# Puppy Food (German Shepherd)



## taraliz (Aug 10, 2008)

Little Harvey is 6 weeks old and has come off milky meals as of yesterday, which is doing his tummy much better.
He has been and is still on Burns mini bites (softened a little with boiled water).
Mac our yorkie is also on burns mini bites and Barney the sprocker is on Burns adult. 

I have to admit though it looks to most boring uninteresting and unappetising food they have ever had and I can only get the big dogs to eat it if I mix in a teaspoonfull of cat food.

I want to keep all the dogs on biscuits and especially the puppy and dont mind mixing in a little meat so wondered what everyone else has their pedigree GSD's on ? Wet or Dry.

Im going to try and get samples of royal canin, james wellbeloved (which mac has had before) and hills for the puppy but as we're almost out of minibites, rather than getting another bag i'd like to get him started on one brand.

If anyone has any advice at all about food let me know.
Im very concious of what they all eat.

Thanks !
T


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## linda.t (Sep 28, 2007)

may i ask why he's still not with is mum


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## Shell195 (May 31, 2007)

taraliz said:


> Little Harvey is 6 weeks old and has come off milky meals as of yesterday, which is doing his tummy much better.
> He has been and is still on Burns mini bites (softened a little with boiled water).
> Mac our yorkie is also on burns mini bites and Barney the sprocker is on Burns adult.
> 
> ...


My friend breeds and shows GSD and all her puppies are on Large breed puppy kibble by the time they are 6 weeks old. They are weaned onto the small breed puppy (soaked in water and gradually dried off) and never get milky food other than the feeds they get off their mother

Large breed puppy food is made especially to help with growing joints and bones without forcing growth

Heres the link for the food she feeds and a link to her GSD site

www.franksprogold.co.uk
www.avinjasgsd.com


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## basky (Dec 11, 2006)

i feed mine (10months old) on royal canine german shepherd junior and ppl always comment on how good her coat is. not had any trouble with it. can pick you a bag up tomorrow if you like. not many places do it. i'm near stone and get mine from nantwich way.


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## taraliz (Aug 10, 2008)

linda.t said:


> may i ask why he's still not with is mum


You may ask yes and he is not with his mum because she stopped feeding all 7 pups just before they were 3 weeks old and becuase I have 2 other dogs for him to pack with and learn from and also becuase I was a veterinary nurse for 4 years and hand reared my own pups the breeder let me bring him home. 
My other half is home all day so he has constant compnay too.
He was also the biggest in the litter and is a good size for his age, 10 inch to shoulder
His mum wansnt too interested in them (her first litter) and their dad was massive and somewhat clumsy.

All factors considered I knew he would be better off with one to one care than in a litter of 7.

:2thumb:


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## taraliz (Aug 10, 2008)

basky said:


> i feed mine (10months old) on royal canine german shepherd junior and ppl always comment on how good her coat is. not had any trouble with it. can pick you a bag up tomorrow if you like. not many places do it. i'm near stone and get mine from nantwich way.


 
Think he still needs a puppy food, but thanks anyway !
Would love to see photos of your girl !


Maybe we could go to GSD puppy school together ... plan on taking Harvey as soon as his allowed out.


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## basky (Dec 11, 2006)

heres my girl 


















she's been on royal canine since she was 8 weeks. it's puppy food upto 18months. 

i go to lynn collier in oulton just outside stone. she used to be the german shepherd training school so very good with gsd's. can give you her number if you like.


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## Shell195 (May 31, 2007)

That explains the milky food then:2thumb:


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## tigger79 (Aug 22, 2006)

The breeder i got Bailey my GSD, from uses Arden Grange puppy and junior food, its soaked over night to allow to soften, 

This is the best nutrtional valued food she has found and has used it for most of the 14 years she has been breeding, 

after checking all the foods in the shop i have found that jollies own brand is the same nutritionally and half the price.


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## Athravan (Dec 28, 2006)

I use James Wellbeloved German Shepherd Diet - this is also what she was on but the puppy version when younger. It is specially formulated (or so it says) for the GSD and different breeds do have different nutritional makeups.

My GSD had problems when I moved her onto a cheaper commercial complete dry food - skin problems, itchy and sensitive skin and a rash - and was told it was most likely wheat or other food intolerances very common in german shepherds. Since switching her over her coat and skin quality has just improved 100%, her coat is really thick and glossy now and she has had no more skin irritation at all.

As a pup I soaked her food in water, but she has never had wet food on any regular basis, sometimes I give her a little bit as a treat but it's pretty rare.

I think nutritionally any brand that has researched the needs of a GSD and formulated a breed specific is likely to be pretty good - but just check the nutritional values and compare to other breed specific foods, they are often the more "expensive" brands as opposed to supermarket shelf brands but it's well worth it.


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## Shelley66 (Feb 19, 2007)

Mine is on a raw meat and bone diet, she has been on that since her breeder started weaning her.... She isn't spoilt, but she had salmon tonight!!!

