We have been feeding our 12-week old cocker (working strain, though she will be an active pet) Beta puppy / junior. At puppy class last night, though, we were told not to feed our dogs anything that contained 'animal derivatives' (the trainer showed us a picture of exactly what this meant, and it was gruesome!), and Beta does contain these. Can anyone recommend a premium dry food that they have found good and not hideously expensive?

Your puppy wont care what bits he is eating and it saves them going to waste. The foods like Burns, will still contain parts you would not eat, are good but expensive. If your puppy is doing well I would put what you have been told to the back of your mind and forget it.

Can understand people telling others if they think cruelty is involved, but most animal food is produced from the bits people wont eat or perhaps worse that which is not suitable for human consumption.

Can't think what the trainer was thinking of, like your childs teacher tell the class not to eat meat, just because they have a problem with it. Unless you asked, it is not their place to put their pet hates onto you.

I'm a vegetarian by choice but would never impose that on my dogs. I don't try to pursuade people to feed the food I feed my dogs as it might not suit them, but it is chicken based & they thrive on it

They do not get"treats"but have biscuits built into their diets & if I titbit train it is also part of their diet too

Years ago there used to be whale meat in dog food :(, but that was a long time ago. Not PC nowadays & not the natural diet of many dogs I would think. But in the wild dogs/canines will eat the whole prey animal not just the "PC"bits some think is correct

JMHO of course

The old time gamekeeper's used to feed everything including fur and feather, as indeed would happen in the wild. Our digestive system just could not cope with, for instance, the skin and fur of a rabbit but a dog's system is designed for just that. Their digestive juices are far more powerful than ours which is the reason they can digest almost unchewed food so feet and other RAW bones present no difficulties. Internal organs supply essential trace elements which otherwise would need to be supplied by the addition of chemicals

I don't doubt your instructor was well meaning but in this I believe he or she was mistaken.

Regards, John

The derivitives may have looked gruesome to you but would probably have looked like a feast to your pup.However if you want to change the food I find Autarky very good and its full of herbs etc such as kelp and fennel.Most dogs find it very palatable.
Archer