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Warning, if you leave your 140 Great Dane with us for 2 weeks while you are on vacation. We will embarrass it on walks.

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I may have posted this already, but this is my buddy in his prime. This is Little One, a German Shepard Dog/Australian Cattle Dog mix (with a little Lab thrown in with the ACD, I think) at about 4 or 5 and 140 to 145 pounds. He is now 12 1/2 and down to 155 from a high of 160 pounds. We lost his "brother," a Lab/Siberian Husky mix, a few months ago, a month short of his 15th birthday. He was very slender and I have now convinced my wife that we need to cut down the treats and feed Little One diet dog food. It's starting to work. He was a handful in his younger years but, like me, he is now an old man.

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Dirty, how did Little Dog cope with losing his 'brother'? I've got two labs that are both about 5 years old and they've been together since they were just over one. One we've had since she was a pup and the other we rescued. I sometimes think about how the dogs will react when one of them goes first...
 
Here's Maya, our Boxer mix.

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I'm at a dog food crossroads here. Are there any good affordable foods out there not processed by Diamond? Maya's been having stomach issues since her current food (Nutro, also by Diamond) changed formulas. Everyone's been recommending Taste of the Wild but that's also made by those guys and had a recent recall. Not too sure where to look next.
 
Here's Maya, our Boxer mix.

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I'm at a dog food crossroads here. Are there any good affordable foods out there not processed by Diamond? Maya's been having stomach issues since her current food (Nutro, also by Diamond) changed formulas. Everyone's been recommending Taste of the Wild but that's also made by those guys and had a recent recall. Not too sure where to look next.

we feed the Howdy Orijen. not all that "affordable" (also have to drive a bit to the "organic" pet store) but he had issues with whatever the rescue people were feeding him (forget what that was)

someone recommended Avoderm, but pure veggies gave the dog really bad soft & squishy poops.

been on Orijen for 3 years
 
My dog did really well on Canine Caviar, but it's very expensive. He's making his way through a big bag of Earthborn Holistic, and I think I'll keep buying it. Not sure who processes the brand.
 
Mike37 said:
Here's Maya, our Boxer mix.

I'm at a dog food crossroads here. Are there any good affordable foods out there not processed by Diamond? Maya's been having stomach issues since her current food (Nutro, also by Diamond) changed formulas. Everyone's been recommending Taste of the Wild but that's also made by those guys and had a recent recall. Not too sure where to look next.

Have you tried Blue Buffalo? Used to feed our boxer the wilderness all the time, she loved it and did really well on it. Only reason we stopped is it's got brewers yeast in it, and sadly she's allergic.

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BreezyBrew said:
I really like and use Blue Buffalo as well. Brewers yeast? How does that happen?

Its actually in a lot of dog food/treats. It acts as a probiotic.

Edit: Roxan is also allergic to barley. So now we feed her this crazy expensive food called Brothers Complete.
 
Trooper has been on Nutro from the beginning with no issues, even recently. It costs me $33-$38 for a 30lb. bag for either Chicken/Rice or Lamb/Rice. I guess every dog is different, though, and I'd switch him if he had any issues. So far coat has always been shiny, very little itching, solid stools (when they aren't I can attribute it to him getting into something the kids dropped or left out), etc. He's been a portrait of health, hell, he rarely even get's fleas even when we don't treat him.
 
I use blue buffalo, it makes a difference how much and when you feed your dog. If I feed her too much she gets liquid poops. I also feed her 3 cups at 9am and 2 at 5pm then a snacks through-out the day. The cost of food is nothing compared to vet bills so pay for the good stuff and then don't change food. For me, I'll pay anything to have solid poops because I walk her in the city and pick up those poops.

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Sam and Molly. Only took them 4 years before they could stand the sight of one another. That's what you get when you cross a german shepherd with a great dane. Smart as a whip.

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Sam and Molly. Only took them 4 years before they could stand the sight of one another. That's what you get when you cross a german shepherd with a great dane. Smart as a whip.

