What is a good dog food for a great dane puppy?

Question

We have a 12 wk old dane girl she is fawn with a black mask just so sweet and goffy. I've read a lot about not feeding any type of puppy food. 24% or less of protien and 12% or less of fat. Is this so? I want the best for her and only adult foods what is good and where can you get it Petsmart...Wal-mart and so on. Our last dane we didn't know this and feed him puppy food until he was 1yr old the breeder said puppy LG breed. Now I'm reading different. Which that was 10yrs ago also. And what size crate / pet taxi should I buy now I don't want to have to buy a new one every month.LOL I know most people keep the danes outside but our girl is a house dog!!!! She has natural ears and just that dane look. We are teaching her how to sit now and I hope to start with her to heal next. We have 2 small children and we want her to know she can't jump on you. Any other dane info will help a lot thanks so much to you all and Happy New Year and God bless.

Answer 1

For a crate, I would recommend one that will fit your dog's adult size, but has a divider so when the puppy is smaller, you can let it be in half the crate instead of the whole thing. Then, as the puppy grows, you can remove the divider. That way, you don't have to keep buying crates every months.

I don't own giant breeds, but I believe they are usually put on adult food instead of puppy food. Puppy food makes a giant breed grow too fast. There are a few giant breed puppy formulas out there, but not many.

Below the double line is my general dog food choosing shpeel. Again, this is general information, and giant breeds have different 'rules' they follow, so that will require some more research on your end to make sure the food your choose is acceptable to feed a giant breed.
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Read the ingredients on the food you buy. Go with a high quality dog food.

Here is my "short list" of rules when I am looking at dog ingredients:
1) When I chose a dog food, I chose one high meat content. I want to see preferably at least 2-3 out of the top 5 ingredients be meat or meat meal (first ingredient must be!). Meal is simply the meat with the moisture removed.
2) I want to see higher quality grains, such as barley, brown rice, and oatmeal, instead of seeing wheat and corn. Or an alternative starch/carbohydrate such as potatoes or sweet potatoes.
3) I don't want to see any byproducts.
4) I don't want to see a lot of fillers.
5) I don't want to see preservatives that are believed to be carcinogens (BHA, BHT, ethoxyquin).
6) I don't want to see artificial colorings such as the Red, Blue, and Yellow dyes.
7) I don't want to see added sugars (sugar, corn syrup).
8) I don't want to see mystery meats (meats identified only as "meat" or "poultry".)

Here is an article about byproducts:
http://www.dogfoodproject.com/index.php?page=ingrd

And an article on what ingredients to avoid:
http://www.dogfoodproject.com/index.php?page=badingredients

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There is no food that is the *best*, different individual dog may thrive on different foods. What is best for one may not be the best for the next. And just because a food is good quality, it doesn't mean it will jive the best for your dog.

What you want to find is the high-quality food that *your dog* does best on.

Here are some examples of high quality foods:
* Artemis - http://www.artemiscompany.com/
* California Natural - http://www.naturapet.com/brands/california-natural.asp
* Canidae - http://www.canidae.com/
* Chicken Soup - http://www.chickensoupforthepetloverssoul.com/
* EVO - http://www.naturapet.com/brands/evo.asp
* Fromm - http://www.frommfamily.com/
* Innova - http://www.naturapet.com/brands/innova.asp
* Merrick - http://www.merrickpetcare.com/
* Nature's Variety - http://www.naturesvariety.com/
* Orijen - http://www.championpetfoods.com/orijen/products/
* Solid Gold - http://www.solidgoldhealth.com/
* Taste of the Wild - http://www.tasteofthewildpetfood.com/
* Timberwolf Organics - http://timberwolforganics.com/
* Wellness - http://www.omhpet.com/wellness/

Or check this website for good foods: http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/dog_food_reviews/
(I recommend only feeding foods rated 4, 5, or 6 stars. Anything 3 stars or less, I would stay away from.)

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Higher quality food may seem more expensive at first, but it evens out. The higher quality the food, the less fillers eaten (and therefore the less poop comes out the other end). Your dog eats more of a low-quality food to try to get the nutrition it needs, and most of the food just passes right on through. Also, higher-quality food will make your animals healthier, so you save money on vet bills in the long run.

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Stay away from grocery stores brands. They are low-quality foods chalk full of fillers, preservatives, dyes, etc.. (Grocery store foods are those like Beneful, Old Roy, Alpo, Pedigree, etc.)

Beware "premium" foods. "Premium" does not always mean good nutritionally, and is not a nutritionally high quality food. Most of these foods have the same types of ingredients as grocery store foods, just a bit better quality of those not-so-good ingredients. (Premium foods are those like Iams, Eukanuba, Science Diet, etc..)

Another thing to be wary of: A lot of vets will recommend what they sell in their office. They get profit from the brands they keep on their shelves, that's why they push it. Truth is, vet schools don't focus a lot on nutrition. It's not saying that a vet is a bad vet because he recommends those foods, a lot of vets just are told "this is good food", so they pass the message along without proper nutrition knowledge. Also, some dog food brands (like Hills) support vet schools, so vets have heard of it from the time they start college, which makes them think it's good as well.

