Im soon to get a leonberger, and just wondered what people think is the best kind of food to feed her? I know i should follow the breeders advice and i will, but im just wondering what peoples opinions are on giant breed pup food. thanks

I asked a similar question when I first joined here. Most people said (quite rightly) that whatever suits your dog and you. Is it dried complete fod you're looking for, or natural feeding?

My neapolitan mastiffs were on ROYAL CANIN GIANT BREED PUPPY FOOD when they were weaned until 18 months old. It was really good and they thrived on it.Its expensive but the puppies did so well on it and its very palatable. ( lots of chicken in it ).   Again its down to your personal preference and what the dog likes and eats well .  Good Luck with new baby!!

Think it's a matter of listening to the breeder as you say, but as a tip make sure that in your locality whatever you choose is relatively easy to come by or order in quickly - having to wait for food which no stores stock is not a good idea. We have an active  Rhodesian Ridgeback ( obviously large but not giant breed)  and find Wafcol is an excellent feed, which has kept him active and avoided weight problems , we also add cut fruit and vegetable.  Plus our local store now keeps a bag in reserve , even though they do not have Wafcol as on the shelf stock.

  The range from Wafcol appears to have excellent variety and good balance of protein etc , and you can select according to your own dogs needs - i.e sensitivity, vegetarian, puppy and junior feeds.    
   

"giant/Large breed food" is just  another marketing ploy by the manufactures to get more shelf space for their products!

i would reccomend feeding an adult/all life stage food to your pup if your'e considering commercial foods,i would stay away from puppy foods,too high protein etc. for growing bones.On  the other hand if your'e planning on feeding a species appropriate diet than i would reccomend reading the book  "grow your pup with bones"

I am the owner of a large breed puppy about to embark on Barf, but if you want to feed complete dry, then I read some interesting articles that say Large/Giant breeds should have a protein level of no higher than 24%. I do not know how true this is, but I have been feeding my Briard, Oscars Large Breed Growth    ( www.oscars.co.uk ), which has protein levels at 24%. Most of the puppy complete foods have protein levels of 29 - 30%. Barney has been fine on the Oscars, but feeding complete only has never seemed right to me (IMOP). Oscars do not sell in shops, but on their website it will tell you the number of the agent in your area who will deliver for free and offer advice. Hope this helps.

Julia