Getting a Lab pup in about 3 weeks and I am curious as to what everyone feeds their pups and for how long do you keep them on the puppy food?

Right now they just started eating their puppy mush which is Eukanuba. I had a conversation at a pet store the other day and was told there are a couple key things to look for. One, corn should not be one of the first 4 or 5 ingredients, if it is, you are paying for too much filler. Two, the meat should be identified as being beef, chicken or lamb, it should not just say meat or bone as this is lesser quality, and third if possible it should be some sort of meat "meal" as your not paying for water weight then. He basically destroyed their own brand that they sold touting it as junk. After talking to him and looking at a bunch of different brands, I was amazed at how many have corn as either the first or second ingredient. He pointed me towards Nutro Natural or a Diamond product.

What are your thoughts, was he right on or was it BS, and what do YOU feed?

For awhile, keep the pup on the food the breeder uses and slowly wean over to a better food. Just make sure the food is for "Large Breed" puppies.
I like Euk alright, Diamond is good and Eagle Pack is probably the best for most.



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I am glad my dogs didn't take to Eukanuba, but, if you check them out there is a few other good ones as well. Myself I stick with Eagle Pack and have had no problems.I also find the price a bit high but, they appear to eat less of it then the other cheaper stuff. I also use some hi-strung dogs as well though and preffer a higher fat content to keep their weight up. Getting a good dog food helps keep their hair good as well as helps them digest food better. But, whatever you decide good luck to you.

We feed our dogs (Choc/Blk labs) Innova, it's supposed be great stuff and we're happy with our dogs coats, etc. It was stressed to me be by both my breeder as well as the vet to get them off puppy by 6 months and switch to adult food. The protein is actually too high or something and the pups grow too fast and can wind up having joint problems. A rather extreme expample I've seen of this that made me a believer was my neighbor's New Foundland. They fed this bull something like 12 cups a day, and at age 5, he has severe joint problems and can't go up and down stairs. My10 year old labweighs 95 lbs and can still jump up in the back of the truck. My wife and I are pretty strict with their diet, mealtime comes twice a day, and the dogs eat dog food, nota #3 on the value menu.We've had nothing but great results doing just what I described.

I would keep the lab pup on your choice of puppy food for a minimum of 12 months.

All Dog Food as A Whole is better now than it was 30 years ago.
It is really a matter of what is available and how much you are willing to spend for what you want.
The best dog food i ever fed was Euk.
I will not ever feed it or buy anything from them again.
They supported the HSUS and PETA
I Fed Diamond untill they killed dogs
Again I will never feed or buy anything from Diamond.
Purina makes a good solid product and has been around along time.
If you can not feed pro plan feed something from them. They do a great job supporting our sport and has never let bad feed go out.

how old should they be when u start to feed the pup soild puppy chow? ?????

I second that. I fed my older dog pro plan for 8 or 9 years and never had a problem or heard a bad word about it.

For whatever reason, choosing a food is a difficult decision to make.When we got our pup a little over a year ago, I asked and asked, and asked around in search of the perfect food (just wondering if there was some new development I'd missed, or there was something better) and it seems that hardly anyone is ever in agreement.Both the vet and the local store we use suggested we read the labels and pay particular attention to the top5 ingredients just as you said. Best of luck to you and puppy!

That is where I got my advise from and the kennel they came from as well.

That's ONLY true if you are feeding a "regular" puppy food. Large Breed Puppy Foods are specifically designed to prevent problems such as you have described (lower protien lower fat and lower minerals).

Large breed puppy food for at least 12 months -- then on to adult food.



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