Looking for some different food For my hunting Dog. normally get my food at Fleet farm. What kinds are you using? I am currently using a high energy food/ for active outdoor dogs, but his stools are really loose, any advice would be great. Keep in mind I have older dogs that will also be eating this, but might have to get 2 different kinds of food.
thanks
I tried some the expensive foods. Native put weight well for winter because you can choose what protein level. However, my dogs have done great on Duralife high protein from Theisens for years.
–Whitey
I did some serious research on dog food when I first got my black lab pup 2 years ago. After doing research and talking with numerous dog food reps I ended up going with CANIDAE ALL LIFE STAGES food. Yes, like the others stated is is a little more money, but you get what you pay for. Check it out at http://www.canidae.com as it is good stuff. 
Plus you could feed the same food to all your dogs no matter what the age.
WHat is the price on the Canidae food? How about a 40# bag of the all stages??????????
I have fed Eukanuba and it is $44 for a 40 lb bag. Expensive compared to most, but she eats a lot less, so in the long run it costs less to keep her fed.
Tim
then how much do you feed your dogs? mine just mow it down and are still scavanging. 
The 40Lbs bags were $40-$42 or so, but now they only make a 38Lb or 44 Lb bag. Tim, your correct the kcals are high on canidae as well, so a guy only needs to feed the dog 2 cups a day which saves. It pretty much equals out compared to other dog foods.
Pet stores do not carry the Canidae to my knowledge, but if you find a dealer they have sample bags that one can try before actually purchaing an entire bag.
I do get a lot of compliments on the look of my dog as well. I will admit I have to give the food manufacturer there props on this one.
Good luck with your choice.
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then how much do you feed your dogs? mine just mow it down and are still scavanging.
I got my female lb when she was 9 months. She was a scavenging machine……and a little overweight. I don’t like feeding dogs – so I got a 2 gallon stainless horse bowl. I filled it heaping……she ate the whole thing….I refilled instantly…….it was the last time she over ate. She rapidly learned that the food was always there and it lost it’s appeal. She started eating when she was hungry and only eating what she needed…..(the tricks we could learn form our dogs…..) She lost weight very soon and has maintained a healthy weight evver since. She is nearly twelve now.
Tim
SES – Thanks for the info….
I have done a ton of research on dog foods. I hunt hounds so need a good food at a good price for athletes. These dogs will run hard for 8-10 hrs at times. 6 hrs in a day is about average. That’s not trotting, but running full bore!! Also feeding 7 dogs right now. Even coon hunting last night the dogs ran 5 hours, but that is not as hard as a bear, or yote chase.
Currently i am feeding High Standard 26-18 @ $25 for 50lbs.
The things to watch for in your feed are groud corn, and soy. Don’t want either of them. Hard for the dog to digest, and the latter will tear up the insides. You want to look for corn gluten meal. Very easy to digest and they get mor from it. I also prefer to feed a meat based product. That sould be the first ingriedent on the list.
During the hard running seasons I give them 3-5 cups depending on the dog. Most are 50-60lbs. In the off seasons they maintain weight well on 2-3 cups. That’s per day feed once.
There are a lot of other good foods out there. Guys I know are feeding K9 26/18, Diamond high energy, Pizazz, and Simon’s choice. Just depends on what is available where you live. I buy mine by the ton having it delivered.
Good hunters ae the ones to talk to about feed. We can not afford to be paying 40-50 a bag. Rarely will you ever see a fat out of shape bear/cat/yote/coon dog. See a lot of labs like that though. No offense lab guys!!!!!
Hope this helps a few out. Feel free to ask any more questions as this post is already gettting long 
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Good hunters ae the ones to talk to about feed. We can not afford to be paying 40-50 a bag. Rarely will you ever see a fat out of shape bear/cat/yote/coon dog. See a lot of labs like that though. No offense lab guys!!!!!
