Dog food survey

Sorry but I don't understand what point you are trying to make. What would it prove to blindly feed any amount of food? If I see my dogs gaining weight and don't make some changes to their diet and exercise that just makes me look stupid.

I am changing foods to improve my dogs health. I don't care what brand of food it is I am not going to make my dogs fat. I am not going to throw common sense out the door based on the brand name on a bag of dog food. Quality nutrition, portion control and exercise are required to keep dogs at a healthy weight and condition.

Due to the oppressive summer heat here in Texas I scale back the amount I feed in the summer and then as the weather cools (soon I hope) I increase the portions for each dog. Currently I am feeding 1 cup to my oldest dog (a spayed female weighing around 45lbs) and 1 1/2 cups to my youngest dog (35 lbs). I would not be surprised for those amounts to double during hunting season.

you have 3 dogs that you let run for 30-50 min every other day
you are feeding them 3 cups a day

feed them 3 cups of purina pro plan performance at the same time with the same excersize- 3 months later- see if your dogs lost weight

btw- I think my 4 Britt's would die on one cup a day
 
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you have 3 dogs that you let run for 30-50 min every other day
you are feeding them 3 cups a day

feed them 3 cups of purina pro plan performance at the same time with the same excersize- 3 months later- see if your dogs lost weight

btw- I think my 4 Britt's would die on one cup a day

I understand the process but not the "thinking" behind it.
 
I have been feeding my dogs Purina One dry for 12 years. It's 26% crude protein and 16% crude fat, good percentages. It gets the lowest rating on the website. I remember when I took my Brittany, Sport, to the vet the first time. He was one. The vet walks in the examination room, gives him the once over, and says, "Wow. I don't know what you're feeding him, but he is ALL MUSCLE." And he was. When I said Purina One dry, the vet said nothing. My second vet asked the other day what I feed Gus, and said nothing when I told him. Both vets sold Science Diet. My dogs stools are perfect, they have tremendous field endurance and overall robust health. Best of all, you can buy Purina One dry at any Walmart or local grocery store so you never have to stress your dog by feeding a different brand when you're caught short on the road or a hunting trip. I do not intend to change.

I'm with you BC. My wife works at a vet office, for a vet that happens to do field trials. He feeds his dogs some higher energy food that costs WAY too much for me. He confessed that there is no need in feeding my dogs what he feeds his. We hunt together so he would've come right out and told me that what I was feeding my dogs was total BS if that's really the way he felt about our choice.

We closely monitor our dogs' health and stool and have for years. We've switched a few times, but we've landed on a variety of Purina that is available anywhere. They're all very healthy and fit to boot.

I looked closely at this survey. They've highlighted some goofy stuff in there if you ask me. Someone is trying to sell us dog owners on something and I'm not buying it;)
 
This summer I've been feeding my 8 year old female Brittany 1 1/2 cups per day and my 2 year old female Brittany 1 3/4 cups per day. I had them at the vet the other day and they have both gained 1 1/2 - 2 lbs. over the summer. The 8 year old doesn't get a lot of exercise but my 2 year old does. I take her running with my bicycle 2-3 times a week and she does 6 miles at a 12-15 mph pace. Pulls me the first couple miles. All dogs are different so you have to adjust the amount of food according to the dog.

BTW, my step-son has 2 Brittanys and he has switched from ProPlan to Purina One and the dogs are doing just fine. Really can't see any difference except in his pocketbook.
 
i have been feeding diamond hypro for years @ 1 1/2 cup a day and my dogs still get fat in the off season. pump up the portion in season as needed.
 
i will say Purina dog food is not all the same, Beneful, for instance, is really a poor quality food. i fed it to my dogs one summer and they shit like racehorses and couldn't eat enough to fill themselves. their coat quality was poor as well. Purina has a huge advertising budget as well as some other "name" brands and some vets are tied to a specific brand for the financial advantage they may receive, which is not a guarantee of quality by any means. not saying all of Purina's lines are poor, some are pretty good, but my hounds prefer and perform better on higher protein kibble especially during hunting season....as most experience, it is hard to keep weight on a hunting dog when he is on the ground a lot during the winter. that being said, marketing can sell a lot of unsuspecting owners on poor quality feed, but mostly to the non sporting breeds and their owners. just my 2 cents....
 
