OK... well Romeo and I took a trip to the vet to figure out why he's so stinky. =0( Now, I've been feeding him purina since his arrival home - my husband made a mistake and bought pedagree one week.. I tried to take it back to do an exchange but they wouldn't let me. Go figure. So anyways, I fed it to Romeo anyways and he hates it. =0( Well, starting last week (he's been eatting this Pedagree for about 2 weeks it's a HUGE bag)... he started smelling. BAD! I mean, the ONLY way I can describe it is it smells like something died. We actually thought this and turned our house upside down looking for a mouse or something, finally we pinpointed Romeo and his crate, his bed, ect. Everything he lays on or touches smells like rot.
So the vet cleared any worries of health issues - no skin problems, his glands are JUST fine and no cancer. So we're left with the idea that this just maybe the icky dog food?
My mom suggested perhaps fleas... my childhood GSD had an allergic reaction to flea bites and it made her skin flame up and she smelled like something awful at one point. Needless to say again.. the vet didn't find ONE single hopper on him.

I guess my overall question is -

What food should I feed him? His 6 months old exactly, VERY active ... I honestly can't afford to pay $50 a bag but I'd be willing to invest in his health and smell for that matter. =oP

Another question... I know bathing a dog is supposed to be done on occasion if it's a must - what shampoo do you suggest? Is there something out there that is ALL natural?

Thanks so much for any advice... Links to products are always a plus. =0)

The sooner you get him off the Pedigree the better IMO.

If you want to stick with kibble, here is a link to kibble recommendations on the Leerburg site:

http://www.leerburg.com/all-natural%20kibble.htm

On that page, there are also links to feeding raw.

As for the shampoo, check your local organic health food store. They should carry oatmeal, aloe vera type shampoos for dogs.

Those 2 kibbles you mentioned you've fed him is IMO the worse of the worse. My suggestion is to switch to a raw diet. Plenty of excellent info on this Leerburg site: http://www.leerburg.com/articles.htm#feed
Also excellent info on different threads on feeding raw on this forum.
My black GSD pup has been on raw all of his 5 months (today!) and not only is he healthy and energetic but his coat shines like glass and he loves his raw meat and raw bones. Honest Kitchen is an alternative (raw dehydrated, hydrated with water). Leerburg sells it.

Hey Amanda,
I understand your concern, money wise. I just can't afford the kibbles recommended.
I feed Tucker Kirklands Lamb & Rice.
For the price its a fairly good product.
I think in the link below, they go into detail about the ingredients:
http://www.leerburg.com/forums/ubbthreads.php/ubb/showflat/Number/110263/page/0/fpart/1

check it out. Kirklands is sold at Costco (price club)and for me here in Canada you get a 40lb bag for $22. So it will probably be around $17 in the states.
I do add a supplement to his food and give him canned salmon every second day to help with his coat, and he looks wonderful! His coat is shiny (he's almost all black) and no dandruff, and I think he smells great!!! lol
Of course, some people might not agree with me that its a pretty good kibble, but to each their own.

I've had the same experience with Pedigree. Stopped feeding it years and years ago because boarding kennel fed it and I noticed the same thing - stinky, stinky, stinky. I feed raw diet now. Huge difference.

Amada, just another happy customer weighing in here. When my pup was very young, he got Nutro Kibble BUT then I started feeding him raw many months ago. Since I started raw, complete strangers often say to me, "Your dog smells so good"! And I know it's not the shampoo. I don't bath him often enough ( about every other month). It always make me chuckle to hear the comment. They're always so enthusiastic when they say it, almost like there shocked to meet a dog that actually smells good. Come to think of it, I can't remember a time I've ever experienced a dog actually smelling good, other than my own !

My Brittany was the same way, stinky and overweight when I first got her. For her first checkup, the vet said she looked like her back was a flight deck. I started her on raw immediately! She looks great now and smells good too!

Does your boy get dandruff too?

I highly recommend Natural Balance, great smell, coat and you wil be astonished with the change in the dog.

GREAT recommendations and I will surely check out the RAW diet, I've considered it. I almost figured this was entirely my fault - I just knew I shouldn't have given him the pedagree.. poor guy. Purina is bad too? That recommendation came from my husband's mother who's a groomer, I suppose I trusted her judgement - but I've read many articles saying that almost all kibbles are just bad for the dogs in many aspects. I Think I just may give this RAW diet a go... esp considering I only want the best for my guy. =0) Thanks SO very much everyone!!!