Puppy food, how long until the migration to teen/adult?

I had mine on large breed puppy food until he was close to a year old. The reasoning for large breed puppy food or switching them to adult food is to slow the bone growth in large breed dogs. The regular puppy food seems to allow the bones to grow too quickly and can cause problems later. The large breed puppy food is used to slow growth, and I think mine grew at a fairly decent rate on it.

Fair enough. Seems rater logical. Anyone else care to belly up to the bar? 8)

I was also wondering about puppy food. My dog is almost 11 months and is around 51 pounds. She won't get much larger and seems to be on the boarder between large breed and standard size LD. Doesn it matter which way I go on food to give her? Also, is it better to be on the lean side of portion amount so she doens't get over weight? I usually follow the lower end of the recommended amounts indicated on the food bag, plus she gets treats during the day for impromptu training. Any advice is appreciated. LaVonne B.

15 months is usually the recommended time to blend the puppy and adult food and then switching to adult formula. Large breed foods have some special ingredients in them to ease joint stres, etc. I would go with large breed food for a dog 50 pounds + as an adult.

sleepyhollowkennel said:

15 months is usually the recommended time to blend the puppy and adult food and then switching to adult formula. Large breed foods have some special ingredients in them to ease joint stres, etc. I would go with large breed food for a dog 50 pounds + as an adult.

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So is the transition more of a time or weight based decision?

We've been using Purina One Large Breed Puppy, but will be changing soon as it has corn and seems to irritate his skin. Got some samples of some other high quality natural food, with less fillers than even the one that we currently use. More expensive, but with it stretching further and better for his health that seems to be a no brainer. I was simply contemplating whether or not to go with puppy or adult...

since we are on the food topic... Does anyone feed proplan? Just thinking of switching to it.
Terri lynn

Molly said:

since we are on the food topic... Does anyone feed proplan? Just thinking of switching to it.
Terri lynn

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Curious you ask... I know Maureen does for the pups.

I looked and compared the labels. ProPLan = One, I think it is a marketing play to get a couple bucks for different packaging.

Actually, I do feed my dogs pro plan, but I feed them pro plan for sensitive skin and stomachs. I have said this before, but I have a lab that has a lot of allergies. Ear infections, itchy paws, lost hair during the summer.. etc.. anyway, I switched her to this food, and all the itchiness went away. She was on medicine all the time. She no longer needs the medicine. the one I feed them is made with salmon, and has no corn or fillers in it. My vet was amazed at the quality of her coat, and after dealing with ear infections and constant vet bills for 4 years, we were amazed also. There are a lot of high quality foods out there, and we tried a lot of them with no luck.

Switching food is a timing issue, not a weight issue.

I have experimented with several brands (Royal Canin, Eukanuba, Science Diet, Pro Pac, Diamond) and usually in dog food, but not always, you get what you pay for. If you buy the best food you can buy you will have fewer vet bills, less waste and a healthier dog with a shiny coat.

More than anything, the larger Doodles especially, need the right amount of calcium for proper skeletal development. Your dog will be easier to train and have a longer attention span if you feed the right food at the correct stage in his life for his body.

I've been feeding my 13wk old doodle Canidae All-Life Stages because my breeder was feeding her this. Is the All-Life Stages good for a growing pup or should I switch to a different, puppy only brand. If so, what are some good brands?

Canidae is an EXCELLENT quality food! You may just ask the store where you bought it if it comes in large breed puppy formula. I am unfamilar with their formulas, but only familar with their excellent reputation for a superior product.

Thanks guys for your input. I dont think we have Canidae around here. I will have to look. My friend has 7 dogs and she finds it cheaper to feed the good food, plus she has abuot 30 purebred cats and she finds their litter box's much easier to clean out, dont stink as much, and dont need to be cleaned out as often. Its hard to know what exactly to feed though. Lots of choices anyway!
Terri lynn