Dog Foods

[Shadowlawnskysthelimit]

You guys and gals who have hunting dogs; what brand of food are you using ?
We have been doing the whole natural food for the first time. Cooking Chicken, Beef, Turkey and adding yams, apples, bananas, beans, and vegetables in different combinations. We did this to stay away from the highly processed foods.
But after almost a year the Warden is getting burnt out on the prep time and is reconsidering dry kibble.
We fed the last two Labs Eukanuba and they were healthy. Hell growing up the folks fed all of our dogs Ol Roy, Dad used to buy it at the Western Auto store near the house.
Anyhoo what are you guys feeding and why ???

 

[Creeping Death]

Diamond naturals, the red bag. If they're out, the blue bag. Dogs are alive and healthy so we have that going for us...which is nice.

 

[NBK]

We feed our hunting dogs "Taste of the Wild" and supplement it with sweet potatoes and other vegetables and fruits. My Diesel loves when he gets blueberries with his kibble. Anyway we switch it up but always use the "Taste of the Wild" as the base. We use the Salmon version more often than the others. The dogs never itch and scratch and their stools are healthy.

 

[Aeon]

Purina pro sport 30/20

switched from the fancy more expensive stuff when i got chip. The trials guys swear by it and seems to work great!

 

[Snake Charmer]

So many good foods out there, Most folks don't know this but most foods are produced by just a few priducers and they make it to the sellers desired formula. The responses I have read are good but you will pay for it dollar wise. Do they need that ? I won't take sides, you will have to decide. Dogs are family so every owner wants to do best by their family member. My wife who trained dogs all her life experimented with it all, raw, home made, high end commercial etc... want to know where we ended up ? Costco in whatever formula your dog likes best. To this day it is the go to we use at the kennel unless the owner wants to supply their own while we kennel their dog for the four month training cycle. I've never seen a dog that came in suffer or lose performance from the switch from the owner high end cost food to the Costco brand and we run the owners dogs far more than they would on a daily training basis. Bottomline for us is unless your dog has some sort of special requirement maybe you should do some home work on the formullas and take a good look at what is in all these foods. P.S Don't feed them Ol'Roy not so good....

 

[ilovesprig]

I used Ol' Roy for years, but my Wal-Marts no longer carry the High Pro...Switched to Pedigree High Pro (red meat)...My boys hunt hard, live long, and seem to be happy with this choice.

ps...Just bought some today...44 lbs was around 25 bucks...Today, $33.00.......

 

[Designed2Hunt]

I have done a lot of research on the topic, but don't claim to know it all and there is no substitute for experience. Most "experts" say that you dont need a 30/20 unless you have a high performance "guide dog" (Like that one that @HATCHET1 runs ) that's doing 20-30 retrieves per day at least 3-4 times per week; otherwise, the dog can be over-weight and you are wasting money. If a dog is hunting more than 3-4 days a week, especially in freezing weather, feed a 30/20 (protein/fat) performance food. Switch a dog to performance food 8 weeks before the aforementioned activity level (i.e., the season). Gradual transition is not necessary for most dogs. And if they are not doing the same level of effort in the off season, switch to something less (~26/16). The first ingredient should be meat. Chicken fat is most metabolized if your dog is not allergic to it. 20% chicken fat, at least least 30% animal protein. Whole grains are fine after that if your dogs not allergic. Glucosamine for joints. DHA (omega 3 fatty acid) for brain and vision development (brain, cerebral cortex, skin, and retina). Plenty of reputable sources on the internet and YT. Look up what the Iditarod Trail Sled Dogs eat. That's probably the peak of dog science.

That being said and with history as a guide, my dad used to feed our dogs the cheapest Walmart stuff and our GR's typ went 15 strong, happy, healthy yrs. Now he does Purina ONE Natural Dry Dog Food, SmartBlend Chicken & Rice Formula. My dog is a different story.

 

[HATCHET1]

Well..we are talking birds here...so...I digress..LOL..

 

[GUNDOGLOVER49]

I have feed all my dog the same food for 40+ years now. I always add a little extra just to give them some variety, pumpkin, cottage cheese, my wife's idea, bacon beef dripping, maybe a little chicken, beef or Elk. I feed them science diet. Axl got a 8 oz rib eye steak for his 13 birthday. first GSP I have had to make it to 13. He still acts like a kid, full of piss and vinegar, so the saying goes.

 

[Aeon]

i would agree 100% if you have a lazy house dog that does the wister 7 or is that 3.5 average twice a year you can feed them any half way decent food. Hate to say it but that is most hunting dogs

mine get run a lot, runs and walks with the hen as a routine.

