I have a dog food brand called "Puppy Chow" and they have another one called "Dog Chow" and I don't know when to swich.

For a large breed there is a big debate about the time to switch. Myself switched my last two puppies over to adult food when they were six months old with good results. Both are big strong healthy dogs But alot of people still say that a year is the to change foods. I also would look for something besides the two chows you have listed, something that is less in by products and corn.

Dunkin answered on 10/25/09. Helpful? / 0

well most dog food has a age range on the front or back .but i dont feed my dog dog chow.

Guest 727909 answered on 10/25/09. Helpful? / 0

Puppy chow is formulated for the fastest possible growth. switching larger breeds to adult chow at 4 months avoids damage to their joints.

As far as I know it hurts nothing but your wallet to continue puppy chow to a year old.

As for the quality of any of the Purina brands, they are all fine, well proven in large service dog programs. You think anybody here knows more than they do?

Suppose you knew a breeder that bred hundreds of dogs a year, mostly Labs, Shepherds, and Goldens. They provided all the medical care for most of them the first year. At the end of it, they did a complete physical including hip X-rays on all of them. They then spent $35,000 training them before giving them away. They have a large data base of breeding records. Dogs with any physical or temperamental problems are unfit for the program and are a waste. Their well equipped clinic and vet staff are available for serious problems as long as the dog is working. When the dog is no longer able to work, it is replaced at again the $35,000 plus a large emotional upheaval for the person depending on the dog. They have experimented with different diets and exchanged data with other such breeders. Don't you think that what ever they are feeding is healthy and safe? What kinds of controlled studies do you have backing your choice of diet? How objective are the sources of your information? Is your dog's health, their top priority?

I have been raising puppies since 1991 for a large dog guide school that does exactly that. What do they feed? They instruct us to feed Pro Plan chicken and rice puppy chow until 4 months and then switch to adult Pro Plan chicken and rice. I know enough of the people with the trained dogs to know they continue the Pro Plan. The group I meet with monthly for training includes people that have raised puppies for 6 different service dog schools. Some of them are feeding other common commercial chows including Iams and Eukanuba. Any dog owner wanting a healthy, long lived dog can make this regimen work, leaving more time to spend on the dog. It is also relatively economical.

Aster answered on 10/25/09. Helpful? / 0

Aster:
"As for the quality of any of the Purina brands, they are all fine, well proven in large service dog programs. You think anybody here knows more than they do?"
You think that theyare incapable of making mistakes? Do you know, in great detail, how these rumored studies were conducted?


"Suppose you knew a breeder that bred hundreds of dogs a year, mostly Labs, Shepherds, and Goldens. They provided all the medical care for most of them the first year. At the end of it, they did a complete physical including hip X-rays on all of them. They then spent $35,000 training them before giving them away. They have a large data base of breeding records. Dogs with any physical or temperamental problems are unfit for the program and are a waste. Their well equipped clinic and vet staff are available for serious problems as long as the dog is working. When the dog is no longer able to work, it is replaced at again the $35,000 plus a large emotional upheaval for the person depending on the dog. They have experimented with different diets and exchanged data with other such breeders. Don't you think that what ever they are feeding is healthy and safe?"
Not necessarily. Depends on where they get their information, how their studies that you've harped so much about were conducted, and also the genes of the dogs.

"What kinds of controlled studies do you have backing your choice of diet?"
You have not shared any well-conducted studies that we the people have access to, sooooo...we're even.
And, yes, my choice regarding pet food was originally based on hear-say and such. (Which is one reason why I now stress people thinking for themselves.) I grew more common sense in the past year, and I now feed what I feed because in my experience, meat-based works the best.

"How objective are the sources of your information?"
How objective are yours?

"Is your dog's health, their top priority?"
I don't know nor do I have any way of knowing for certain, but I do know that it's one of my top priorities. Which is why I believe in making a choice based on common sense, good studies, well-rounded research, and experience. Anyone--including vets, professionals, and guide dog schools--can make false claims. I'll read any and all resources I can, but in the end, my decision is based on much thought and common sense.
I do not put my full trust *any* dog food company or any one source. (The only Being with my full trust is God.)

"They instruct us to feed Pro Plan chicken and rice puppy chow until 4 months and then switch to adult Pro Plan chicken and rice."
Y'know, you never really challenged the claim from another user that they instruct you to feed such and such a pet food because most people feed it and so "it must be good" or because they want to dog to have a consistent diet it's entire life. You only passed it off as "irrational". I do not see how this is irrational. I want a real answer.

By the way, you are no longer blocked from PMing me, so if you want to talk to me directly, PM me so we can have a nice civil chat. :)

Burkett's Cookies 'n' Creme answered on 10/25/09. Helpful? / 0

Purina in general isn't good but their dog chow line is the absolute worst along with beneful.

Look into some better food. We use Wellness and Natures Variety.

www.wellnesspetfood.com


Aster, service dog schools are not experts in nutrition. they are experts in training service dogs. They are sponsered by SD and thats why it is fed.

Chocolate answered on 10/25/09. Helpful? / 0