Still Can't Talk About it...but he is here!!!

[Brindlebtch]

8-9 weeks is the norm. They usually let them stay past the 7-8 week fear period. I have gotten a pup at 6 weeks from a breeder who kept them in poor conditions and she came out just fine. She was an AmStaff, however. Don't know how it might effect a GSD pup. Goat's milk is OK but do not feed cow's milk. I would just add some warm water to the kibble and let it soak for a little while.

Feeding large breed pups:
http://www.newmanveterinary.com/large.html

Here are the indgredients for Authority Large Breed Puppy
Large Breed: Chicken, Chicken Meal (Source of Glucosamine and Chondroitin), Brown Rice, Corn, Oat Groats, Corn Gluten Meal, Dried Beet Pulp, Chicken Fat (Preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Natural Flavor, Canola Oil, Dried Egg Product, Fish Oil, Potassium Chloride, Choline Chloride, Vitamin and Mineral Supplements (Zinc Sulfate, Ferrous Sulfate, Vitamin E Supplement, L-Ascorbyl-2-polyphosphate (source of Ascorbic Acid), Copper Sulfate, Vitamin A Supplement, Manganese Sulfate, Niacin, D Calcium Pantothenate, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Riboflavin, Calcium Iodate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Thiamin Mononitrate, Folic Acid, Sodium Selenite, Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement), Dried Chicken Cartilage (Source of Glucosamine and Chondroitin).

If he does well on this food and doesn't develop skin or digestion problems, leave him on it. If he does, then look for a large breed pup food with less corn products and no beet pulp in it and a different protein source. I raised Dot on Taste of the Wild Fish and Potato and she has does very well on it.

Here is a good source of info on dog food:
http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/dog-food-reviews/authority-dog-food-dry/

and their recomendations for puppy food, which I consider good:
http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/best-dog-foods/best-puppy-foods/

 

[Brindlebtch]

I can't find anything on Authority meeting AAFCO standards. Does it say anywhere on the bag that it does? If it doesn't, take the food back and get another brand. Good dog food needs to meet AAFCO standards.

 

[dainerra]

Brindle, agree 100% that its better to bring a pup home early than to leave it in a poor situation. But I wouldn't want to reward a breeder like that with a single penny. That just encourages th em to do it again

I've been spoiled by my breeders, so I will pay for nothing less. At 8 weeks my pups were 99% potty trained, had the basics for obedience introduced, and were well-socialized to people and other animals. They were also used to having baths, nails trimmed, and ears cleaned (thank you!

)
Www.dogfoodanalysis.com is a good site when trying to pick a food. There are others, but I don't. Have them bookmarked on my phone.
The ingredcient list looks better than some, but I always try to avoid corn since my oldest boy has an allergy.

 

[rodriguezpoultry]

Sorry, I might should have mentioned this before. Please do not try to dissuade me from purchasing a young pup. I prefer purchasing younger. The younger they are, the easier they acclimate to surroundings and the easier they are to train with other animals. May not be proven with science, but has always been a good reference to animals at my house. We have already made the deposit, we're not going elsewhere but thank you for concerns. They were some of our own as well but we already made our decision and are happy with it.

As for the food, it's the highest quality that we can afford that does not cause skin issues with our Lab. It's the only brand that doesn't cause flare ups, so we'll be sticking with it for the time being. Not interested in the raw or BARF diets.

The milk replacer...are we talking about the same thing? The stuff made for puppies? Not cow milk, the powder replacer that can be mixed with water?

 

[Brindlebtch]

Ch She's a Ding-Dong Lulu Belle CDX, TDX, AX, AXJ, AAD, TT, CGC, FbCH, ROH

Lulu is the little black and white on the left. 4th all time Champion TDX in the breed, and extremely bright. She had to be retired at 4 yrs old because she had genetic ataxia. We did not pay for her. Got her out of a bad situation and she was so full of roundworms it was horrifying.

We have always gotten our dogs from various people and I do the best with what I have. They are pets first and performance after. Besides, no AmStaff breeders breed for working dogs, anyway.

 

[Brindlebtch]

Quote:
OK, I know what you mean now!
I don't do raw or barf either, as a usual thing. I use the dehydrated raw patties for training treats sometimes because they seem to really think they are delish. My guys get kibble.

What I mean is you need to make sure that you can find a statement on your puppy food bag that says the kibble is up to AAFCO standards. If it doesn't have aafco on it somewhere it has not been approved by them as meeting the nutritional needs of large breed pups. You need to make sure it is on the bag. If it isn't, get something that does have it on the bag.

Our first dog lived to almost 16 years on Nature's Recipe and stuff like that. Not exactly high end food. Blue Buffalo is good food, too. You are better off with a better quality kibble than puppy milk replacer. If the bag doesn't have AAFCO on it somewhere then YES add the milk replacer.

