Hi all we are due to bring home our new puppy in a few weeks! Just wondering what brands of kibble are best and if there really is a difference between say skinners and a supermarket brand?
Hello there I honestly think there is no such thing as a 'best brand of kibble'. Different dogs do better on different food, and so people tend to think that whatever they are feeding, and their dog does well on, is the best. But the fact of the matter is another dog might do really badly on that food. At first, it's best to stick with whatever the breeder is feeding - new puppies have enough going on changing home without switching to new food too. You can stick to that food if your puppy seems to do well on it, or switch to something else if you prefer. I personally would avoid the bottom end of the market for very cheap kibble, and go for something that suited my budget and dog from the middle of the price range upwards and I would definitely feed a size appropriate puppy food (something for Labradors, or medium or large puppy depending on the maker's definition). It's quite a skill to read the labels properly, for example many people will say look for meat as the first ingredient but if that's fresh meat by the time the water has been extracted to make the kibble, that fresh meat might actually be 3rd or lower on the ingredient list. There are various web sites, but I don't like the methodologies of any of them I've looked at. A good book, if you want some bedtime reading, is Linda Case's "Dog Food Logic". My own personal view (subject to all the caveats above!) is that 'freeze dried' kibble is the best - in particular, ZiwiPeak.
Thanks for the reply. Our dog is a family pet not a working dog so would feeding something like skinners cause problems? Just want to feed a decent food that's doesn't cost the earth and is good for the little guy
Hi , I feed Skinners Field and Trial duck and rice to both my dogs . My Labrador Sam is coming up to five years old, from working stock , I do engage in gundog type training with him , he is a passionate retriever but does not work in the field . My other dog is rescue terrier , an older dog who definitely does not engage in gundog training ! However, both do very well on Skinners which I believe to be a mid priced food with few if any nasties !
I tend to work on the best food for puppy is the one he thrives on whether it is a cheaper brand or the most expensive, and we can't all afford the most expensive. Juno was raised on Husse which is only available online not in shops. I found it economical to use and Juno was always happy and contented with no tummy problems
Not at all, if you like the look of Skinners, and your puppy does well on it, no reason at all you shouldn't feed it.
I feed Skinners Field & Trial Duck and Rice, because it is affordable (no VAT), and both dogs tolerate it, and appear to enjoy it (I can use it for training with Coco, it's that good). I also mix in Winalot tins because OH thinks dogs should have wet food and that's what my local supermarket sells. Both dogs have "nice" stools on this mix. They are "just" pet dogs.
Skinners F&T here too! Maisie has a lovely coat and good firm poo. Like Edzbird I also use Skinners for training.
We're also feeding skinners as that's what the breeder started her on. absolutely no problem with it at all. We stay to the lower recommended feeding amount as we don't have a working dog. We've actually tried to change to more expensive brands (Orejin and lilys kitchen) quite a few times and every time just a few pieces in her food makes her really ill I think some stuff is quite rich for puppies tummies. She's always been fine on the skinners though. I think we're on the turkey based one. I'd see what the breeder has the pup on and how they are doing on that. Good luck