I understand the process but not the "thinking" behind it.


apoligise- I had my 3 on Puriana One- hunting season was coming and I had 2 nephews who were in better shape than my bird dogs coming down for a 4 day hunt-

seemed reasonable that I should feed mine Purina Pro Plan Performance- since they were going to be chasing mine- so two months before- we switched from Puriana One to Pro Plan Performance

thought mine were gaining weight a bit- no worries

to this day- if I want to hunt one of mine 4 days in a row- I will start them a month in advance on PPP

what I saw- there was no quit in any dog- they didn't loose any weight- because they ate every evening- as long as I gave them 2 hours when we got home, unloaded, and let them chill out a bit

I'd put Purina Pro Plan Performance head to head with any dog food out there as to can your dogs run 3 days going

I was just saying- you feed your dogs 2 cups in the evening- they are doing real good- you change nothing- and feed your dogs 2 cups of PPPP
you might have a fat dog in a couple months
 
Shadow,

2 things.

I have found that feeding dogs within 15-30 minutes after the last hunt of the day is very beneficial. Do not wait! ( Athletes in training replenish as soon as they can after a work-out or training session). The Dogs will absorb the nutrients better. Also feeding dry dog food with a little water will also help absorption and processing of nutrients in the Liver / Kidney’s.

I also feed PPP. Feeding PPP, which is a high quality protein feed all the time, does not necessarily mean every dog will be as fat as a tick. It is normally the percentage of carbohydrates that make a dog fat. That can also equate to proportions.

All dogs are different when it comes to feeding. I have fed PPP for 5 years. I simple adjust the amounts based on activity level, time of year etc and have never had an issue.
 
OKIE, I think you are going to get a lot of posts disagreeing with you on feeding as soon as 15-30 minutes after the hunt. Everything I have always read would contradict what you are saying. Here's something I copied from another site regarding the feeding of hard working dogs. I feel they are right and I like to give my dog an hour or so after the hunt before giving them food.

Digestive problems can develop if the dog is fed immediately before or immediately after a period of hard work. A working dog can be fed a light meal two to three hours before activity occurs and then fed the remaining portion of the meal when he has calmed down and cooled off. Feeding too close to periods of heavy work can result in poor performance and digestive upsets such as vomiting and/or diarrhea.
 
OKIE, I think you are going to get a lot of posts disagreeing with you on feeding as soon as 15-30 minutes after the hunt. Everything I have always read would contradict what you are saying. Here's something I copied from another site regarding the feeding of hard working dogs. I feel they are right and I like to give my dog an hour or so after the hunt before giving them food.

well said- sheese- mine are usually so worked up after a day hunt the last thing they want is food-
 
OKIE, I think you are going to get a lot of posts disagreeing with you on feeding as soon as 15-30 minutes after the hunt. Everything I have always read would contradict what you are saying. Here's something I copied from another site regarding the feeding of hard working dogs. I feel they are right and I like to give my dog an hour or so after the hunt before giving them food.

Sorry, I failed to mention that I feed twice a day. This eliminates the one bulky feeding at which I would tend to agree with waiting a little longer.
I have never had any issues with feeding twice a day, and as soon as possable after a work out.
 