Hills company, the makers of Science Diet, are heavily involved in vet schools. "Hill's scientists author more than 50 research papers and textbook chapters each year and teach at leading schools of veterinary medicine" (Source of quoted section: http://www.hillsvet.com/zSkin_2/company_info/company_info_general.jsp?JSESSIONID=HMz2B3Jn3hv0rnSoxCobfbBhOec35ODG7yh5t3P0vcvhOtzRlQ9M!598359213!167846923!7005!8005&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374302026072&bmUID=1196192566575 )

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"Big box" petstores like Petco and Petsmart rarely have quality foods. (I do believe that PetCo sells "Solid Gold" and "Natural Balance" brands and Petsmart sells "Blue Buffallo", which are all higher quality foods, but most of the foods aren't.)

Also, grocery stores and Walmart aren't good places to buy food either.

Your best bets for getting quality dog food are:
- small, locally owned petstores
- dog boutiques
- farm supply stores

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When switching foods, do it gradually. I do this over about a two week timespan:
25% food A, 75% food B
50% food A, 50% food B
75% food A, 25% food B
100% food A
.

Answer 2

You have been told correctly..NO puppy food not even large breed for a Dane puppy. Feed a good quality adult food of not more then 24% protein. Some good choices are Canidae All Life Stages, Chicken Soup Regular Adult or Adult Large Breed, Wellness Super5 mix just to name a few.

Dane should NOT be kept outside and most people do NOT keep their Danes outside.Danes are indoor dogs.They can't handle extremes in heat or cold.

Dane puppies should not have forced exercise until they are at least 12 months old.

Make sure to get your Dane puppy into a good obedience class.

I recommend that you check out the Yahoo group Premiere Great Dane and also DOL (Danes On Line) www.dol.com Another good place is Leans & Slobbers http://leansnslobbers.com

Another recommendation is the book The Great Dane Model of Nobility by Jill Swedlow

Answer 3

Crate training is an excellent idea. We bought the 42" for our dane pup. He's 7 months old now, and it's still good size. I think the only one bigger at PetSmart was the 48". Depending on the dogs line, that may or may not be necessary.

I didn't use the divider, I put his bed in the back half, and paper in the front half. And a small clip on water dish because he's in there about 8 hours per day. He only had one accident in the house since we got him at 8 weeks, and that was my fault for getting distracted right after he ate. I didn't get him outside fast enough.

When she's got her puppy shots (don't do Rabies before 6 months!!!), make sure to get her into a training class. I know a few danes who like to jump up when you walk in, and it can be scary for anyone not used to it (and filthy even for those who are). Not a good idea any way you look at it.

Answer 4

Who gave you this info? A vet, or a breeder? Either way I'd check the information with a qualified second source and then ask that person what food they recommend. You should also get in touch with a Great Dane club or rescue group, I'm sure they will be very eager to help and offer advise. Always remember to consider the source when following advise about your dog, get a second opinion and then do your own research. I'm not going to give you advise on dog food, I'm giving you advise on how to be a good dog owner. I raise and train Australian Shepherds for agility and show and have for thirty years, believe me when I tell you there is too much bogus information going around for new dog owners.

Answer 5

If I had a Great Dane Pup, I'd probably start with feeding Solid Gold Wolf Cub. It's a Bison and Salmon formula which is really good. Bison is a lean source of protein and Salmon is great for the skin and coat and brain development. Also, the lady who found and still own Solid Gold used to breed and show Danes, so I think she's pretty good on knowing what they need.

Answer 6

I feed our dane (and have since a pup) Eagle Pack Holistic Large/Giant Breed ADULT along with the Holistic select canned. I supplement with Nzymes treats and Bac Pak Plus as well. We have a 48" crate for him that we purchased at PetSmart. It was the size recommended for a Great Dane.

Good luck and enjoy your new addition. :)

Answer 7

good dog food great dane puppy

Answer 8

I really wish people asking FOOD BRAND questions would post what country they live in....
Chile?? Canada?? China??

if you are in CANADA feed NUTRAM LARGE BREED PUPPY.. this food is so good they can export to countries in other parts of the world with tougher standards.. they do not sell to USA beause so many foods already in USA...

anyhow.. grocery and Wal Mart DO NOT sell good food...
Science Diet - is NOT good food
many box stores (Petsmart) do NOT sell good food (some do you need to read ingredient list)

the best foods are usually found at smaller stores, or groomers or livestock feed suppliers...

she should be on puppy food until 18 months..

Answer 9

Find a high quality large breed (or giant...do they make giant breed specific food?) growth control formula puppy food. The growth control helps prevent them from growing too fast and adding extra pressure to the joints.
Some good brands to choose from:
Evo
Innova
Natural Choice
Nutro
Solid Gold
Canidae
Blue Buffalo

STAY AWAY FROM:
Beneful
IAMS
Eukanuba
Ol' Roy
Science Diet
Kibbles 'N' Bits
Pedigree
Purina
Anything sold commercially in Wal-Mart or supermarkets

Happy New Year!

Answer 10

i want to say this first...NEVER BUY FOOD AT THE WAL-STORE, IT IS CRAP!! ok, i feed solid gold food to my mastiff and rhodesian ridgeback. any food that has corn, do not feed. if you can afford it, any food on the list above that was mentioned is good. if not, try pro-plan or purina one, but i would feed the others first, they are the better of the store type brands too consider out of the..cheaper foods.

Answer 11

science diet plus puppy formula for great danes and happy new year to you too. im also happy cuz tommorow is my b day