# best puppy food



## krystina alayne (Jun 23, 2011)

I have a 14 wk old border collie/lab/walker hound mix that ive been feeding Taste of the Wild - High Prairie formula to for the past month. He doesn't seem to care for it much [he misses the sugary, corn-based crap he got when he was younger, and I suspect he thinks the venison is too gamey], but he will eat it. The store clerk recommended me this particular formula because of the higher protein content. She said puppies need more protein, especially since they're so active.
Well, Winston is not the most active puppy. In fact, he sleeps and lounges a lot more than he plays, and when he does play, it's never even enough to get him winded. I know he still needs protein to grow, but I've heard that large-breed dogs benefit from a lower protein diet so they can grow slower, thus avoid developmental bone and joint issues. It's a toss-up if Winston is going to be medium sized like his mom [border collie] or a bit bigger like his dad [lab, walker hound]. 
Should I play it safe and use a lower-protein formula or stick with a higher one since he is a puppy, and growing very fast?

Also, I hear that Blue Buffalo has a new puppy formula for their Wilderness style food. Is it any good? What is the price compared to Taste of the Wild [15lb bag for ~$26]?


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## kafkabeetle (Dec 4, 2009)

I'm not certain about the protein levels because I've never raised a large breed dog. But I think there is something about the calcium/phosphorus ratio which is also important, so I would research that. Hopefully someone more knowledgeable about the dietary needs of large breed puppies will come along. DJEtzel and Xeph are the first people that come to mind who might be able to give you more information on that.

I also don't know anything about the new puppy formula, but I can tell you that BB Wilderness is significantly more expensive than TOTW. Or it was last time I checked, because I was thinking about using it in my rotation and had some major sticker shock, lol.


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## Kathyy (Jun 15, 2008)

It isn't to any puppy's advantage to grow fast and it is the calcium and phosphorus that tend to make bones grow fast. Also limit the food so puppy grows lean rather than chubby.

Here is a short article with further reading.
http://www.dogaware.com/diet/commercial.html#puppies


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## FuSchniken (May 5, 2011)

Eagle Pack/Holistic Select Large Breed Puppy, Fromm Gold LBP, Blue Buffalo LBP, Wellness Super5mix LBP, and Canidae ALS, and Diamond Naturals LBP are all good foods for a large breed pup. I picked in order what I would probably feed off the top of my head.

For grain-free I'd go Orijen LBP, Blue Wilderness Puppy I BELIEVE has decent levels of calcium/phosphorous, or Taste of the Wild Sierra Mountain.

I'm sure there are many other decent foods I have missed but let's face it if researching this over and over will eventually just leave you exasperated.

Note: I intentionally left out brands bought out by Proctor & Gamble. Also, if pup isn't going to get too big the regular puppy version applies to all except the ToTW in which case I'd still feed the same.


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## Merle-velous (Jun 19, 2011)

i feed TOTW to both of my dogs, great dane and australian shepherd. i rotate between all of the formulas and just switch them cold turkey when its a new formulas turn. 

as for the protein levels, if the protein comes from a meat source rather than a different source, the levels arent that important. 9think about people who feed raw, and how much protein that is) its the calcium and phosphorus levels that shouldnt be too high, and you should never supplement with calcium.

anyways, if you like TOTW, try rotating flavors. it may add a little interest in your pups appetite  i even know people who feed their dogs different formulas every week. HTH!!


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## Willowy (Dec 10, 2007)

I don't think a Lab/BC/Hound mix is going to get big enough to have to worry about all of that. That's mostly a worry with the really big dogs (100#+). TOTW should be just fine .


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## krystina alayne (Jun 23, 2011)

Thanks everybody for the input. :] I just want to give my baby the best kibble until I can get him on raw food. I got the salmon formula from TotW [BB was out of my price range, unfortunately, and I didnt see many other affordable brands that had grain-free and a non-chicken based protein source]. He seems to like this and his coat is super soft.


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## carolspets (Jun 9, 2009)

Krystina: I have found a good compromise between store bought food and raw, with an easy homemade diet. The nutrition coach who suggested it now has made a video: http://bit.ly/m7i4Sv I use this as a base recipe and add meats that I find on sale. My dog is not a large breed but does great on this. I know someone who raised a pup (lab/shepherd mix...or so told by shelter...who knows-looks kind of like a collie face to me with gray/blue coloring) on this diet exclusively plus added some meaty bones just a couple times a month for a treat. Her dog is now 74 lbs. and about a year old and SUPER healthy. No skin issues, weight issues, no shedding (and his coat is medium length like a shepherd or short coated border collie with those tufts on the back legs). It's worth a look. I also know people who combine this recipe with kibble. I don't use the carbs in the recipe because my dog is not real active either.


