Well it's been about a year of build up but I finally did it!

Asbo has suffered with a skin complaint at random times, at first we thought it was hayfever, then coat sprays, shampoo, washing detergent etc etc and finally I came to the idea maybe it was the food!
So since around March last year I've added Prize Choice to Asbo's food, I really wanted to go raw but I just didn't have the confidence.
Then a few months back took him off Proplan and on to Chappie and his skin & coat have been amazing!
So on Monday I removed chappie and he had only prize choice........then last night 2 actual chicken thighs! Arrggghh I was so nervous but he loved it and he has loved it all this week!
Usually he can turn his nose up and isn't really that bothered but now instead of being last to his cage for dinner he's the first one in there waiting for it :)

Was a bit worried that he only crunched the bone in half and then swallowed each half whole but i guess he has to start to learn to chew & crunch properly plus for a boxer a chicken thigh isn't exactly massive

Eventually I will switch the other 2 boys over but just so happy & proud I've finally done it with Asbo, who certainly needed it the most.

well done they will thank you :) and you wont go back

Yay, well done you, you won't look back now ! He will get used to chewing properly so don't worry. As he has shown an intolerance to food previously i would slowly add one different meat at a time.

Just be warned one of mine is ultra greedy and will gobble chicken legs whole so I now only give necks (They have small bones) or carcasses without the legs (so she has to chew them up) and she never "Got used to chewing" she will always gobble. Mine are used to raw now after 5 years and we never get any bones from the smelly end but when they started we did and it worried me. These days thier tummies are well used to dealing with bones and they digest the lot, but it takes a while for the gut to adjust to a bone diet.
Aileen

Thanks Aileen :)

Will he be ok for swallowing the bone rather than chewing it up? My mum is getting cacarsses today from the butcher
I did try to help him understand by holding the other end but they are so slippery and he was very keen!

Well done! I know it's scary starting, but in no time, you will forget that you ever feed anything else..

Probably be fine. They have no problems eating most things, I did not mean to worry you! just for you to be aware they do not all learn to chew !
Aileen

I don't think dogs do chew as we humans would interpret the word. They tend to crunch their food into a swallowable size and then just gulp it down. I feed raw and it's not unknown for their dinner to reappear shortly after swallowing but it's swiftly re-eaten :-)

The butcher has given us a load of lamb necks, spines?!!!!? and alot of ribs but the ribs dont have alot of meat on them, the neck & spine do but the ribs are just bones with a bit of meat here & there and along the top bit, what should i do with them? Are they ok to give or should i not bother?

I am in the exact same position to you. My boy turned one on Thursday and had his first raw meal Wednesday night! It is so satisfying isn't it? I am a vegetarian myself and I thought it would turn my stomach, but I've been fine so far. I've always wanted to go raw but haven't had the confidence/my parents didn't like the idea either. I bit the bullet and just went for it and I haven't looked back. My intention was to keep him on Beta and raw at the same time, but I have half a bag of Beta, untouched and a whole tray of Naturediet, too which I don't think I'll ever be going back to!

Yes those lamb bones sound great! Bag some up for the freezer and you can have a lamb day every week! If there isn't much meat on something then I balance the food for the day out by feeding only meat for breakfast with some offal (that keeps things moving!) Then giving the boney meal for dinner. Then the next day keep the meals meaty again so things keep moving comfortably. You'll find that different dogs are happier on different amounts of bone, my male will happily chomp through lamb ribs and necks for a whole day but my bitch would get a bit constipated from that and needs more meat added. Just keep an eye on what comes out the other end!

agree with what shivj says and does. Its about balance and "poo watching" a hobby for raw feeders. Bit runny more bone bit hard more meat

What other meat (with out bone) can I feed? At the moment Asbo is mainly on the prize choice minces which i know have bone in them so if I am giving him just lamb bones should I maybe give him some chicken breast or beef mince the next day (with some liver) or is there something cheaper I can get from the butcher?
I have plenty of tripe (not PC)

Tripe forms the basis of the girlies diet, they have one meal a day that incudes tripe.
The beef and offal mixes have very little bone (From Albion) but I get hearts and chunky beef as well as carcasses and necks.
Aileen

I tried my other 2 boys on some chicken last night - not 100% sure what part of the body it was!
Both Razzle (5yrs) & Demba (7months) are proper piglets, they just love foooooooood any food!

So I thought both would swallow whole but i was so shocked by the 2 of them!
Razzle crunched and munched whilst Demba licked, crunched, licked, crunched, licked etc etc and eventually reaslised he could rip & swallow the bits
Asbo who has always been the non foody dog is the one who'll have my hand off and trys to gulp it down in one which is exactly what I thought the other 2 would do

Amazing how different they have all reacted!