Offense taken! So what you are saying the that guys who hunt with labs are not good hunters?
When you are talking hunting, upland or waterfowl- I rarely see an out of shape lab. Now the ones that are just pets, that is another story. That can be said about any breed though.
Now for feed, I cut back 25% during the season. The dogs digestive system is more efficient so less is needed. This cutback comes after the quntity is raised the same amount about 4 months before the season starts. after the season they wll go on a maintence program. amount of food depends on the dog. Start with the amount stated on the bag and adjust from there. I feed twice a day, never before the start of the hunt and never right after.
I use Purina Pro plan and meat around a 60/40 ratio. As you can see from the picture, weight is not a problem.
Good hunters ae the ones to talk to about feed. We can not afford to be paying 40-50 a bag. Rarely will you ever see a fat out of shape bear/cat/yote/coon dog. See a lot of labs like that though. No offense lab guys!!!!!
You really know how to win friends and influence people. Ya I have seen a lot of fat labs–but none are still true hunting dogs. These tend to be dogs who have earned a place on the rug in the house after years of service in the field or just pets. Many times folks don’t think to reduce a dogs food as it gets older and less active. Might see some fat coonhounds too if they were allowed a life as a companion or retired hunter now living in the house. I meet very few coonhunters with a retired dog sleeping on their bed.
–Whitey
Guys, Sorry about that!! It was nothing more than a typo. It was supposed to say HOUNDHUNTERS!!! Did not proof read the post. If I had a use for a lab would own one. Owned and trained one heck of a lot of them.
Again It was just a TYPO!!!! Those letters are right next to each other!!!
Steve
I didn’t fully read through the posts before I replied back with my honest mistake. So I did again just to make sure I didn’t miss type again. Doing this I have some questions.
First Don- Why would I guy running his dog cut back the feed when they need it most???? I know walking a bird dog around a few hours is not as demanding as a dog chasng a bear a few hours, but they still burn a lot of calories. They need more during this time to keep the weight on!! Your pic I assume has to be during the hunting season? I say this as the dogs back bone can be seen clearly. That is a problem with weight!!!!!
Jason- I know from another post that you hound hunt some. Don’t know the guys you hunt with or their dogs/care. I know one heck of a lot of hound guys. Some better than others. Some let the dogs in the house as they age. Others do not. Some are like me. We have at least on of our 7 hounds in the house every night. They take turns. When the really bad weather hits, all of them will be in the house!!! Mine rarely get fat as they get hunted almost 10 months a year. You will find few hounds that are housebroke. Even fewer that will sit and stay on command. Some dog owners are better than others. It seems though that when it comes to a hound people really put a label on them. Not much unlike the owner of a Pit bull.
This thread was supposed to be about feeds, not a peeing match. Like many other posts I have had on this site got bashed right away for a typo or something someone misread. Would think fellow hunters would look at the big picture more, rather than jump all over someone right away.
Again an honest mistake of a typo. I will try to be more careful in my posts of the future. Hate to get anyones undies all bunched up over nothing!!! Besides if I was trying to be hateful, why would I use my real name,location, and phone number in my posts!!!!
Not a peeing match, just did not agree with what you stated in your post. The way it read to me was that people on this site are not the ones to talk to about dogs or the care of.
Next the dog in the picture has mantained the same weight for two years within .25lbs and is weighed and check by a vet regularly. Maybe not the best picture because when I look at it again, it looks like he arching his back. If you want I can give you names of guys who have hunted behind this dog. They can give you an honest opinion of his weight and overall health. Next, the training and hunting I do is a little more than the dogs walking around for a couple of hours!
If you read my post again it is a .25% cutback during hunting season after a .25% increase during the preseason training. When dogs are in top shape their digestive system burns calories more efficiently, that is why less is required.
Don- I have to agree that I would have had a problem with the way that post read. like I said it was just a typo. I was talking about feeding hounds with all those feeds. SO it can bee seenthat it was a typo.