LOL! We have 3 cats to go along with our 2 labs and they all get along pretty good or at least tolerate one another. Our black lab we've had since she was a pup and so she has grown up with cats and loves getting cleaned by the cats and getting nosies. Our chocolate lab we rescued when he was about two and he tolerates the cats but wants nothing to do with them when they try to get affectionate with him... :D
 
As you can tell from the picture I posted earlier in the thread... mine hate each other. :p
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Harper was a rescue and was a stray not long before I got him. It took them a while to get to know each other but now they are buds. It is funny though when Tiggs takes off to do his tear around the house Harper usually tries to follow. It is all hardwood floors and tile so I can hear him scrambling to make a corner then failing miserably from all the way at the other end of the house. Doesn't stop him from trying though. :eek:
 
I use blue buffalo, it makes a difference how much and when you feed your dog. If I feed her too much she gets liquid poops. I also feed her 3 cups at 9am and 2 at 5pm then a snacks through-out the day. The cost of food is nothing compared to vet bills so pay for the good stuff and then don't change food. For me, I'll pay anything to have solid poops because I walk her in the city and pick up those poops.

Wow. I feed Trooper 1.5 cups at 6:30 and 1.5 cups at 4:30, that's it, for 5 years now. He's trim, but not emaciated, no ribs showing, and as mentioned, very healthy. He weighs 70lbs.
 
mikescooling said:
I use blue buffalo, it makes a difference how much and when you feed your dog. If I feed her too much she gets liquid poops. I also feed her 3 cups at 9am and 2 at 5pm then a snacks through-out the day. The cost of food is nothing compared to vet bills so pay for the good stuff and then don't change food. For me, I'll pay anything to have solid poops because I walk her in the city and pick up those poops.

You're feeding that dog WAY too much. I have a lab that size that eats about two and a half cups total in a day. You're going to have one of those mega fat labs you see barely walking around.
 
You're feeding that dog WAY too much. I have a lab that size that eats about two and a half cups total in a day. You're going to have one of those mega fat labs you see barely walking around.

Yeah, when I read that I was like, damn, my am I feeding my dogs enough? They get about 2 1/2 cups a day too and they are very fit and trim looking. Our rescue was skin and bones when we found him with his ribs showing through and now he looks as healthy as an ox. And they go for 4 mile walks with us daily as well. Five cups/day does seem like a lot for one dog...
 
Thanks for the food advice. I'm considering Earthborn Holistic. No recalls, grain free, great price, and highly recommended by all the dog food experts.

Here's a pic of Maya and Kou, my mom's Shiba Inu. Kou hated Maya at first but now they're pals.

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Yeah, when I read that I was like, damn, my am I feeding my dogs enough? They get about 2 1/2 cups a day too and they are very fit and trim looking. Our rescue was skin and bones when we found him with his ribs showing through and now he looks as healthy as an ox. And they go for 4 mile walks with us daily as well. Five cups/day does seem like a lot for one dog...

Me too. In fact, it might be closer to 1c morning and 1c night, depending on if the kids get the cup full or not. It's somewhere between 2-3c per day though. Damn dog acts hungry all the time but again, he's healthy, not emaciated. I attribute it to his time on the street. He's a scavenger, for sure. He'll eat lettuce, broccoli, kale, carrots, he'll eat the paper towel you wiped your mouth with, if you let him.

They found rocks in his stomach when he was rescued, so I guess I can understand. I can't give him bones very often because he eats them instantly. I'm serious, if you give him bones from a rack of ribs they're gone in under 2 minutes. Then he yacks them back up sometimes. We bought him those greenies for his teeth once. Lasted about 12 seconds.
 
You're feeding that dog WAY too much. I have a lab that size that eats about two and a half cups total in a day. You're going to have one of those mega fat labs you see barely walking around.

Wow tuff room, I'm working with a vet and doing what the bag of puppy food tell me. she is 6 months and 33lbs. She loves to run and I walk her twice a day. She is at the low end of what is normal. The first year is when they build their bone structure.

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Wow tuff room, I'm working with a vet and doing what the bag of puppy food tell me. she is 6 months and 33lbs. She loves to run and I walk her twice a day. She is at the low end of what is normal. The first year is when they build their bone structure.

6 months and 33lbs. is 2-3c per day according to that chart...I don't know where you got the larger number??

I do know some of the natural foods recommend a much higher feeding, and I think it's due to lower fat/protein totals. Wife brought home Trader Joes brand food once and it wanted 3 feedings of 1-2c. per day. Dog was always hungry, like stalking me every time I went down to the basement...no bueno
 
tre9er said:
6 months and 33lbs. is 2-3c per day according to that chart...I don't know where you got the larger number??