In the off season i do a day or two a week of simple work when temps allow. as we get closer i step that up to 3 to 4 times a week with very long retrieves. once a day feedings in the evening during hunting season. zero weight gain or loss. some dogs have to get a lot of birds so no prob with the 30/20

 

[Snake Charmer]

Gun dogs are like performance horses you feed them what they need when they need it during the season and how you are working them. When you are not training cut back because they don't need it. When you run them hard give them the nutrition they need bottom line. We carry gel tube protein in the field during the day when they need a quick recharge. Not taking sides just telling you what my wife taught me and what I was taught by her over the past 28 years she trained bird dogs and taught me. These days keeping a dog healthy is easy with what is available commecially if you do a little home work. Treats and special foods are more about the owner than what the dog needs, Thats an owner loves their dog thing from what I have learned...

 

[Designed2Hunt]

I have done a lot of research on the topic, but don't claim to know it all and there is no substitute for experience. Most "experts" say that you dont need a 30/20 unless you have a high performance "guide dog" (Like that one that @HATCHET1 runs ) that's doing 20-30 retrieves per day at least 3-4 times per week; otherwise, the dog can be over-weight and you are wasting money. If a dog is hunting more than 3-4 days a week, especially in freezing weather, feed a 30/20 (protein/fat) performance food. Switch a dog to performance food 8 weeks before the aforementioned activity level (i.e., the season). Gradual transition is not necessary for most dogs. And if they are not doing the same level of effort in the off season, switch to something less (~26/16). The first ingredient should be meat. Chicken fat is most metabolized if your dog is not allergic to it. 20% chicken fat, at least least 30% animal protein. Whole grains are fine after that if your dogs not allergic. Glucosamine for joints. DHA (omega 3 fatty acid) for brain and vision development (brain, cerebral cortex, skin, and retina). Plenty of reputable sources on the internet and YT. Look up what the Iditarod Trail Sled Dogs eat. That's probably the peak of dog science.

That being said and with history as a guide, my dad used to feed our dogs the cheapest Walmart stuff and our GR's typ went 15 strong, happy, healthy yrs. Now he does Purina ONE Natural Dry Dog Food, SmartBlend Chicken & Rice Formula. My dog is a different story.

PS
Read the AAFCO standard, I found it informative. FDA also regulates dog food; not sure why (read sarcasm ). Dog food is divided into life stages: puppy, adult, senior, all life stage, etc. Labs, and most large breeds, can be fed a puppy food until 18 months. Foods are either designed for dogs under or over 70 lbs. Read the label and find out if uts appropriate for your dogs weight. Learn how to read a dog's shape in realtion to their healthy weight; plenty of diagrams online. Then feed your dog accordingly. Lots of sausage dogs out there being over fed.

 

[Designed2Hunt]

i would agree 100% if you have a lazy house dog that does the wister 7 or is that 3.5 average twice a year you can feed them any half way decent food. Hate to say it but that is most hunting dogs

mine get run a lot, runs and walks with the hen as a routine.

In the off season i do a day or two a week of simple work when temps allow. as we get closer i step that up to 3 to 4 times a week with very long retrieves. once a day feedings in the evening during hunting season. zero weight gain or loss. some dogs have to get a lot of birds so no prob with the 30/20




View attachment 55396

3.5??? You've been in Mexico to long. Pray for a 2.0.

 

[Snake Charmer]

i would agree 100% if you have a lazy house dog that does the wister 7 or is that 3.5 average twice a year you can feed them any half way decent food. Hate to say it but that is most hunting dogs

mine get run a lot, runs and walks with the hen as a routine.

In the off season i do a day or two a week of simple work when temps allow. as we get closer i step that up to 3 to 4 times a week with very long retrieves. once a day feedings in the evening during hunting season. zero weight gain or loss. some dogs have to get a lot of birds so no prob with the 30/20




View attachment 55396

My wife apprenticed under Bodo Winterhelt (look him up ) one of the cofounders of NAHHDA (not about you retriever guys just versatile dogs that do more, no insult intended in any way.) Bodo was a German immigrant that came over after WW2. My wife met him in the mid 90's when he and another colleague formed the organization. She spent over a year with him on a daily basis apprenticing to his skills. Food was always supplied but if the dog had a poor day of compliance to trainng maybe not so much to eat if at all ( alpha role of the trainer). Bodo was hard core but point being to train a dog to the standard you want the dog must respect you as alpha. Bottom line if you want a good dog spend time and train them properly and frequently. As a trainer I look at dogs by how they behave when I handle them and because they are with me for many months but limited I watch their weight and behavior and adjust as I see that they need it but I cut no slack until the dog submits and understands its place in the pack and every owner should do the same on whatever scale works with their pup. Dogs are and will always be better athletes better than us so If you want to wear a dog out make them think . Conditioning only makes the strong not smart

 

[Rocked and Loaded]

Buck’s been on purina pro plan sport his whole life. Chicken and rice 30/20.

He likes it and his health has been good. He’s on full speed all the time (he won’t walk somewhere if he can run there at full speed ) and has always been pretty lean. No issues at the vet.

The food isn’t cheap compared to others but I figure at the rate he eats it, it’s not all that much compared to people food.

The good eukanuba and purina lines seem to be the most well regarded online for hunting dogs.