Sorry, I failed to mention that I feed twice a day. This eliminates the one bulky feeding at which I would tend to agree with waiting a little longer.
I have never had any issues with feeding twice a day, and as soon as possable after a work out.

how much are you feeding yours PPP in the morning and evening
and just a question-
you are going hunting, it's early in the morning, you load up your vehicle, your dogs are asleep, how do you sneak them food so they aren't clawing/chewing going nuts- and just want to eat-

I've never figured that out- can't remember back to one of mine thinking about eating when it's hunting time

but- if they don't eat after a hard hunt- you might be on to something- 3/4 cup in the evening- 3/4 cups in the morning

just exactly when is evening and when is morning
these favorite bird dogs like a regular schedule-
or am I missing something
 
well said- sheese- mine are usually so worked up after a day hunt the last thing they want is food-

Only one dog of my 4 will eat while we're hunting. They will not eat the first night, even if we've hunted all day. They'll eat the 2nd evening, but not the first. My wife makes cookies that the vet told us about. They'll eat those cookies any ole' time:rolleyes: but I don't give 'em too many, especially between fields. I hate to see them skip out on food altogether while we're out.
 
Shadow,

2 things.

I have found that feeding dogs within 15-30 minutes after the last hunt of the day is very beneficial. Do not wait! ( Athletes in training replenish as soon as they can after a work-out or training session). The Dogs will absorb the nutrients better. Also feeding dry dog food with a little water will also help absorption and processing of nutrients in the Liver / Kidney’s.

+1 on that. I used to be a gym bum, and am getting back into it now. Whether it's a hunt, or just a good workout with your dog (running, etc.) they, like us should eat immediately afterward. Also, an insulin spike helps digest more nutrients after a workout (so a sweet treat after a workout wouldn't hurt) :D

On another note, I've been feeding my dog Diamond Naturals for a few months now, and she's doing great on it. Solid stools, and her coat has a better glean to it than it ever has. Of course, she's 8, so I supplement her diet with fish oil capsules as well, but she has been taking the fish oil before I switched foods.
 
OKIE, I think you are going to get a lot of posts disagreeing with you on feeding as soon as 15-30 minutes after the hunt. Everything I have always read would contradict what you are saying. Here's something I copied from another site regarding the feeding of hard working dogs. I feel they are right and I like to give my dog an hour or so after the hunt before giving them food.

I have spoken with a Purina Nutritionist Brian Zanghi about several topics concerning a feeding plan for my dogs. Mainly developing a custom feeding strategy based for frequent/ constant training.

If I only hunted my dogs 20-30 days a year I would take Brian original advice and feed once a day. Trust me, it would be easier on me and may even be better in some seasonal cases for my dogs. I train or hunt dogs too frequent to do the status quo.

Bottomline: Adjusting a dog’s nutritional requirement is not a simple as one may think, if so all dog foods would have the same ingredients and percentages. What may work for me, my hunting frequency, breed and desired performance does not necessarily work for everyone else. Balancing the protein, fat and carbohydrates for a specific breed’s activity level and maintaining the desired performance as well as others is. Off point here, but I find it funny, that if I ask someone what they feed they can spout off the labeled protein & fat but have no clue as to the percent of carbohydrates or type of protein.
 
how much are you feeding yours PPP in the morning and evening
and just a question-
you are going hunting, it's early in the morning, you load up your vehicle, your dogs are asleep, how do you sneak them food so they aren't clawing/chewing going nuts- and just want to eat-

I've never figured that out- can't remember back to one of mine thinking about eating when it's hunting time

but- if they don't eat after a hard hunt- you might be on to something- 3/4 cup in the evening- 3/4 cups in the morning

just exactly when is evening and when is morning
these favorite bird dogs like a regular schedule-
or am I missing something



Your Missing something

First, my dogs (5-9 dogs depending how many I have in training) go to work or hunt/ train with me over 200+ days a year (normally, October –April). Due to my line of work, job position and convenient availability and access to land it allows me to do a unique routine, which not too many people can experience on a daily basis. I also make several weekly trips North each year chasing grouse, partridge or pheasants and quail.

Daily routine

I get up an hour and a half before sunrise, turn coffee pot on, and go outside let dogs out of Kennel.

