Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion The Water Cooler Dog Owners.

After 12 years of faithfull family companionship, our Akida passed away a couple months ago.

After a lot of research into what type of puppy we wanted for an indoor dog, we decided to get a female Doberman.

We won't be picking the puppy up for another six weeks, but I'm already looking into what type of natural dry foods that might be recommended by some of you folks that are familiar with large dogs. My Akida would only eat Kibble and bits, but I'm looking for some healthy alternatives for the new pup when it arrives.

Thanks

Mike, I'm sorry about the loss of your Akida, they are just like children, something many don't understand. Our inside dog, Dylan, which is a dachsund/terrior mix is 16 and still doing pretty good, although his hearing/eyesight has gone a little over the last year.

Our vet has also pushed either Iams or Science Diet, for a healthy dog...

Thanks Randy, they are just like a member of the family, the kids took it hard at first, the thought of getting a new puppy has helped.

The dog's diet among other things (exercise) are so important for a healthy dog. Unfortunetly the main stream dog foods are of very poor quality (Iams,Ol`roy, Science Diet, Pedigree etc). These foods use very low quality meat (if any), use a ton of fillers, some of these companies also use very unethical ways of testing their food on animals.

Good information on dog food is

http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/

http://www.whole-dog-journal.com/

You can obtain a journal from whole-dog that have all the recommended kibbles (also contains the non-recommended ones). The whole dog journal is a great source of information for information high quality diet, (kibble and canned food), dog/owner psychology and training.

The one thing to note is that if you are interested in feeding your dog a high quality diet you might need to find a speciality dog food store depending in your area because the big name brand stores do not carry the really good high quality dog food.

Condolences. We lost our crazy lab (a la Marley and Me) 2 years ago and it was probably worse for me than the rest of the family. Now we are a dog foster family for Golden Gate Lab Rescue, in the hopes that we'll find just the right match. So far no go, but we've had some very nice dogs come through our home.

My dream dog is a Bernese Mountain Dog that I can call 'Bernie Mac' after the late comedian. But most rescue Bernies have some type of health problem that's hard to deal with.

We used to give our dog (and now some of our fosters) Chicken Soup for the Dog Lover's Soul. We only find it at Pet Food Express. If you read the ingredients, the first five or so are real meat, like chicken, beef, fish, etc. Not until the 5th or 6th ingredient do you get to fillers like 'meal'. Check the other foods like Science Diet and you will see the fillers at the top.

We also found a more homeopathic, home-made style at Pet Food Exp that was a dry re-constituted food. Its soft (good for senior dogs) but doesn't smell like canned food. As close to home made dog food as you can get, a bit like oatmeal but dogs seem to like it.

Sorry to hear about the passing of your dog. I would recommend science diet, as it is probably the best dog food you can get. When I had my golden retriever service dog, my vet (also our good friend) arranged to get me sponsored by them. They provided Kutter's dog food free of charge for his entire life. A good company in my books. Stay away from Iam's, they test on animals .

Sorry about the loss of your companion. I know I'll be a mess when my dog dies.

A couple different vets have told us that Kirkland (Costco) dog food is actually quite good. We have no complaints.

Michael, you have my sympathies.

Gus, our Black Lab, seems to be "on his last week" for a couple of months now. He has several rough days and we think the time is here, but then he rebounds a bit.

I don't have any food recommendations, as he's been on a prescription food for quite a few years. Just wanted to let you know I feel for you.

When I raised dogs, for about fifteen years, I found Diamond Dog Food to be of very good quality, equal to Iams, for a fraction of the price.

Condolences, Michael.

Great tip, Rick. Thanks.

These are some companies/dog foods which we have used for dogs in our family.

Wellness Core
http://www.wellnesspetfood.com/dog_wellness_grain_index.html

Orijen
http://www.championpetfoods.com/

Canidae
http://www.canidae.com/dogs/grain-free-als/canned.html

Solid Gold
http://www.solidgoldhealth.com/

go!Natural
http://www.petcurean.com/

NRG Pet Products
http://www.nrgpetproducts.com/

I'm with Wid on this one. We've been giving our Dachshund Diamond dog food for 4 and a half years. Sorry to hear about the loss of your dog Mike. Glad to hear that you have a new puppy on the way. Don't forget to post pics when you get her.

