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Dog food while at trainer's

Dog Food Question: For those who send their dogs to trainers

9K views 47 replies 25 participants last post by  Steve Thornton 
#1 ·
I'm currently feeding Pro Plan Performance 30/20, and the dogs do very well on it. Because I've heard so many good things about Dr. Tim's, I have purchased some to try on a few of my personal dogs. At this point, I don't know for sure which direction I will eventually go, since I need to give it a couple of months on Dr. Tim's to evaluate and compare.

My question is this: When you send your dog off for training and it comes home again, would you prefer it to be on a feed that is easily available everywhere vs. one that needs to be ordered online and shipped to you, once your dog comes back home? Or will you simply switch back to whatever you were feeding before the dog went off for training?

My main concern, if I do switch all the dogs over to Dr. Tim's, is the lack of local availability of the dog food for client dogs when they leave here to go back home. PPP is available everywhere. A lot of the dogs that come here are already on PPP, and most that leave here stay on it, even if they weren't when they arrived.

I guess I'm trying to decide whether or not to offer Dr. Tim's as an option for the training dogs, or stick to ProPlan for all the client dogs (all depending, of course, on how the trial period goes). I'm just curious as to your thoughts. Thanks!
 
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#2 ·
For me i prefer to keep them on what I'm feeding, which is PPP. I recently had to "rehome" my young dog and that was one of the questions I asked the various Pros - what do ya feed? And a couple were feeding something different. I did ask about their willingness to feed PPP - most had no issue with it. I personally would prefer to have my dogs on a brand I can easily get when they are home.
 
#3 ·
It is kind of backward from what you asked (I think).

We have Dr. Tims sent to our pro to feed our critters from the same folks who ship it to us to feed the home dogs.
 
#4 ·
I have been very fortunate to work with two pro trainers with two different dogs. The pros have kindly permitted me to drop ship dry dog food to them while training in the North and South. It is very easy to do as I use a couple of web pet food distributors. Shipping is always free. The one thing I have never done was to try and have my monthly bill reduced as my dog is not eating the pro's dog food (which is inclusive in the monthly bill). I am currently feeding Dr. Tim's, however I do like switching foods a few times a year - Fromm, Evo, Acana, and Nature's Variety.
 
#5 ·
I think, if you had my dog and were feeding Dr. Tim's, I would switch to it when pup came home and have it shipped to me. Assuming he did fine on it, of course.

Having said that, I had my pup on Euk LBP prior to sending him to the trainers. I sent the remainder of the bag so he could gradually switch him to what he feeds...Victor. When I get him back, I'm going to continue him on Victor bc he looks great and Euk has become difficult to find in my area. Victor isn't real close but I'll make the effort to find and feed. If Dr. Tim's was my trainers food of choice I'd do the same.

My thinking...I trust this trainer. In doing so, I trust what he feeds his personal dogs plus the others in his kennel is something he believes in. If food X is good enough for him then it's good enough for me.
 
#7 ·
Not intended to mislead or trick. A lot of people that *prefer* ProPlan aren't interested in having a different food shipped to them, and you can buy PPP pretty much anywhere you happen to be. Ol' Roy is pretty easy to find, too....but I'm not interested in that just because it's easy to find. ;)
 
#10 ·
I'd have to say it depends on the Pro....anyone can hang up a shingle.
 
#13 ·
There you go, you try to get some useful information and your poll is misleading and you don't know anything about nutrition...;-)
 
#15 ·
Obviously Sharon , you were not thinking at all.... :)
 
#16 ·
I got my first lab as a puppy about 8 months ago. I was unsure on the best food to go with so I went with Pro Plan on the advice of my vet and other owners and he has done well on it. I sent him to a trainer that also feeds Pro Plan so I will most likely stick with it. I would however have switched when my guy came home if the trainer fed something different and it appeared he did better on the new brand.
 