A .25% cutback in feed is nothing. a few pieces of kibble. It says 25% and that is a lot. I agree with a dog in top shape the digestive system doew work more efficently as with any athlete. Still even at optimum efficency when more calories are burned more are needed to replace those burned. That is why there are so mnay supplements out there now for just that. Problem with the feeds we have today is that the wrong ingriedients are being put in them for these needs. The carbs/fat energy is what is needed for these demanding times. Right now there is no food on the market that gives you more fat without more protein. Protein is good for building muscle as they break it down during the workouts. Still they need the fat energy when the calories start burning. I have seen dogs lose more than 10lbs in a day running. Try to put that back on with a 30/20. I supplement my feed during the running seasons with a whey fat product. Almost pure fat that really gets them the energy they need to run day after day. We will run bear 5 days a week or more all trianing season long. During this hard running time our dogs will also show a few bones. This does not mean they are under feed. In fact how many fat people did you see at the olympics. Never seen a distance runner that didn’t look scrawny.
Again sorry for the typo!!!!
Now I made the typo. It should read 25% not .25%. This site is about sharing info and helping fellow members. Your imput on food was very informitive, thanks for sharing. as always the mis-understandings will work themselfs out. Have a great season and keep us posted on how things are going.
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When dogs are in top shape their digestive system burns calories more efficiently, that is why less is required.
Obviously each individual dog is different and has different needs, and each owner is responsible for the condition of their dog. And I’m not saying anything about the condition of your dog…what work for you works for you.
However, I have never heard of anyone decreasing the food intake of a hard working dog during the time frames they are are actually working (i.e thorough hunting season). With decreasing your dogs food intake by 25% mid season your saying that the dog is burning calories more efficiently and effectively using 25% less calories per day. I am curious where you got this info?
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Currently i am feeding High Standard 26-18 @ $25 for 50lbs.
The things to watch for in your feed are ground corn, and soy. Don’t want either of them. Hard for the dog to digest, and the latter will tear up the insides. You want to look for corn gluten meal. Very easy to digest and they get mor from it. I also prefer to feed a meat based product. That sould be the first ingriedent on the list.
I know these posts always seem to get everyone’s input on food and feeding….and I’m just curious about a few things you said.
You say don’t want ground corn in dog food, yet that’s one of the primary ingredients of the dog food you feed?
Also, you prefer a meat based product which taht food does offer, however it’s a generic meat & bone meal vs a specific animal source meal (ie. chicken meal). I believe the later is going to provide a better protein source.
While I’m sure your dogs are in great shape and do fine on their current food source, there are better foods out there(IMO of course).
311- I will first address your issues with my posts.
First- You are right!!! The ingriedients now say the the 2nd ingriedient is ground yellow corn. Guess what, this is all new. they recently changed the formula, and tried to sneak it in!!! First they changed the bags. Then on my last load I noticed they have changed the label. I have tried to contact the owner, with no results as of yet. Trust me I am aggraated to say the least about it. Will be changing my food source very shortly as a result.
Second- as to the meat and bone meal vs the label of chicken. If you do some research on the whole subject you will find some neat things, and may even go holistic! A feed only needs to state a source no matter the amount. That is why you will see alot of labels that say made with —– that is so they do have to have a certian percent of the product in them according to the gov. In genral with labels when saying meat as an ingriedent theyare referring to beef. As per the rules by the gov they need to state the source ie, meat/beef, pork, or poultry.
The amount of hours I have spent on the research of the rules, and the ingriedents is amazing to even me. I want my dogs to have the best I can give them. This does not always mean the most expensive. All dogs respond differntly. So when feedign multiple dogs this becomes harder in finding balance. I know if I am feeding 3 cups a day to a dog that is dropping 2 piles a day, and staying skinny there is a problem. Now I feed 3 cups a day with just one pile and the dogs get fat, now i got something. Which do you think the dogs are getting more out of!
