How to choose the right food for my puppy

I am hoping to bring my new puppy home in the next few weeks and am wondering about the best food for him. Obviously I will see what the breeder has been feeding him on so far, but there is so much out there its confusing. I used to feed Iams to my other dogs but Alfie wasn't that healthy with a paw licking habit and dry skin. I've heard Iams isn't as good as it was since being sold. Is Science Plan a good food? What are the books to research the raw food diet? I have the Truth About your Dog Food tv programme on the recorder so I will watch that but I have heard that it wasn't particularly conclusive. I want my little chap to have the best I can to lead a long and happy life. I do think a few of the behaviour problems and skin conditions are food related. Any opinions greatly received. Thanks x

I like Burns dog food, based on brown rice and either chicken, fish, lamb, or duck. I have fed 3 generations of dogs on it and have always been happy with it. I started using it when working for a vet, and I saw how changing to this food seemed to solve a lot of health problems.

Howdy, I started All My children on, Purina Puppy Chow with a tablespoonful of, 4% cottage cheese once a day in their morning meals, for 18 months. Cottage cheese was recommended by a breeder for calcium during the early Years. Feel like they turned out pretty well, with no skin allergies, ever.
Enjoy your new bundle of Joy, and have many many years of doggie kisses XXXX

Have a look here
http://www.whichdogfood.co.uk/

If you are particularly concerned about skin conditions you could do no better than a raw diet but you need to do your research and decide for yourself - there is a ton of info on the internet about raw dog feeding - best of luck in your researches x

Do your research - there is no conclusive scientific EVIDENCE to prove any of some of these claims. But bear in mind that it is not a good idea to keep changing diet quickly. Any changes should be introduced gradually.

My dog was 3 yrs old before she would eat ANY raw meat at all and even now will only eat it in small quantities (third of a frozen chicken wing)

Also bear in mind if you will ever have to get others to feed your dog in your absence or have them boarded and whether they will be able to go to any time and trouble you go to for any specialised feeding regime.

For instance my son and family are strict veggies and if I leave my dog with them they would all be vomiting to even HANDLE raw meat let alone watch the dog eating it lol! So if with them she doesn't get it. Doesn't do her any harm.

To be honest she'd rather eat everything WE are eating but I stick to best kibble I can get here for her for the rest of the time.

When she was a pup she was dreadfully ill and survived on rice, chicken, paste supplement and bio yoghurt. She is 'fit as a butcher's dog now' lol!

My previous dog, a CKCS, if given even a sniff of a bit of offal or raw would get severe bloody squits for days. Find something that suits her and that she LIKES too and don't be browbeaten by one camp or the other. Sometimes a good mix of 2 or 3 things works (as it does for me) and then my dog doesn't have to undergo a total CHANGE of diet if she is left elsewhere to be cared for. The only food she doesn't like is wet dog food.

My dogs are kennelled every January while I naff off to Antigua and they are fully raw fed, I just portion it up and label it and the kennels are happy to feed it and store it, so kennelling your dog shouldn't really influence what you feed. This year the 3 Pugs stayed at home with my son and his girlfriend dog and house sitting. His girlfriend works with dogs and is a vegan, she had no more trouble feeding raw to mine than she has feeding the dogs at work. Again it was all portioned up and labelled and all she had to do was tip it out of the bag and into their bowl, no touching involved.

There is a brill thread on raw feeding on here ,
http://www.dogsey.com/showthread.php...ht=raw+feeding

Thank you EVERYONE - really helpful and I love the link www.whichdogfood.co.uk . Will be doing plant y of research. I was surprised that all the brands in the above link are all new to me. I recognised Burns and James Wellbeloved - but they were quite some way down the lists. Very interesting.

I'm a vegan, but my dogs aren't & they have been fed organic raw for more years than I care to remember.

They do have a complete holistic organic from time to time, just in case they have to be fed by someone who is not comfortable with feeding raw.

Dogs have not developed for consume masses of grain, they are carnivores who can digest some vegetable. Mine love fruit & will eat whole fruit(grapes etc not included if they are toxic to dogs)I have one who will steal & eat whole bananas & has done since he was a puppy-he also steals plums & other fruit off the trees & bushes

The right food is whatever your thrives on & that doesn't include harmful additives

that's a great site Trouble, thanx v much for posting the link