It's the bottom left portion of the chart. 5-6 cups a day for a 6 month old puppy that is expected to weigh ~100lbs when fully developed. 33lbs is the dogs current weight.

I read it too and was like, "Where the hell...?"

I just switched to BB Wilderness Chicken Formula as soon as I found out the BX carries it. Spendy, but a little less food per meal and less crap to pick up is nothing to complain about. Not to mention (hopefully) healthier dogs for the future. Mine are by no means unhealthy, but maybe less issues when they get older.

But, back to the thread. I don't know why, but she is always laying in these goofy positions. Makes me laugh...

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But, back to the thread. I don't know why, but she is always laying in these goofy positions. Makes me laugh...

my dog only does that when she is warm/hot. my theory is that she's exposing her non-furry belly, to aid with cooling. in winter, when it's cooler, she only sleeps curled up in a ball - to stay warmer.
 
my dog only does that when it's warm/hot. my theory is that she's exposing her non-furry belly, to aid with cooling. in winter, when it's cooler, she only sleeps curled up in a ball - to stay warmer.
Harper is the same. You know it is hot out when he is laid out like a porn star on the kitchen tile, lol.
 
My 80 pound lazy shepherd eats about ~3 cups per day and my 120 pound active shepherd eats ~5. They eat the grain free salmon food from Costco. I think its called "natures way" or something like that. Plus an average of 2-3 duck jerky treats each and the occasional pizzle.

That is plenty of food for them...
 
KB eats Taste of the Wild grain free salmon formula. He gets one up in the morning and one for dinner. He's a lab shepherd mix and started showing some signs of hip dysplasia several years ago. Keeping him lean has helped to keep that from progressing and he's still a spry dog, though you can tell his hips get a bit sore after he's been pretty active. He gets a treat here and there though the day, a fish oil gelcap twice a cay and a CET chew for his teeth after dinner.

We went though quite a few different foods before we settled on Taste of the Wild including Nutro and Canidae.
 
sweetcell said:
my dog only does that when she is warm/hot. my theory is that she's exposing her non-furry belly, to aid with cooling. in winter, when it's cooler, she only sleeps curled up in a ball - to stay warmer.

She was definitely warm that day. She lays on her back more than any dog I've seen. She's just a weirdo :)

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Wow tuff room, I'm working with a vet and doing what the bag of puppy food tell me. she is 6 months and 33lbs. She loves to run and I walk her twice a day. She is at the low end of what is normal. The first year is when they build their bone structure.

haha, people love their dogs.

But I kinda have to agree with daze, that sounds like a lot. I have a 55# vizsla, and she has gotten 1 cup in the morning, and 1 cup at night for her entire life (5 yrs). And she runs with me and my son.

Don't worry, you'll know if she's getting too much. Those tits start sagging.
 
haha, people love their dogs.

But I kinda have to agree with daze, that sounds like a lot. I have a 55# vizsla, and she has gotten 1 cup in the morning, and 1 cup at night for her entire life (5 yrs). And she runs with me and my son.

Don't worry, you'll know if she's getting too much. Those tits start sagging.

Exactly. The dog will tell you when it's fed too much. My 6 yr old lab Sage gets fed about a cup and a half to two cups above the "recommended" amount every day - but you can still JUST feel his ribs... exactly the way a lab SHOULD be. If I cut him back to the "recommended" amount, he'd be way underweight.
 
I think it makes a difference what the dogs day is like, and what the dog is like. I'm going to have her do hunt test, so I throw the Frisbee with her for about 45 min every day; pulse I take her for long walks. She dose the "butt tuck crazy run" for no reason at all, for those of you that have seen it. I'd feel better if she was in the middle of her weight class at 6 months.
You cant say that a house dog that lays on a rug all day, should get the same food as a dog that runs all day. And it's a puppy.
I wouldn't mind if she was a little husky, get it dog joke; seriously I wouldn't do that to her.
 
My 80 pound lazy shepherd eats about ~3 cups per day and my 120 pound active shepherd eats ~5. They eat the grain free salmon food from Costco. I think its called "natures way" or something like that. Plus an average of 2-3 duck jerky treats each and the occasional pizzle.

That is plenty of food for them...

"Hey Fido, go eat a bag of dicks." "Don't mind if I do"
 
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