Quote: Louis LaRose

.... i will do some more research on the recomended drys, but feel free to post up your top choices, and where i might be able to get them. ....

http://www.leerburg.com/honestkitchen.htm

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

The first link is for THK dehydrated raw, which is so lightweight (dehydrated; you reconstitute it with warm water) that it's not terribly expensive to ship. I buy it for travel and for backup to my raw feeding. I would feel fine about using it with RMBs or meat added if I couldn't do raw for some reason.

The second is Ed Frawley's list of better kibbles. If you decide on one, most have store-finders on their web sites.

 Quote: Louis LaRose

....
i am going to continue to try and pick up his food and see how it goes. the water too. i hate the idea of not having water for him from 7pm until 11pm when i go to bed and put him in the room with me. also, when ever i take him out after i pull up the water, he tries to drink all the dirty water and crap that might be standing in the grass (it has been excessively rainy here in the last 3 weeks...)

Why are you planning to pick up the water? I missed something. Won't the no-tip bowl solve the water-play in the living room?

also, what about treats for training? any recommended?

Hi Louise, Welcome!

Another vote against SD.

I have a feeling that when you switch foods your pup will eat better.

You have gotten some really great suggestions.

Thought I had saved a link regarding how to read dog food labels but can't seem to find it, maybe someone else has it???

Will have to say that my dogs have been much healthier since switching to raw.

Best of luck with your new pup!

I bookmarked this from another thread and found it very helpful:

http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/dog_food_reviews/index.php

Here is another:

http://www.dogfoodproject.com/

 Quote: louis larose

also, what about treats for training? any recommended?

Liver Biscotti and Zuke's Mini Naturals, sold here on the Leerburg site: http://www.leerburg.com/equip.htm#treat

Since your pup isn't eating, barring any medical condition, he doesn't like the food, plain and simple. A GSD I rescued WAS starving herself because of the awful kibble the previous owner decided to feed. They would pour a ton into a bowl, free-feeding, and still she was all skin and bones. It was awful. It's saying a lot when dogs, who eat all sorts of weird stuff, won't eat a certain kibble.

These kibble manufacturers have the gall to tell us that their extremely processed kibbles are so good for dogs, when we know that processed foods for humans aren't good for us. You know, the phony boxed stuff that they push on "busy" people to feed their families, including their children. Processed foods are just not the way to go. Give your pup a raw chicken wing and watch him maybe play with it at first since he hasn't ever had one, to start to nibble on it, to devouring it. Or give him some raw ground turkey just as an experiment. He'll start to light up at feeding time.

ok...i am a chef, so cheap meats and food are not gonna be an issue. like chicken wings, ground meat, turkey, and the like. i like the idea about giving him those, but am still leary about giving him bones. mainly the chicken ones. i may take a couple of chicken breasts home tonite and see how he likes it...

will this upset his stomach, so far as to make him throw it back up?

also....

WATER....do i need to leave the h20 bowl down for him while i/we are at home? it seems that he is more likely to pee on my floors randomly when he has the run of the water...

i know that he goes all day in his kennel w/o out it...but today my fiancee is @ home with him and asking if she should leave the water out b/c they are playing with toys a lot and he may be thirstier than if her were just in his kennel....

thanks for all the answers....

louis

Hi again Louis! Most of this post will just be "seconding" or "thirding and beyond" of the other input you have gotten.

My hubby and I first started researching dog food when our old Beagle was sick ($700+ at the vet, and we got him there just in the nick of time) and fat. The vet recommended Science Diet Lite Senior Formula. He kept getting fatter and slower - like he was aging rapidly before our eyes. His weight was a real problem, so of course we kept reducing the amount of food to the point where he was obviously hungry all the time. One of our other dogs was such a picky eater on her kibble that she was getting painfully thin.

Our initial research on the internet led us to the info of feeding here at Leerburg, as well as many other sites. The book "Natural Nutrition for Cats and Dogs" recommended here is the first book we ordered, and I highly recommend it!

The http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com link provided earlier in this thread is awesome in terms of figuring about the labels, and what they do and DON'T tell you.

I too was leery at first about chicken bones. Of course we've all heard about how bad COOKED chicken bones are - which they are!! Raw chicken bones (and any other bones) are different. My hubby actually ate a bite of raw chicken bone just to see for himself how they differ from cooked bones. (and no, he did not get e-coli or salmonella, although you may not want to go quite as far as he did!)

We've really settled into a near replica of the raw feeding menus recommended here at Leerburg. We also follow the supplement recommendations here, and purchase most of these products here.

Like Connie, we also us The Honest Kitchen products (we have both chicken and turkey on hand) for travel and other handy feeding backup.

I can understand your hesitation - it's such a "new" concept (based on a lot of "old" common sense) that it's scary at first. I respect the decision to start with a better kibble. I hope you will continue to read and research the raw feeding options.

I lost my first dog to cancer at age 10, and my second dog to renal kidney failure at age 10 long before I knew anything about the varying qualities in dog food. While raw feeding isn't a "magic bullet" that guarantees your dog will live forever, I will always wonder if their lives were shortened due to the absolute crap I unwittingly fed them throughout their lives.

Losing those dogs, plus seeing the health improvements especially in my old Beagle absolutely drive my passion for this subject! (can you tell?? )

I second (third or more??) the suggestion of giving your pup a raw chicken wing to see what happens!!

Best wishes and keep us posted!!

Beth

thanks so much beth.

what say you on my comments about the water above? i have done some searching and have not really found what i am looking for...

we have some "first" joint wings (buffalo) in the freezer here at the restaurant, they are the biggest of the wing...i think that i will try one or two out tonite when i get home from work....

louis

 Quote: Louis LaRose

what say you on my comments about the water above? i have done some searching and have not really found what i am looking for...
out tonite when i get home from work....

I'd give him free water whenever at all possible and take him out to potty after every play session and before every crate session.