i get my labrador pup in 5 weeks,he will be 8 weeks old,what is the best puppy food to give him?.?

Answer 1

Solid Gold is supposed to be the best dog food. However, it's very expensive. Pro-Plan has some good puppy food, too. Don't buy cheap stuff though--- definitely don't get your dog food at Wal-Mart. Go to Petco or Petsmart, or your vet.

Once again-- all dog foods are NOT created equal. Many of them are basically cereal... no meat. Dogs need protein.

The first challenge in choosing a dog food is picking one that has overall quality. The term that comes up a lot about dog food is human grade. Human grade implies that the dog food is good enough for us to eat. Many commercial dog foods are made from materials unusable or less desirable for human consumption. Often the meat that is used in dog food is of a quality considered unfit for humans to eat.

Major dog food companies try to provide balanced proportions of vitamins and minerals for maximum benefit to your dog. Although you may see that many brands of dog food have almost identical labels, a reputable dog food company will provide an explanation for each supplement and how it benefits your dog.

Always read the label to see what proteins, vitamins and minerals are being provided to your dog. Try not to use store brand dog food they may short change your dog on much needed nutrition.

http://www.buzzle.com/articles/dog-foods-correct-nutrients-vitamins.html

Studies have shown that the primary ingredient in dog food should be meat-based protein, not corn meal, flour or corn gluten meal. According to reviews a better quality dog food results in a healthier coat, fewer digestive problems and firmer stools. Pet-nutrition experts agree that the best dog food is made from human-grade ingredients like meat, whole grains and vegetables. Premium dog food is so important because good nutrition is essential for a long, healthy life.

Answer 2

keep him on the food that the breeder is feeding for now but some breeders can't afford to feed a whole litter an expensive food. I have tried all the brands out there, i have six dogs and have worked in petstores for the last eight years. In my opinion Nutro natural choice large breed puppy is the best food. If that gives him diarreah, then try the sensitive stomach formula. Some puppies cannot handle lamb which is in the large breed puppy, the sensitive stomach has chicken. He should be fine with the large breed. i have a shepherd, 2 saint bernards and a rottie on it and the glucosamine is really good for their joints. Labs need the extra support for their joints because when they get older they do get some hip issues. Also, make sure to mix the two foods for a while just to get him used it it Good luck

Answer 3

I just got a puppy, too. And the breeder gave him to me at 7 weeks, which, now that i am reading all about puppies, I realize is too early. The problems I am having are social, my pup doesn't understand that it hurts when he bites, and he would have learned that from his mother and littermates if he was left with them a little longer. Everything I have read says not before 8 weeks and longer sounds even better. I didn't know any better, so I took my pup home. If you can leave it a little longer. If the breeder won't let you, I wouldn't trust therm anyway. good luck!

Answer 4

There is no best food, its all a personal choice and what the breeder has given him or her after weaning.
Choosing the Correct Food for Your Dog

Healthy nutrition will lead to a healthy dog! In the same way as humans change with age by have differing requirements in both quality, quantity and type of food our canine friends also require change with age in the dietary composition. What is good for a growing, 9 month old pup may be detrimental to a 12 year old, senior, dog. For this reason we believe in 'the lifestage' dietary concept and would encourage yourselves as dog owners to change your pets food with their increasing age. Breed variation and life expectancy has to be taken into account; a Great Dane requires a different feeding schedule to a Yorkshire Terrier. Our trained nurses and veterinary surgeons are available to help you decide on the correct diet for your dog and this advice will help maximise health and life expectancy.

Puppies

Puppies are normally weaned at between 5 and 8 weeks. We are always surprised at the number of 'home' made recipes' and even 'raw carcase feeding' that some breeders wish to use. Getting the correct balance of Calcium, Phosphorus and Vitamin D with utilisable protein and high energy availability is not easy and it is our opinion that feeding a complete, high quality, puppy food is easier, cheaper and healthier than trying to do it yourself. There are several protocols on how to feed a puppy exist but an easy method is to feed a puppy as much as they can eat for 10 minutes, 4 times a day until 12 weeks, reducing to 3 times a day to 18 weeks and then twice daily. At six months the feeding should be dependent on exercise levels and the puppy weight. Most pups will reduce to daily feeding at 12 months of age although small breeds tend to prefer to twice daily feeding. The bones continue to grow and require puppy foods until 10 months of age in a small breed to 18 months in a giant breed such as an Irish Wolf Hound. Ask your vet for advice on when to change diets. Dogs which will have an adult weight of more than 30kg should be fed on a 'Large Breed Puppy food' as this has controlled nutrients to try and prevent excessive spurts of bone development which can lead to joint and bone problems.

www.eurobichons.com

Answer 5

If you are buying from a proper registered breeder, they should advise you what they have weaned the pup on, they might even send you some to last you for a couple of days. I have always fed mine Pedigree puppy tins, with a handfull of the pedigree mix dried biscuits. Always follow instructions, and when introducing new foods, do so gradually.

Answer 6

Two things
First you cannot introduce him onto a new food straight away. Get a sample pack of food from the current owners and feed him that and introduce new food slowley and in small amounts. Otherwise he will get stomach upsets, plus it will help him settle in with you.
Second, take him to the vets when you get him. They'll do an initial check to make sure all is okay and then talk to you acout vaccinations.
I took my puppy to the vets a few days after getting him, and the vet discovered a tumour in his leg. He is okay now but its always best to be safe.