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## kathylcsw (Jul 4, 2011)

I will be bringing my new Jack Russell Terrier puppy home on July 23 and am planning on starting her with Simply Nourish from Pet Smart. I had always fed my dogs regular dog food - Alpo and Pedigree - and thought I was doing right by them. In June I had to have my almost 4 year old mixed breed put down due to renal failure and my almost 14 year old JRT put down for the same thing 19 days later. I guess I wouldn't blame the dog food but I do wonder if I didn't somehow contribute to their deaths. 

I have done a lot of research and used Dog Food Advisor to figure out the best food I can afford to feed the puppy and my 7 year old Corgi mix. I will be starting to transition Foxy, the Corgi mix, this weekend from Pedigree to Simply Nourish so that she will be totally on that when Lily comes home. Unfortunately the breeder feeds Ol Roy (yeah I know but what can I do?). I wish I could just cold turkey switch her as soon as I bring her home but figure that would be hard on her little tummy.

Any thoughts on Simply Nourish? Any guidance on quickly moving her off Ol Roy when I bring her home?


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## kafkabeetle (Dec 4, 2009)

kathylcsw said:


> I will be bringing my new Jack Russell Terrier puppy home on July 23 and am planning on starting her with Simply Nourish from Pet Smart. I had always fed my dogs regular dog food - Alpo and Pedigree - and thought I was doing right by them. In June I had to have my almost 4 year old mixed breed put down due to renal failure and my almost 14 year old JRT put down for the same thing 19 days later. I guess I wouldn't blame the dog food but I do wonder if I didn't somehow contribute to their deaths.
> 
> I have done a lot of research and used Dog Food Advisor to figure out the best food I can afford to feed the puppy and my 7 year old Corgi mix. I will be starting to transition Foxy, the Corgi mix, this weekend from Pedigree to Simply Nourish so that she will be totally on that when Lily comes home. Unfortunately the breeder feeds Ol Roy (yeah I know but what can I do?). I wish I could just cold turkey switch her as soon as I bring her home but figure that would be hard on her little tummy.
> 
> Any thoughts on Simply Nourish? Any guidance on quickly moving her off Ol Roy when I bring her home?


I just looked up the ingredients for Simply Nourish and it seems fine. I'd feed it or similar foods if I ever needed to go with a grain-inclusive food again. Right now I feed Taste of the Wild and I think it has crazy good ingredients for the price.


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## kathylcsw (Jul 4, 2011)

Simply Nourish got a 4 star rating on Dog Food Advisor which is why I am going to try it. I may eventually try TOTW but at almost $5 more per bag I want to try the one that costs less first. I am feeding (or will be once Lily comes) 2 dogs, 2 cats, and a 10 year old boy. I spend a lot of money on food! 

I am also going to give Diamond Naturals and 4Health a trial at some point. I think it is good to mix up the food occasionally to add variety.


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## kafkabeetle (Dec 4, 2009)

kathylcsw said:


> Simply Nourish got a 4 star rating on Dog Food Advisor which is why I am going to try it. I may eventually try TOTW but at almost $5 more per bag I want to try the one that costs less first. I am feeding (or will be once Lily comes) 2 dogs, 2 cats, and a 10 year old boy. I spend a lot of money on food!
> 
> I am also going to give Diamond Naturals and 4Health a trial at some point. I think it is good to mix up the food occasionally to add variety.


Fair enough. Those are all good, moderately priced foods. You might also look into Whole Earth Farms. It's Merrick's economy brand. Costco also makes a food called Kirkland which is supposed to be reasonably priced. I think rotating foods is a good idea as well.


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## BrittanieJo (Sep 23, 2010)

krystina alayne said:


> Thanks everybody for the input. :] I just want to give my baby the best kibble until I can get him on raw food. I got the salmon formula from TotW [BB was out of my price range, unfortunately, and I didnt see many other affordable brands that had grain-free and a non-chicken based protein source]. He seems to like this and his coat is super soft.


If you go to BB website you can get 5 dollar off coupons and if you write the companies they will often send some!