Thanks everyone for the condolences and the excellent suggestions for good dog food.

Our first "child" was a Golden that lived for 15 years. He had cancer that eventually caused complete loss of motor control and we had to put him down. Talk about breaking down and crying like a baby - anyway we switched up and now have a German Short Haired Pointer. Like a Doberman, I like the short hair and the clean lines on the breed. Levi is extremely active and we are careful to feed him portions that support his active nature without gaining weight.....Just something to think about no matter which food you select........Rob

This thread needs pictures! Here's our much-loved Sunshine, aka Sunny (9.5 years old now).

Great looking dog Peter. We get to visit our puppy in a couple weeks when it turns 4 weeks old, the kids are really excited.
I don't have any of our own pictures but here is the litter with our puppy Leia. Leia and brothers

Argon, help!

We have an 11YO GSP. She is the tensest dog in the world. I doubt I can teach her new tricks, but jeebus, some days...

I used to think Goldens were smart - and my first dog was welll....my first dog. Agreed the GSP's are intense - and we bought Levi from hunting stock as opposed to show stock. THere were times when he was a teenager that, if I could have caught him, I would have killed him. Having said all that - Levi is, hands down, the smartest dog I have ever seen. Show him something twice and he's got it. Looks damn spectacular when he is jumping for a frisbee too. I am 5'8" and I think that on a good day, he could clear me by a good 2-3". He is good with kids as well.

I thought "beer" was always the answer?

I have - regrettably - come to the conclusion that beer is bad for both me and the dog. Beer: There's a temporary solution!

The dog maybe, but YOU???

Did anyone else just feel a tremor in the Force?

We had a great dog photo thread a few years ago, but I can't get the search to be useful (again).....

Can't imagine what it's like to lose a pet dog, having only had pets that fit in an aquarium or cage. The last pet I had was a Peking Robin who lived for over 15 yrs, which wasn't too bad considering most of them die at around 5 yrs, but it was heartbreaking to see him go.

Usually, as a wee lad, I used to catch my own pets and bring them home proudly to show my mother..."this snake here is a red bellied snake and these 4 are garter snakes" or I'd catch some turtles(painted and snapping) and bring them home. She was a good sport actually, as long as they were kept in an aquarium on the porch she was OK with it. Usually after a week or two we'd let them go then try and catch something else.

Ok....I know this thread is for the dogs...carry on...

Really.

Turtles need not apply. ::Haruumph!::

What about frogs and toads? salamanders?

::ducks as cans of Dr. Ballards fly overhead::

Caught many an amphibian as a kid. Toads got scarce around here for awhile (I have read that is an indicator of an areas ecological health) but seem to have made a comeback. We have a friend who talks about licking toads as a kid to "catch a buzz"? I have caught many a toad but have never had the urge to get one close to my mouth.....

Mainly amphibians are indicators of a healthy ecosystem because they breathe through their skin, so if the air/water is polluted, they are usually the first or one of the first creatures to get affected. Some reptiles, like frogs and turtles are also at risk even though they breathe through lungs, they still absorb toxins through their skin.

Exactly! That is why I am happy to hear the tree frogs, bull frogs, spring peepers, leopard frogs, Forsters toads and American toads aroung here........has anyone underestimated my nerdiness?

Well, there's the lack of licking....

So sorry to come back and hear the news Mike. Our best buddy Cosmo doesn't have a lot of time left with us either so I understand how you feel as it has been on my mind.

Just an update on our new addition, we've had Leia for several months now and the whole family is delighted with her, probably the best behaved and sweetest dog we've ever owned.

I'm to lazy to post pictures, but she can be seen here.
http://www.devenshiredobermans.com/PRINCESS_LEIA.html

Great looking dog..!

Beautiful animal, Michael!

Nice looking pup.

Very nice new addition to the family. Glad to hear that all is working out well. Enjoy.

So cute!

We have had good success with Ekenuba. Our German Sheppard(s) crosses over the years have all had very shiny and soft coats and have all lived to around 14 to 15 years old. They have been for the most part inside dogs and have always gotten lots of exercise and love. Not to mention the odd cookie, butter tart, slipper, and remote control.

paul

Unfortunately the pure breds are not living as long these day's. My folks had to put down their golden retriever last year. The Vet said that the larger breeds are living anywhere from 8 to 10 years now.

