What would i feed a puppy, i have been reading contradicting advice on food for puppies that it speeds the growth and i dont want this as it damages joints etc. I feed my adults on Beta large breed adult and mix in some tripe the frozen blocks from PAH. Pup will be the same breed, they will be weened onto beta puppy large breed but do i carry on with this? JWB is no good for either of the adults so i dont want to use that. Prefer to stick to beta as its tried and tested and works for my lot, internet ordering isnt convienient unless they deliver without me being in and leave it in the passage??otherwise PAH products i can only really go with.

Thanks Louise

I personally wouldn't feed Beta as it contains hardly any fresh meat, if any!  What else have you tried?  If you go into your PAH, all the better dog foods should have black stripping under them so it's worth trying some of these as they are better then beta!  However do you have a budget?  Of course a good quality food would cost alot more then non good quality.

Re: ordering.  We Order Eukanuba and Arden Grange and both companies write on the delievery form for the delivery guys to leave food if no-ones in and they do so where we ask them to leave it. :) 

Berriewoods are another one that will leave food outside if requested. The delivery people for Zooplus will put a card through the door and you phone to arrange an alternative delivery time if I remember correctly. Places such as Landywoods that deliver frozen food will even put it in the freezer for you :-P I imagine most online places would be happy to leave food in an agreed location outside of your house somewhere as most people are not going to be able to sit at home all day waiting for a delivery.

Yes I order from Arden Grange and Berriewoods - never had a problem with them leaving it on doorstep if I'm not in.

I personally wouldn't feed Beta as it contains hardly any fresh meat, if any!

I would also agree with this.  Even when speaking to the reps for Purina even they were saying that they wouldn't choose to feed it.  Easy way of putting it was Beta is all cereal based whereas say the ProPlan was the meat based product.

Mind you as other people have said there is a variety of other products out there, if you pop into PAH someone should be able to help you out there and go through them all with you to find something that would suit your needs, and even give you samples to take away. :)

i reared my last litter of the same breed as you on beta puppy and raw and they done very well on it, i have kept a puppy and have continued this and she is doing great, so i think it is what you are happy with and of course your budget, if your adults are doing well on it then i dont see anything wrong with beta, but it is alot about personal choice. my own litter as i say have done very well on it and i would wean in the same way again next time too.
good luck :)

I feed Beta & tripe to my Mastiff (he's 10 months old now), this is the diet recomended by the breeder who has over 30 years experience.
My old mutt (lab cross) doesn't get on with Beta, but then he can't eat any complete or tinned dog food no matter how expensive/good quality (gets itchy all over & bad ears from it :( ).

If it is working for your dogs then stick with it :)

When feeding any food it is a good idea to analyse the ingredients and GA and think toward the long term future instead of the right here and now.Would it make sense that the food will give everything the dog needs to live a long and healthy life OR are there dodgy ingredients,inadequate meat/fat/protein,too many not needed ingredients, that may only manage to sustain the dog throughout it's life??

Yes a dog will get by on a food made up of cereals/by-products/sugar/salt or whatever,they are well adapted to survive on just about anything, including scraps and rubbish scavenging as well as some of the terrible foods mass marketed nowadays.But i think it is prudent to look at the bigger picture :)

Ditto our border was on Beta as a pup and is still on it no problem. My cocker has tried loads and is on NB and is thriving with a bit of chicken or fish when the mood takes me, both are fine.

Well the adults go through one 18kg bag in just over a week, i dont want to fork out 40plus on royal canin, but i may try arden grange, too much oil in the food is bad for my boy, gas runny poo and dry skin. I have tried alot and ended goin back to beta. Alot of people in my breed recommend Arden Grange with a tripe block mixed in, i think i will get a bag and see how they are on that, its not too costly either. As to the pup would i have him on pup or adult food, i dont want to damage his joints, he will hopefully be my future show dog. They will be weaned on the beta as i did with my last litter, do i switch to puppy arden g or not?? i thought puppy large breed food was meant to slow their growth, little confused now.

Louise

They do a puppy Junior large breed which to me looks almost identical to the adult, at least in protein and fat.

It isn't £40 if you buy direct but if it doesnt suit of course that is anothr matter :-)

i weaned onto beta puppy as i said in my earlier post, then at 12 weeks changed over to beta puppy large breed and the raw,my girl looks fab! (not that i am bias) :)