Puppy picking and feeding

[Emailed Questions]

Hello and thank you for taking my questions.

I bought a lab from a breeder and went to see them the
other day.They are about 6 weeks old. I found one that
i liked a bit better than the others. he was playful
but liked to be held and just seemed great. Do you
think its absoultely necsessary to see a
pup twice before picking him from the litter?

Should i feed my Lab Large breed puppy food and why?

Also i have heard controversial things about feeing an
adult a Large Breed food although i don't understand
it. What is the harm?

thanks so much again!

Rachel

[MikeB]

If you are planning to hunt with this new Lab I think I would temperament test the pups to see who has the best nose, retrievability, shyness to sounds, etc. I am not a hunter but I certainly know that testing pups at 6 to 8 weekes can show you a lot about the adult behavior later in life. I have personally seen it many time. There is excellent info on the Internet on puppy temperament testing to tell you what to look for and how to conduct these simple tests. You can't see pups to many time before selecting the right one for you. Do you homework now so you will be happy for life with this new dog. Good luck.

[MikeB]

Forgot about your food question. If this was my dog I wouldn't worry about all this "large breed" food. The "Large Breed" foods are all about marketing food to large breed puppy owners to increase sales. For years knowledgeable breeders fed high quality puppy food for the the first 4 - 5 months to pups then changed to adult food for the rest of the dogs life. Adjusting the amount of daily feeding as the pup grows. Keep your food at 24% protein and fat at 14% and your new pup should be just fine with ouit frowing to fast causing bone growth problems. If this pup was mine.... I would feed CANIDAE dog food from the start. Only one formula for pups and adults. You can't find a better food than Canidae. IMO!!!
Stay away from any foods with Wheat, Corn, Soybean meal, chemical preservitives, glutens, by-products and you will have a healthy dog for life.

Just check out the ingredients in Canidae and you will see what I mean. http://www.canidae.com

[Hank]

I agree mostly with what Mike has told you but I have problem with nitch dog foods simply because they aren't available everywhere. Like anybody else, I wanted to feed my pup the best. However, after thinking about the places I travel to for hunting etc., I decided I wanted a good dog food that was readily attainable most anywhere. I never heard of this Canidae but I'm sure it's good. The question is: If you're out of town and for some unfortunate reason run out of dog food and can't find Canidae, then what do you do? I tell you what you do, you buy whatever is available and then deal with the diarrhea aftermath that inevitably ensues (been there, done that). Just buy a high quality dog food that is commonly available, of which there are many, and you'll never go wrong. The larger companies have spent millions finding out what dogs need in a diet. Your dog won't lack for anything.

[MikeB]

Hank has an excellent point I didn't think ot. I too travel with my dog but take plenty of food with me. Canidae is not available everywhere, mostly in private pet shops and private feed stores. Not PetsMart or Petco. Most of the major dog food manufactures that are always available in all pet and feed stores might be a better choice for your dog. Easier to find when on the road. You might even consider the Kirkland dog foods at Costco. I think you get a good food for an exceptional price. Just something to think about when you travel.

[miravizslas]

Should i feed my Lab Large breed puppy food and why?

Rachel

What is your breeder currently feeding? Do the pups look healthy (not too round, but not too thin)? If the answers are "yes", stick with what they are currently eating. It's stressful enough for a puppy to leave it's mother, it's littermates, and settle into a new family with a new routine. Buy a 40 pound bag of whatever food it is, and gradually change them to new food. My dogs are all on Canidae, but the puppies are on Purina Pro Plan Puppy, then at about 6 months, they get switched to Canidae, too.