As to yur reply to Don’s post-
Well It does have some merit. Perhaps his dog being in better shape during the hunting season is using the food more efficently and maintianing a proper weight. Along with the energy stores for a hard days hunt day in and out. With the type of hunting I do it cannot be done. Still I am not running bird dogs. My dogs look like canine body builders all muscled up, and lean. That comes from the demands of running hard in the bear woods. I have to increase my feed even more during winter whne running yotes, and cats. The cold alone draws more out of them in keeping warm in the kennel at 20 below. Then to have to run hard for hours in the could is demanding. Not much unlike a sled dog. Very few if any bird dogs have these demands. So if what he is doing with his dog works for the style of hunting he does it should be looked at by those who hunt in that way.
You are seeing 2 very differnt styles of hunting and the demands they put on a dog. This also puts demands on the dogs body which requires differnt nutrients. As a easy example let’s take football. A quarterback eats much differnt than a lineman. In that realm the QB is a more dainty eater. The lineman, well let’s just say they are the ones more likely to get banned from a all you can eat buffet restraunt. Both are great athletes, still the demands, and needs of their bodies are much differnt.
Come August or Jan, you feed your bird dog like I do my hounds you will have one fat dog, while mine can barley stay warm or hold the weight. Differnt strokes ya know.
The whole premis for my post was to help others in finding a good feed for less. What happened was a even better education for all. What stinks is the feed companies keep changing things while I am even typing. Since the first of the year I have seen changes form Purina,Pizazz,UKC,Diamond,and now HiStandard. Makes it hard to keep up with. Especially when you are buying 1 ton a month.
Take it for what it is worth, and Please if you find something I do not know tell me. I am always looking for the better product for my dogs!!!! Well at least if the cost is lower than feeding raw beef!!!
Ohh, and please excuse any typos!! The secratary is on vacation. 
Steve, thanks for the response. I was not trying to call you out and had no issues with your post. Was just looking for clarification on some of the things you said. What was mentioned in your post that described what you want/don’t want in foods is just touching the tip of what people should be looking into…..and I would strongly recommend people do their own research and find what fits for them and their dogs. There’s much more to it than what has been briefly covered here….as you know.
As far the the “meals” in dog food. My research has lead me to believe that “meals” (Chicken meal, lamb meal) are certainly what you would want provided as a main ingredient in a good food (first ingredients listed on label, order determined by weight prior to processing). You can have this followed by or previous to something like “Chicken” for example, but the main thing to know with that is that chicken meal has more available protein source than something like “chicken”. Chicken listed as a primary ingredient includes water weight (as labeling amount is concerned), there fore once dried it’s actually less amount of available protein source. I don’t believe Meat and bone meal to be of as good of protein source as chicken meal or lamb meal. Is there info somewhere that says they are comparable?
I can certainly can appreciate the situation you, or anyone else owning a number of dogs is in that needs to find a food to work for all your dogs. It can’t be easy…or cheap. I have had to go through multiple foods because of allergies with one dog….and I just got a new pup recently so I am feeding two different foods. I can’t imagine 5-6+!
As far as my post to Don….I guess he would need to specify how he actually hunts his dogs and let everyone compare to their style of hunting. Everyone obviously hunts differently, and different game. I still have a hard time believing the majority working dog (sled dogs, coon, bear, bird, etc) that is out working all day long, many days during a season would not lose any weight by decreasing calorie intake by 25% in the middle of the season. But…as we know each individual dog is different and obviously Don’s dog does well on it.
Each of these situations can be much different…..so I just don’t want people to read something and think they should automatically do the same thing and then wonder why their dog is getting so skinny. I would like to believe the majority would not do this and would notice if something was not working for their dog…..but there’s so many opinions out there it seems some could easily just try to do what they read without thinking about it in any detail.