Dogs free run in a 2 ½ acre fenced area, while I get ready for work.

I Load dogs up in truck, normally an hour or so before I need to be at work just 7 miles down the road.

I unload dogs, condition run (2-3 miles)/ or hunt if season is open for 30 -45 minutes.

I Water dogs load in truck drive 5-10 minutes to office. Work allows me access to 93,000 acres. If the dogs have settled down I feed within approximately 30 minutes.

At lunch sometimes I go to a pond and do water training or retrieving. The one Male I sometimes do a quick blood trailing session if I laid a trail the previous day.

At the end of the work day, I normally hunt till dark/ or again do a short exercise run for 30-45 minutes in the off season to keep them in shape.

Depending where I am at, or length of travel to the house, I will feed dogs in the field or as soon as I get home. Normally 30 minutes give or take.

When I get home the dogs get kenneled up.
 
+1 on that. I used to be a gym bum, and am getting back into it now. Whether it's a hunt, or just a good workout with your dog (running, etc.) they, like us should eat immediately afterward. Also, an insulin spike helps digest more nutrients after a workout (so a sweet treat after a workout wouldn't hurt) :D

On another note, I've been feeding my dog Diamond Naturals for a few months now, and she's doing great on it. Solid stools, and her coat has a better glean to it than it ever has. Of course, she's 8, so I supplement her diet with fish oil capsules as well, but she has been taking the fish oil before I switched foods.

Wildcat,

A few points from Brian,

Immediately after the dog stops working or hunting, it is best to focus on allowing the breathing rate to slow or generally return to normal, and provide fresh water in for rehydrating.

In regards to feeding, If the sporting activity is a multiple day event, then likely it will not be realistic to wait 24 hours before the next exercise bout. Therefore, most dogs should be fed 30-60 minutes after exercise or hard work is complete for the day so that they have the maximum amount of time to digest the meal before the next day's exercise bout.

Of course, feeding once daily would be considered optimal for performance of a hardworking dog, but this may not be feasible in some situations or for some dogs.
 
Well now OKIE- you are way over my class

I just have 4 Britt's, who are lazy, we don't do much of anything when hunting season ends-

it's not bad for me- I'm 63- sort of feeling the years and the broken bones you know

so about this time of year I get to thinking these 4 mutts need some excersize so they can hunt a little bit- 2 seem to eat real good and have gained a bit of weight on Diamond High Energy- 2 seem a bit finicky
they all get 2 cups in the evening-

the finicky ones who sometimes don't even eat in the evening shouldn't be able to run- so I don't put GPS Collars on- heck- they can't go

out the gate- holly criminy- 102 degrees and they are off-

shit- jump in the Escape- they have crossed the 1/4 mile field and are still going-

can't figure it out- just lowly Diamond dog food- dumb Britt's
 
OKIE, I think you are going to get a lot of posts disagreeing with you on feeding as soon as 15-30 minutes after the hunt. Everything I have always read would contradict what you are saying. Here's something I copied from another site regarding the feeding of hard working dogs. I feel they are right and I like to give my dog an hour or so after the hunt before giving them food.

My dog won't eat until he's had plenty of water and rested for an hour or so.
 
Sorry, I failed to mention that I feed twice a day. This eliminates the one bulky feeding at which I would tend to agree with waiting a little longer.
I have never had any issues with feeding twice a day, and as soon as possable after a work out.

Interesting discussion. I've never bought into the feeding one large amount at days end when hunting either as that is a lot to digest in one sitting. This can especially be true on long extended hunting trips where the dogs are hunting all day for several days. In that scenario their calorie requirements can exceed normal by a good deal. Feeding 4 cups at one sitting doesn't seem logical. What may work (have not tried it yet) is to feed half the ration roughly an hour after the the dogs have been put up in the field and the other half a couple hours later. I would think this would be much easier on the digestive system.
 
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