Best diet for your dog??

[wee_shee]

Just out of curiosity, what type of diet does your dog(s) have??

On reading Dogworld a few weeks ago I read that some top breeders feed their dogs solely on Royal Canin or other dry processed feed, however alot of mal owners I know tend to favour the BARF diet.

Is there a specific diet that is better for a show dog (obv depending on breed/size etc), or should it be different for a dual purpose dog like the malamute who may also be working in harness?

 What do you think 

[Sweetypye]

It is a proven fact that dogs do well in both the showing and working world (no matter what the discipline) on a number of diets; dry, moist, wet, home cooked or raw or even a mixture of some or all of them.

A dog that is working (and by that I mean spending several hours a day working sheep or to the gun or security/police dog etc) will require a higher level of fat than a more sedentary dog as that is where dogs get their energy.

[Diesel73]

Mine get raw meat with oppions.
dry food is for herbifors.
wet makes their teeth rot and gives them bad breath.
home cooked it great with raw meat.

[*Nat*]

Piper gets Nature Diet or homecooked for dinner, raw chicken wings or sardines in oil for breakfast and she also has recreational bones, occasional raw eggs, fruit and vegetables (inc garlic) = happy healthy dog 

[Sweetypye]

Forgot to say in my post that I have fed nothing but raw food for 8 years now, no grains or cereals at all except when they have "emergency food" which is Natures Harvest vacuum packed meat and rice.

As both my dogs have been successful in the showring but more importantly in the working arena and have never been sick during that time, I am assuming it suits them

[kerrie and stan]

i used to feed raw/ home cooked and for the puppy that i had at the time it was the only thing that would put and keep weight on him. Stan however had a reaction to something in the feed and so i put him onto tinned chappie in the morning and biscuits at night, he also gets 1-2 marrow bones a week.
when i get another dog i will not hesitate on trying it on raw/home cooked before before resorting to comertial products.

[wee_shee]

Reason Im asking is for a future mal pup (have breeder in mind, you all know her lol )

I would love to show the pup (done so lightly in the past) but the fact alot of the top kennels go done the "dry" route kinda threw me, maybe large numbers of dogs and convenience??

I do prefer the idea of totally natural, , included meat bones etc previously but never went all out BARF which seems so much more appealing

[Izzie]

I feed raw/ homecooked and have fed nature diet when I have been away.

Livia is starting showing and she is on the above diet, I know a fair few folk feed that way and have had success in the ring. 

[Foxisle_crazy]

I feed natural and will always continue to do so for as long as i have dogs.  If you look at Izzy, it kind of speaks for itself, she's in perfect health, coming up to four this year.  People are always shocked when i tell them how old she is.  I completely attribute good health with the diet.  My uncles 8yr old lab is staying with my grandma at the min, she has just come off steroids (for what i don't know) she has flaky skin, hair loss, lumps and boils all over, she constantly drags her bum on the carpet and she looks about 14 never mind 8.  She's fed on bakers, always has been.  I'd state my life on Izzy NOT looking anything like that at 8year old.


As for feeding a mal pup, i always think it such a shame when i hear large/giant breeds are fed on balls in a bag.  I like to see them with a huge raw bone, there's nothing more satisfying for me  

[carlos33]

We feed willow raw/homecooked food which she loves. She is growing well and is really healthy.

[*Nat*]

As for feeding a mal pup, i always think it such a shame when i hear large/giant breeds are fed on balls in a bag.  I like to see them with a huge raw bone, there's nothing more satisfying for me 

Couldn't agree more Foxy 

[kerrie and stan]

  thats nearly as big

[xtine]

We do raw / home cooked too... took me about a year to convince richard but we got there in the end  and have never looked back. Would never consider anything else again. if we HAVE to... it would be something like nature diet

mr Fritz is happy chappy as his Sheepdrove order arrived today 

[Foxisle_crazy]

ooh i love sheepdrove!  OH always raises his eyebrows when they arrive coz it costs me £8 delivery, but they're such nice quality, only the best for my girl!    he can lump it   

[xtine]

we got him some big beef ones (knucles? ball jointy bits)  and they have cut them in half    mind you, Fritz isn't complaining and I guess it means he won't waste any of it as the other half is still in the freezer