Answer 7

when my dog was a pup he could not tolerate some puppy foods, we tried a few so he had to go on prescription food, but then my trainer suggested Burns I tried that and he was fine. He has been on that since he was 7 months old and now he is 2½ and he is fine on it. If you live in the Uk, you can contact Burns to try a free sample.

Answer 8

Feed a good quality food right from the start. Stay away from foods such as IAMS/Eukanuba, Purina,Pedigree, Science Diet and other supermarket brands. These conatin way to many cheap fillers & by prodiucts. Dogs are meant to extract nutrition from meats not grains. Corn, wheat, soy are cheap fillers, they are high allergens also studies suggest that corn & soy are causes of unexplained seizures in dogs. Soy causes excess gas. Also these grains don't add much by way of nutrition for dogs. Beet pulp adds no nutrition and only serves to add unnecassary sugars to the diet. It takes up to 3 times as mucg grain based foods as it does a good quality meat based food for a dog to receive proper nutrition.

Especially stay away from Ole'Roy..this is virtually the worst food on the market..it is comparitable to feeding your dog gravy/fat soaked sawdust. A dog can virtually become malnourished on this food. Many dogs have gotten very serious issues from this food.

Look for some good quality foods like Chicken Soup for the Puppy Lover's Soul, Canidae All Life Stages, Solid Gold, Wellness, Premium Edge, Percise just ot name a few.

Answer 9

Hey - I've got this one!

I took on 8 puppies to help my cousin last year and had a lot to learn real quick so I did a lot of studying on the Internet and here is some really useful advice.

Puppies tend to get the "D-Word" a lot. As in, when they go potty it is # 3 (please don't make me say that word)!

Most foods give them an upset stomach and tend to really soften their stool. Guess what the very best thing for them is and they love it! Pumpkin!
Go to the store and ask them where their cans of pumpkin are and there you go! Pumpkin in a can is used to make pumpkin pie. A good one to get is Libby's 100% Pure Pumpkin in a 29 oz can. Buy more than one can.

The reason I picked this food source after studying the different options that were being given on the puppy care web sites is because it does something no other food does. It actually hardens a dogs stool. Not too hard where they are constipated. It actually regulates it so it is just totally normal even if the puppy is eating other things that are softening their stool. The pumpkin balances it all out. It really really works so good! That is what you ultimately want. A dog with healthy stools.

The flavor is delicious to them! I wouldn't serve any more than a cup in the morning and again for dinner.

One other thing you can give your little pup is baby food. Gerber's Beech Nut. Maybe, Chicken and rice, fruit flavors, whatever looks good to you... Not too much fruit at one time.

Here is what I really want you to do. You obviously have a computer right? Rather than spending your time coming on this sight and asking a question to a forum? Why don't you drop this whole scene and spend your time going to any of the millions of really great web sites that are created entirely for and based on the raising of puppies? These sights are run by absolute professionals and people with just tons of experience! Instead of just asking about one thing and getting that one question answered? When you go to a sight there is so much to see and so much that captures your interest you cant help but to start checking it all out! The next thing you know? You are just totally enlightened with and enriched with all kinds of puppy knowledge that pertains to your dog precisely. You will be so excited too by all of the little tips and tricks you will pick up that you will soon learn, make a world of difference!

When you go to a forum? You don't know who you are really dealing with. If you look at some of the questions people ask? Like one of them said, their dog was on wet food and how do they go about switching it or weaning it to dry food? Most of the answers were from total teeny boppers. You can tell because they spell everything wrong and they capitalize every other letter... This man was getting answers like. "I don't have a dog or a puppy. I have a cat and whenever he eats wet food he has the runs but not when he has dry food so I don't give him the wet food I don't know if this is gonna help you but its all I got."

WHAT??? If they have a cat? And it never eats wet food? WHY are they answering the question? People! If your answer doesn't fit with the question? Then you don't have an answer!

I found a link to start you off okay? After that? Go to Yahoo!! Home page and enter anything you want to about your puppy in the search window and click Go!

http://www.boxerworld.com/forums/archive/index.php/f-34.html

You will have all kinds of places to go check out!

I hope I have helped you tons! Enjoy your new little bundle of puppy Love-Love-Love!

I just came on here to get song lyrics.

"Pass the Dutchie on the left hand side" !!!

We had an 80's flash back the other night and this song rocked! I'm out!

Best of luck and love to you!

Britney
(In beautiful San Diego, Ca.)

Answer 10

ROYAL CANIN...you can get it at the store for any breed, and it will specifically meet that breed's needs. Just look for the green bag that says royal canin, and one of them should have a picture of a lab on it..get that one. This will surprise you, but almost all dog food is at least 1% *Dog* food, meaning that dogfood processing plants put anything from roadkill like skunks and possums...to roadkill like the occasional dead stray dog or cat. This is a proven fact. Just read the ingredients list. Anything that has the word meal after it, such as chicken meal or pork meal, has at least 1% unidentified animals, or roadkill in it. Yea its gross, but its true. It's very hard to find a food that dosent have that yucky stuff in it. But..anyway goodluck with the dogfood thing, even though some contents are disgusting, certain kinds such as royal canin are very, very healthy for your pooch.