levels for the large breed puppy.

Some helpful sites in considering pet food:
TruthaboutPetFood.com
Petsumer Report
Dog Food Analysis - Reviews of kibble


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## brucebourdon (Jun 2, 2010)

First, look at the ingredients.

Many dog food companies make crap; I've read that years ago, they discovered this market as a profitable answer to get rid of some of their junk.

Regarding canned, keep in mind the three-D's; i may be that the animal was either dead, diseased, or dying and therefore found to be unfit for human consumption.

Many of the dry foods are filled with filler (junk) that your dog doesn't need. Look at the ingredients, what's listed? Things like "by-products," or grain or "brewers ..." are the cheapest and most likely to be unfit for human food / leftovers / garbage. Do a little research.

Example: For dry, I use Innova large breed puppy food, or Blue Buffalo large breed puppy food.

*** Note that the previous two puppy food examples are specially formulated for large breeds - this is important, as too much protein in their diets at this stage can lead to problems. 

My pup gets mostly dry, but in addition she gets occasional vegetables (like frozen carrots) fruit and maybe occasional egg, yogurt or even an occasional piece of raw beef (like a rib or a low-cost steak that's not very thick and lots of bone). Try to limit the protein as mentioned earlier.

And lots of mental and physical exercise.


Good luck!


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## star5cr34m (Mar 16, 2010)

i have my 10 month old on Blue Buffalo Wilderness grain-free chicken right now. 
she loves it and her coat is very smooth and shiny and she has alot of energy now with it


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## roxy84 (Jun 23, 2007)

Andrew said:


> tried the controversial/not-recommended TOTW Pacific STream.


i wouldnt say controversioal. it simply has Ca levels beyond the recommendation for large breed pups. its a matter of ones comfort level. Diamond labels it an all life stages food and that makes some folks feel ok.


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## dsunnym1 (Jul 1, 2010)

Just started the transition too Orijen for my boy! Seems to be going well, Will report back.....Breeder had him on Purina Puppy


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## Brown314 (Jun 18, 2010)

Yea Ive been doing so much research on it, I was thinking about a RAW diet but I just dont think that is acceptable for me right now, since Im living in a apartment and in college, and Im torn between Orijen and BB Large Breed Puppy. 

I just want to get him off of Purina One since Ive read that food is junk, not as bad as pedigree but still bad. The sad thing is, a girl lives above me with a year old German Shepard and feeds her Pedigree, and Ive been trying to convince her to change, since the dog already has shoulder issues at just a year old.

Thanks for all of the information guys, and I think with him being the runt of the litter and at 10 weeks he was only 10 pounds, I want him on the best food I can attain. I take him to the vet again next week for a booster, and hopefully he has gained some pounds, since he will be 12 weeks on Tuesday.


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## dsunnym1 (Jul 1, 2010)

Brown314 said:


> Yea Ive been doing so much research on it, I was thinking about a RAW diet but I just dont think that is acceptable for me right now, since Im living in a apartment and in college, and Im torn between Orijen and BB Large Breed Puppy.
> 
> I just want to get him off of Purina One since Ive read that food is junk, not as bad as pedigree but still bad. The sad thing is, a girl lives above me with a year old German Shepard and feeds her Pedigree, and Ive been trying to convince her to change, since the dog already has shoulder issues at just a year old.
> 
> Thanks for all of the information guys, and I think with him being the runt of the litter and at 10 weeks he was only 10 pounds, I want him on the best food I can attain. I take him to the vet again next week for a booster, and hopefully he has gained some pounds, since he will be 12 weeks on Tuesday.



Funny.... My boy was kinda the runt as well!


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## brucebourdon (Jun 2, 2010)

Brown314, sounds like your puppy has a great owner (it's no small feat rescuing a dog from a shelter, and a GSD while you're a college student, wow!).

I read your original post too quickly before my last post, sorry. I think you've got a good understanding of things and a few data points from the feedback to confirm your thoughts. 

Of course you've got to take care of yourself and manage your budget - I think it'd be foolish to starve yourself so you could buy a slightly better brand...

Have you started reading about training? There's some videos from a regular here named Jason and his dog Ike to give you an idea what you're in for, and what can be accomplished. Do a google for Michael Ellis on the Leerburg site for more ideas. And don't forget exercise; "a tired puppy is a good puppy."

Do you have a crate? Remember, they can only stay in there for about an hour per month of age (maybe longer at night, but shorter during the day). 

PS: Might be a good idea to try to find some people who can help, there's going to be times that you've got to study but the dog needs time, it's a lot easier if you can take turns. If you need work, maybe if there's a dog training / boarding center in the area and you can work there (even if just an entry level, cleaning crates or stocking shelves) you might get a substantial discount plus tips from trainers. Or maybe there are people at the shelter who can help or provide ideas. 

Best wishes for you and your little guy.


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## Brown314 (Jun 18, 2010)

bbourdon said:


> Brown314, sounds like your puppy has a great owner (it's no small feat rescuing a dog from a shelter, and a GSD while you're a college student, wow!).
> 
> I read your original post too quickly before my last post, sorry. I think you've got a good understanding of things and a few data points from the feedback to confirm your thoughts.
> 
> ...


Thanks for the information, I understood the responsibility before I adopted the little guy, since every since I was young my family had a GSD dog, and I have always loved them. I do have a crate for the little guy, he actually loves going in there, and only wines when its time for him to go outside, I just wish he didnt wake up every morning at 6AM, whats the point of a alarm clock haha. I have a basic idea of training, but Im still going to take him to a training class around 4-5 months, I just want to make sure he is completely healthy and everything before I take him. He loves meeting new people and other dogs, loves the attention people give him, and Im glad he does since socializing is difficult for some GSD's. 

Again thanks for the information, Im going Tuesday to pick up some BB Large Breed food and start the slow process of switching foods.


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