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## luvntzus (Mar 16, 2007)

IMO Orijen is probably the best kibble, but I'm sure it doesn't work for all dogs. Other good choices that I can think of off the top of my head:

Wellness
Fromm 4 star
Holistic Select
Blue Buffalo
Taste of the Wild
Chicken Soup for the Dog Lover's Soul
Merrick
Natural Balance
Halo


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## krystina alayne (Jun 23, 2011)

kathylcsw: 
I understand wanting to stay within the budget.. but you may as well try the cheapest dog food around first if cost means more than nutrition. With either Simply Nourish or Kibbles-n-Bits, your dog is going to seem to be fine and dandy eating it for years and years, and you'd be none the wiser of the internal malfunctions going on.
BUT, I think Simply Nourish is a good choice, though. I just don't like the rice and oatmeal.. I am a huge believer in a grain-free diet for carnivores. Hell, humans would be better off without grains, too.
I just want you to make sure you'll feel confident about picking your dog's food and not regret it later on. 
Also, if you are very concerned about the puppy's current diet, a quick transition probably wouldn't hurt her too bad. I know not all dogs are the same, but when I got my puppy, I immediately switched him cold-turkey from Ol'Roy to Kibbles-n-Bits for a few days and his digestive system did fine. Then I switched to Taste of the Wild, and he did fine that time, too.


Also, Costco has not only their store brand but also Nature's Domain dog food. It's economy priced and grain free, although it isn't as high quality as a more expensive food [go figure]. The Costco brand does have grains, as well as beet pulp and yeast. Still, it's better than Walmart food. Good choice to include in a rotation diet.


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## kafkabeetle (Dec 4, 2009)

krystina alayne said:


> kathylcsw:
> I understand wanting to stay within the budget.. but you may as well try the cheapest dog food around first if cost means more than nutrition. With either Simply Nourish or Kibbles-n-Bits, your dog is going to seem to be fine and dandy eating it for years and years, and you'd be none the wiser of the internal malfunctions going on.
> BUT, I think Simply Nourish is a good choice, though. I just don't like the rice and oatmeal.. I am a huge believer in a grain-free diet for carnivores. Hell, humans would be better off without grains, too.
> I just want you to make sure you'll feel confident about picking your dog's food and not regret it later on.
> Also, if you are very concerned about the puppy's current diet, a quick transition probably wouldn't hurt her too bad. I know not all dogs are the same, but when I got my puppy, I immediately switched him cold-turkey from Ol'Roy to Kibbles-n-Bits for a few days and his digestive system did fine. Then I switched to Taste of the Wild, and he did fine that time, too.


If a dog isn't allergic to grains I see no problem with feeding a grain-inclusive food, especially when the grains are nice ones like oatmeal. Remember, grain-free foods are still generally 50%ish carbohydrates, it's just that the carbs are coming from things like sweet potatoes, regular potatoes and peas--things which are no more appropriate for a carnivore than grains.


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## krystina alayne (Jun 23, 2011)

Dogs in the wild are more apt to dig up potatoes and and yams than they are to eat barley grass or rice plants.. Starch is bad, too, but I think they are the lesser evil when compared to grains. Like I mentioned, humans shouldn't even be eating grain..


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## kathylcsw (Jul 4, 2011)

krystina alayne said:


> kathylcsw:
> I understand wanting to stay within the budget.. but you may as well try the cheapest dog food around first if cost means more than nutrition. With either Simply Nourish or Kibbles-n-Bits, your dog is going to seem to be fine and dandy eating it for years and years, and you'd be none the wiser of the internal malfunctions going on.
> BUT, I think Simply Nourish is a good choice, though. I just don't like the rice and oatmeal.. I am a huge believer in a grain-free diet for carnivores. Hell, humans would be better off without grains, too.
> I just want you to make sure you'll feel confident about picking your dog's food and not regret it later on.
> ...




I have re-read my post because I was pretty sure that I did not state that cost was more important to me than nutrition. As I also noted I researched dog food on the dog food adviser website where they rank dog foods from 1 star to 5 star with 5 star being the best. Dog foods rated 4 star, like Simply Nourish, are still highly recommended and can in no way be realistically compared to Kibbles-n-Bits. I actually found that to be a tad insulting by the way. 

I love my dogs as much as anyone on here and if I could afford a 5 star dog food then that would certainly have it. However being a single parent without child support and having a mortgage and student loans it just isn't feasible. My JRT lived for almost 14 healthy, happy years having never been given anything other than Pedigree because I didn't know better. So no regrets from me for what she was fed and I am comfortable with feeding my new puppy and older dog a 4 star rated dog food with real meat thrown in on a regular basis. I envy those who can afford to feed their pets the highest quality dog food without regard to price I'm just not one of them


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## DaisyDukeCS (Jul 10, 2011)

Legacy and Now are great brands and they both have puppy formulas. Legacy is a family owned business with the majority of their meats and ingredients being sourced from within 100km of the facility. Now is a grain free brand, also Canadian, that's well known and respected.


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