What brand are you using and do you change it up when they are working hard during the fall season?
I feed my lab Dolly the same thing since she was a little pup- Pro Plan Sport.
She is a very active dog, hunt season or not, and the Pro Plan agrees with her very well. Two cups a day maintains her weight perfectly.
Pro Plan is really good stuff!
Pro-Plan (no grain) here also. However, was wondering if any go with something like RedPaw during the working season.
Has a rep as the dog food for hard working Dogs.
http://redpawdogfood.com/
Same here. PPP Premium Performance 30/20 year round (purple bag).
I increase amounts during multiple day trips. May add a can of tuna.
Also use the Purina Refuel bars during the season for a quick shot of carbohydrates. It can't hurt.
Trap eats Purina Sport.
And whatever else I'm eating !
He loves Lays potatoes chips.
Can't eat just 1 !
Kirkaland premium lamb and rice, the green bag. Two cups, twice a day maintains my GSP's weight with regular exercise.
I free-feed him during hunting season, he loses 5-8 lbs during a 3-5 day hunting trip. More if the hunting is good, or warm.
I also feed him the same brand of wet food during the trips. He will always eat it, not so much with the dry.
Seems like most of the season is spent trying to keep weight on him, time off is spent recouping and healing.
I use Taste Of The Wild all year.
Raw food with a little kibble.
FYI, Merrick was purchased by Nestle Purina a couple years ago.
http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/dog-food-news/nestle-purina-merrick-buyoutI personally worry about quality and cost-saving measures when a giant corporation buys out a smaller successful business. YMMV, but I wanted to give you the heads up. I switched two years to Blue Buffalo because of this.
Diamond Naturals Adult Chicken and Rice does good by us....
Sportmix Wholesomes Fish Meal & Rice
Blue Buffalo, Chicken and Brown Rice recipe with a bit of table scraps to keep things interesting....
My Field Bred English cocker Abbey has been doing very well on Earthborn Grain Free Coastal Mix
Diamond Naturals Adult Chicken and Rice does good by us....
Ditto^^^^^^
Two cups a day is just right for my two girls.
The Cur dog gets itchy when spring comes and the shedding starts so she also gets fish oil.
I have two male British labs & I feed them Natural Balance lamb & brown rice (grain free) mixed with Natural balance Wild Pursuit high protein lamb & beef (grain free). During pheasant season I give them straight Wild pursuit.
I use IAMS. I tried Purina once as it was cheaper, but I had to feed twice as much and of course that led to more crap in the yard.
Purina Pro Plan or Diamond Naturals here.
I've found that a 30% or higher protein with 20% fat seems to be a good ratio for the dogs I've had/have. Healthy yet eat less, stay warm in winter, and less poop.
When it is really cold here in the winter and the dog wants to be outside a lot, I will feed some pure rendered fat such as from bacon or cooking.
Sportmix Wholesomes Chicken and Rice. Diamond Naturals at times but the poop seems softer and stickier, harder to spray the pen out.
Same here. PPP Premium Performance 30/20 year round (purple bag).
I increase amounts during multiple day trips. May add a can of tuna.
Also use the Purina Refuel bars during the season for a quick shot of carbohydrates. It can't hurt.
Same here except sardines packed in oil. They go bonkers over the smelly things!!
Sportsmix Energy Plus Adult Mini Chunk (black bag) has worked great for us. The high protein helps when the weather turns cold and we're coon & squirrel hunting almost everyday/night. We just add a little extra to their bowl when we're hunting them hard.
We feed pro plan sport, partially because i work for Nestle Purina, but also because it has given us what we feel is best for our dog. they all get compliments on looks and coat condition when we are out. do have to say though it easier to keep them lean all year than to free feed and try to get them back in shape for season
Kirkland purple bag for the three bird chasing fools at our house. Very similar ingredients to PPP, but a few more additives that bump the nutritional value. Almost half the cost.
A good place to check on your dog food's quality:
http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/dog-food-reviews/dry/PPP is a three star food, Kirkland purple is a four star food.
Another Kirkland fan here
Dog loves it, great energy levels
Wife has our whippets on Taste of the Wild, probably the lamb formula as our little female is a picky eater and likes lamb the best it seems. Our male eats anything.
(I know they're not truly "gun dogs" but they will chase down rabbits, squirrels and racing lures and are legal for hunting in some states)
While they they don't necessarily go all day like a GSP or other upland dog.................................. when they go, they GO..........FAST!!!
We have used Zignature and others but our new town co-op feed store doesn't sell it. Wife was ordering it online but we'd rather support a local business.
Dogs will be entered in a coursing event next month, it they do good it'll be nice to know the feed isn't an issue.
Geno
We feed ours orange bag Pride. The dogs seem to do very well on it. We used to feed them Blackwood 2000, but it has gotten very hard to find around here.
what i use is pedigree; i dont change it up..i only reduce or increase quantity
Another Kirkland fan here
Dog loves it, great energy levels
Yes Kirkland is also good, i recommend it for any who is looking for a change or substitute
I have two daughter's who are Trainers. One trains Stock Dogs, (Border Collies) the other Agility Dogs, (Labs) The one that trains Lab's uses Kirkland and seems to be in great shape. BUT, the one who raises Border collies does not feed any commercial food. Nothing but things I would not feed to a Skunk. Whole Fish, bones and all. Renderings, chicken pieces from her farm yard with all the bones. I give her a couple of Deer carcasses during the season. The dogs go crazy. The thing I don't get is how good they look. Nice curly fur, plenty of energy, nice house dogs. It isn't the money. She has lots of money, plus she get's a lot to train sheep dogs for others. Now, here's two extreme's. How do you figure?
My gun dogs eat Nutra Source performance blend
IAMs is what I fed my bird dogs.
Taste of the wild for my 1yr old chessie.
I used to feed Purina Pro Plan years ago,,,,switched to a variety of different ones in a search,,,,,,last was Diamond Naturals for a few years,,,,,,3 months ago switched to Victor,,,,,,real happy with this brand so far,,,,,,dogs doing well (Lab, couple of beagles, and now my DD pup),,,,,,,time will tell if I remain happy with it,,,,,,,