Unfortunately that is true, we were lucky enough to find 1 of only 5 breeders nationwide who have dogs certified by the AKC / DPCA, and as such are listed on the BFL-2. Which means not only did the parents live to 10 and older but also all grandparents.

Beautiful dog and more importantly, she sounds like a wonderful family member.

It is sad that big and pure bread means a shorter lifespan and greater chance of some medical issues, on average. Our purebred Lab is 13 and still enjoying life but his hips and legs are indeed full of arthritis. I fear this will be our last Christmas with him, but then again, that's what i said last year.

When we first got married, we bought a Golden from a "Backyard Breeder". We subsequently joined the local Golden Club. We quickly found out that (according to them) we should have bought from a "reputable breeder". So....we bought a second Golden (Pet quality - not show quality) a year later from a Club member.

The second dog was, indeed beautiful and much closer to the breed standard - and we loved both dogs as they were our first "children". Long story short, the second dog died at age 7 after a bout with cancer. The first dog (who will forever be "my dog") lived to 15 years. I think that the breeding practices carried out by "reputable breeders" is a primary cause that sparks your Vet's comments. Too much inbreeding can't be good?

That is why I will always have a mutt, likely obtained from a shelter or rescue org. They're cheaper, hardier, and often smarter. Some of those purebreds -- I'm thinking of quite a few labs I've met, in particular -- are too simple-minded for my tastes.

Funny you should single out labs. I have a German Short Haired Pointer that I got from "Hunting Stock" as opposed to "Show Dog Stock". Smartest Dog I have ever been around. Show him something 2 or 3 times and he has it down. On the flip side, we have a mutt that my daughter got from a former boyfriend (and then she went off to college). He is probably 3/4 black lab with some type of sled dog (his tail arches back over like a Samoyed). We call him Dufous. He is big and loveable but does not have much edge over a box of rocks.

"Too much inbreeding can't be good?"

That is true, many breeders like ours do Linebreeding it is a method that they will use to improve upon and try to eliminate structural and health problems from their dogs. It is the breeding together of dogs that have a well bred superior common ancestor who has attributes that the breeder is attempting to reproduce and improve upon in their own dogs. Things such as health, longevity of life, structure, movement and temperament of a dog that one is planning to linebreed on must be taken into account. Linebreeding is an attempt to concentrate the genetic contribution of an outstanding ancestor in the resulting offspring.

Finding the right dog and breeder is not an easy task, we did tons of research before we purchased our puppy, longevity, temperament and free from genetic problems were our priorities.

Granted you will pay more up front for most quality dogs, but if anyone has ever had to take their pet into the vet for serious health or physical problems, they know that the money spent up front to insure you have a healthy pet and family member was more than a good investment.

We wanted a purebred lab to be guaranteed (as much as possible) their temperament, a shared love of the water, the fun that can be their playfulness, and admittedly to satisfy my memory of boyhood dogs. My friend was also interested in a hunting dog so we spent a long time together checking out breeders. We settled on one who did just that and took care to show us the histories, health and longevity of all his family trees. At thirteen he is developing bad arthritis in his hips and hind legs that is common to the breed and large dogs in general and he has lived a pretty decent number of years for a large dog as well.

I may not go purebred again but if you do, it pays to be selective about your breeder for the reasons stated by Homedad and many others. Nothing made me sadder than when I went to a 'recommended by a friend' breeder and saw signs that it was obviously a poorly run puppy mill. I wanted to take all the dogs home with me but my wife would have divorced me so I settled for reporting him to the authorities. He was raided and shut down a week later.

Sooo....is it second or third cousins that it is ok to kiss? I can never remember.

Rob, is your GSP tense? Ours sure is. Sweet and not stupid, but there isn't enough Xanax in the world for her. She's almost 12.

I would classify Levi as "In"tense - he is 6 (I think) and definately has to work off the energy every day. We have a nice sized dog lot - he runs a circuit and Jumps at the posts. the posts are about 6 1/2 feet from ground to top. They all have a groove worn in them where he jumps and hooks his canine on the top - obsessive behavior but it does work off the energy. I bring him in the house when I get home and he is for the most part calm and well behaved inside.