 

[tonkatuff]

AAFCO approves Old Roy which in the past was found to have traces of pentobarbital (used to euthanise animals) in it. They also approve every other brand of chicken scratch masquerading as dog food that exists on the market. "Large Breed Puppy" food is a gimmick, designed for idiots owners who couldn't figure out how to design an appropriate feeding protocol for their pups and overfed them, predisposing them to some orthopedic issues. Feed your dog as biologically/species appropriate diet as you can and do not allow them to carry any extra weight, especially the first 12-18 months. The rest is up to good old genetics.

 

[Jamie_Dog_Trainer]

Hey RoPo, congratulations on your new puppy!!

I cannot wait for pics of the little fuzzy baby dog.

I will give you my opinion on feeding, take it or leave it, but its my best advice in this area. Don't buy puppy food for a GSD, they grow fast and the "puppy formulas" tend to be too rich in certain nutrients and/or they are just a gimmick. I always feed my large breed puppies a high quality "all life stages" food. Some of these brands that I have fed are: Pinnacle, Taste of the Wild, Chicken Soup for the Dog....(this was my go to food when finances didn't allow the more expensive, better kibbles). Purina Hi Pro has also been a good, inexpensive food for puppies and I know of a breeder who was in a bad way financially and raised several litters on this -- it is not the best food but it does well on large breed puppies.

Hopefully your pup wont have allergies or sensitvities to grains or meat. If so you'll have to go with a grain free food such as Tast of the Wild or Pinnacle, there are a lot of others but those two I have personally used quite successfully.

Your puppy doesn't need milk replacer. You might want to introduce some RAW feeding once a week if that is something you might want to do later. Chicken wings, necks and backs are excellent, as are cow marrow bones good for keeping puppy occupied and satisfied.

I'd love to know who the breeder is. You can PM me if you want to. Good luck -- I am jealous!

 

[acid_chipmunk]

Quote:
Brin, I just used this site to find food for Miss Daisy. I never realized that the stuff you buy in "normal" stores is SO bad for dogs. We got Miss Daisy Taste of the Wild puppy with Bison and Venison. She is doing great on it. And, for a 5 star food, the price really wasn't that bad.

 

[dainerra]

Quote:
just be sure that you don't say that on a GSD forum. They'll dip you in oil and burn you at the stake.


As for food, get the best that you can afford that your dog does well on. There are better foods than authority that are a similar price-range. If you have a costco nearby, check out their Kirkland brand. If you are near a TSC, try 4Health.

I feed grainfree, so I use NutroSource Grainfree. A 30lb bag is $45, with the 11th bag being free. A bag last 2 GSDs a bit over 2 weeks. It's starting to last a little longer since Singe is about finished with his growing.

This is just to educate anyone else who is considering a puppy. My only concern would be what type of breeder sends the entire litter home early? Of course there are certain breeders who will let a trusted and experienced GSD owner take a pup home a little early, but that is a vast difference between the breeder selling the litter. In my experience, this is usually the type of breeder who is simply tired of paying all the extra upkeep and the enormous work of cleaning up after a GSD litter. Each puppy should be worked with daily ALONE by the breeder. Daily handling of ears and feet, some basic manners. Fun time with the whole litter, teaching them to come by having following the breeder around the property. Daily exercise, daily poop clean up. At least a couple times a week the pups get taken for a car ride. Pups get taken out individually (or with 1 person per pup) to have a fun outing and socialize.

No breeder is going to be able to do everything every day because you need a day job to support this dog breeding hobby. But I won't give my money to any breeder who isn't working to produce the best pups possible. If they are breeding so that they have puppies that the public wants to buy, I'm going to pass. I want a breeder that is breeding for nothing less than having the greatest GSD that ever lived. They need to be working to better the breed and I want to hear how this pairing is going to do that. I also want the breeder to tell me what is WRONG with the dam and sire. No dog is perfect, so what faults do these 2 have that you are trying to correct? How do they compliment each other? What do you expect the pups of the litter to be like? What are the siblings of the parents like? What type of pups have the dogs produced before with different mates?

Then I expect the breeder to grill me. What experience do I have with the breed? Why did I get involved with this breed (if I have past experience) or why do I want to, if I am new. What experience do I have with dogs in general? Have I ever titled a dog in anything? Do I plan to do so with this dog? Do I have children? Do I have a spouse? What experience do THEY have with dogs? Is the whole family in agreement with getting the dog and with how the dog should be raised? Do I have other dogs at home? Do I have other pets or livestock?

Then of course is examining the contract. Is it fairly standard and straightforward? I expect extra provisions to be provided if I am purchasing a show or working dog for a specific purpose.
It is a long and involved process, but well worth the investment when I expect to spend the next 12+ years with this animal in my home.