Myself and two other trainers I am in contact with and have worked with use this program. I don’t want to take credit for devolping it because through research I have read about others doing it. I just can’t remember who! I will try to find some onfo on it when I have some time. I am glad you are concerned about someone trying the program without thought. I usually put in my post to contact me about any program members are interested in. Sorry I did not do that this time.
I have not had a dog lose an amount of weight that would be a concern on this program. My two dogs do not vary more than a 1/4 lb. They run the same training program and hunt the same amount. Do they get fed the same amount? I still make the 25% cut during the season. They however do not start at the same amount. During the hunting season both dogs are in the field the same amount of time. Their needs are much differnt though. Dog #1 hunts at a much faster pace and holds that pace all day. Dog #2 at this point is less efficient in covering ground. He works at a slower pace but is putting more mile on. But because of his slower pace, he burns less energy. Thus as I am building into this program, his ration of food is less. Like you said, it depends on the individual dog.
I factor in genetics, fitness level, fat %, size and age of the dog when it comes to nutrition. Next, is the dog a backyarder, a weekender, or an everydayer. If I am training a backyarder or everydayer, I will start with their normal amount of food and then up it 25% as I start training. Keep in mind that besides demands of training, he is getting 5 miles of road work a day. When thet are back with the owner and ready for hunting, they can be cut back that 25%. The everydayer is on a little different program. These are the dog that are in the field everyday during hunting season and are road working and training everyday in the off season. With the everydayer, I will start with the maintence program. This is the amount of food deemed nessesary for overall health. Next I will go into the preseason training, usually months before hunting season. This is where I will increase the food 25% to cover the demand. Now as the hunting season begins the dogs digestive system is more efficient. This is where I cut back the 25%. After the season, I will slowly increase the amount back up to maintience level.
My dogs and the ones I have trained all have maintained well with this program. These are upland retrievers, just to clarify.
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Next, is the dog a backyarder, a weekender, or an everydayer. If I am training a backyarder or everydayer, I will start with their normal amount of food and then up it 25% as I start training. Keep in mind that besides demands of training, he is getting 5 miles of road work a day. When thet are back with the owner and ready for hunting, they can be cut back that 25%. The everydayer is on a little different program. These are the dog that are in the field everyday during hunting season and are road working and training everyday in the off season. With the everydayer, I will start with the maintence program. This is the amount of food deemed nessesary for overall health. Next I will go into the preseason training, usually months before hunting season. This is where I will increase the food 25% to cover the demand. Now as the hunting season begins the dogs digestive system is more efficient. This is where I cut back the 25%. After the season, I will slowly increase the amount back up to maintience level.
My dogs and the ones I have trained all have maintained well with this program. These are upland retrievers, just to clarify.
Don, thanks for the clarification. If I am understanding you correctly I think the first part of what you posted makes more sense…especially the fact that some of these dogs may be with you and getting roaded (in addition to training)while they are with you, and then once back with a backyarder or weekender owner I have to believe their not getting that same amount of exercise every day.
Is this understanding more in line with your process?
I still can’t wrap my mind around an everyday’r being able to cut back 25% during hunting season…..but I guess I will do some more research on that and see what I can find out about calorie intake once the dog is hunting fit.
Good looking pups….they definitly look fit…too bad they are the wrong color!! 
Anyone feed Diamond Naturals?
I was feeding Canidae to all my dogs, running hounds(yote dogs) and terriers(cab dogs). Last fall Canidae switched their ingredients and I noticed the dogs losing weight and generally being more hungry. I’ve now switched them to Eagle Pack Original. It’s doing okay for the time being but I’m still in search for other options that aren’t a small fortune but still high quality. IMHO I’m convinced that Raw and BARF diets are the best way to feed K-9’s. I haven’t switched yet, but I’m working out the sources and process, especially for my running hounds. Realistically when you look at how much dog food is per lb and how much filler is in some of it, you can buy human grade meat for that much and scraps and droppings for far less.
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