When she was really small the breeder minced all the meat and bones up, but by the time she was 5 weeks old she was chewing bones and eating chicken wings.

I used to use Royal Canin for all my dogs, but they have all gone onto raw as I don't like all the additives etc that commercial food has in it, I think it causes cancer 

Here is my gorgeous girl... She is 11 months old, she is the apple of my eye


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## taraliz (Aug 10, 2008)

wow great advice everyone
I have always liked james wellbeloved but Burns is always recomended
Still unsure.

How do you make a raw meat diet?
Is it ok for my yorkie and sprocker too?
Does it work out more expensive than a good brand dry food?

t


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## taraliz (Aug 10, 2008)

Shelley66 said:


> Mine is on a raw meat and bone diet, she has been on that since her breeder started weaning her.... She isn't spoilt, but she had salmon tonight!!!
> 
> When she was really small the breeder minced all the meat and bones up, but by the time she was 5 weeks old she was chewing bones and eating chicken wings.
> 
> ...


She is stunning
Maybe we should have an RFUK GSD club for us lot in and arround Staffs to get together once in a while with out babies (though I got to wait until June first before my little guys paws can touch the ground ! ... can still be cuddled though !) xx


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## basky (Dec 11, 2006)

lol that'd be a good idea


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## taraliz (Aug 10, 2008)

taraliz said:


> She is stunning
> Maybe we should have an RFUK GSD club for us lot in and arround Staffs to get together once in a while with out babies (though I got to wait until June first before my little guys paws can touch the ground ! ... can still be cuddled though !) xx


 
I meant with OUR babies, not without ! but you all knew that right! lol


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## Shell195 (May 31, 2007)

Now I feel left out:bash: I live in Lancs :lol2:
Heres my remaining girl 6 year old Karla and also a pic of the 3 Sheps I owned(inc Karla) before I lost my old girl Ginny to age and my young boy Mitch to sudden death:devil:


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## LisaLQ (Jan 29, 2009)

I've no advice just wanted to come and say - what beautiful GSDs everyone. I've always wanted one, but now I'm no good on my legs any more, they'd be too much work for me. So instead I gaze from afar and wish things were different!

Not sure how good this is for a GSD, as I've only ever had greys/lurchers and a dane, but my dogs with sensitive tums did/do really well on Skinners Field and Trial Duck and Rice. Recently tried the Salmon and Rice version but Blu's coat lost condition. It's much cheaper than Burns and Wellbeloved, and yet (IMO) just as good. Ingredients wise, it's all natural and there's much less in it than in other foods (eg that ingredients list is half the length!).

We tried raw, homecooked and _many_ other dried foods, but this is the only one that doesn't set off Blu's allergies (and worked wonders with Sky before she passed away too).

Other good ones are CSJ, Autarky, Gilpa Kennel and Chudleys (apparently the Chudley's Choice salmon and veg one is faberoonie if you can find anywhere that sells it).


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## LoveForLizards (Apr 20, 2008)

taraliz said:


> wow great advice everyone
> I have always liked james wellbeloved but Burns is always recomended
> Still unsure.
> 
> ...


Raw feeding guide:
So you are interested in feeding raw ... - Raw Food Diet Forum

Raw feeding info:
RawFed.com Home Page

The myths of raw feeding:
The Many Myths of Raw Feeding


: victory:


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## LoveForLizards (Apr 20, 2008)

More links...

Info:
Raw Feeding

"Why?":
Untitled Document


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## taraliz (Aug 10, 2008)

Shell195 said:


> Now I feel left out:bash: I live in Lancs :lol2:
> thats ok you can take a day trip ! x


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## taraliz (Aug 10, 2008)

LoveForLizards said:


> Raw feeding guide:
> So you are interested in feeding raw ... - Raw Food Diet Forum
> 
> Raw feeding info:
> ...


 
wow looks complicated ! will save that for bedtime !
Thanks


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## cpiggott22 (Apr 1, 2009)

basky said:


> heres my girl
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I'm afraid I don't have anything useful to add to this thread *sorry!* but I just had to say how amazingly stunning this girl is! I actually held my breath when I saw her. The one in the bottom pic on the left looks quite a lot like my girl Zara (GSD2000 rescue):










(excuse the saggy skin- she used to be 2 stone overweight!)


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## basky (Dec 11, 2006)

:notworthy: awh thanks very much. she means the world to me


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## taraliz (Aug 10, 2008)

Right well just been to my local lady who does all sorts of good foods and she recomended Arden Grange large breed puppy food for Harvey. Said to feed him 2 meals softened with boiled water and 2 just biscuits. She also recomended it for my other 2 dogs as Barney is now 9 and needs extra joint care and Mac's little legs and hips are suffering even though he's only 6.

Going to go get some tomorrow while I take him in to show him off !

x


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