#17 · (Edited)
I would want a trainer to feed the food they thought was best for the dogs. If I didn't like the choice but liked the trainer I would supply a food I preferred.

I do not mind ordering online. I would want my dog eating a feed at the trainer's that is as good or better than what I feed it at home. I am not opposed to rotating feed, in fact I do it a lot at home.

I did not vote, not sure how to choose, I hope my comment helps!
 
#27 · (Edited)
Sharon, after some thought, I have changed my views on this. I would want my pro to use a feed that is readily available. Many of us travel with our dogs---to compete in trials, to run hunt tests, to hunt and to vacation, for example. I do not want to worry about traveling with my dog and having to scramble for dog food if I didn't pack enough for the trip. Especially if I am traveling running tests or trials. There's enough stress with road trips without having to worry about a food change.
 
#20 · (Edited)
I'd be interested in hearing the science behind this statement. From the opposite side, I find very few owners who have actually researched canine nutrition outside of what a couple of biased and not research based dog food ranking websites have to say. Some follow the advice of their veterinarian, which can be good or not...some go by whatever advertising manages to grab them, often via guilt...Some go by what a friend told them...some follow their breeder's recommendation, and so on. I've yet to meet an owner who has really done research, outside of "I read it on the internet". ;)
 
#19 ·
I fed PPP for over twenty years. Then Nestle bought them and my chocolates turned orange with brittle coats and my blacks had dry coats and skin. The pros I had one of my chocolates with were feeding PMI Exclusive. He came home looking GREAT and that's what I have fed for the last six years.

The pros used to feed an all-natural, no grain to their Goldens, but saw that the kennel dogs on the PMI looked better than their personal dogs, so that's when they switched.

Meredith
 
#21 ·
I had a dog with sensitivities to corn and soy years ago. I spent and still spend time researching foods. The first dog I sent to my trainer, who uses PP, I ended up switching back to my regular food. Hot Spots, ear gunk....coat just wasn't right. Turned around soon after. My current bitch at the trainers, I just switched from my regular food to Dr Tims as she needed more calories. Either way, I bring the food when I'm there monthly or in the case of Dr Tims, I ship. I provided my own food container. For whatever reason, my dogs do better on Holistic Select and Dr Tims. Richard is very accommodating when it comes to little things like that. I do appreciate that tremendously.
 
#23 ·
BTW, I don't fault the Pros. Time constraints, cost and practicality prevent most from feeding ultimate diets to working class canines. In short, canines do best on RAW diets. To my knowledge dog kibble has only been around for 60 ish years. How did dogs survive prior to kibble? I best stop here... :)
 
#24 ·
Tony, to take that even further into what is really natural for dogs, the current raw diets are full of dietary holes as well. ;)

In the wild, dogs don't go for the meat first...they go for the guts, often starting at the anus and working from there, or sometimes eviscerating from the belly. Intestines and other internal organs are their favorite. I'm not seeing that in the raw/natural diets.

And if you really want to get technical, let's say the dog catches a bird to eat. They will usually eat the entire bird, including feet, beak and feathers....which would lend credibility to the low end foods that use all the spare parts and make the "natural" folks cringe.

Personally, I don't care one way or the other what anyone chooses to feed their dog. If the dog does well on it, that's great. As for my dogs, I will let their condition tell me, not any guilt-based advertising or personal biases against specific ingredients. ;)
 
#26 ·
You are correct, Sharon. Many dietary holes. That said more and more dog owners are beginning to realize the health benefits associated by feeding a RAW type of diet. For instance, I know of a owner of two retrievers who feed a weekly diet of bones, raw beef, chicken, turkey with an assortment of veggies. Interesting to watch dogs gobble up turkey necks, chicken feet, beef tripe, etc - all outstanding sources of nutrients. And, believe it or not, the food bill is less than mine on kibble. I am also hearing from many dog owners who are fasting their dogs one day a week. In addition, and maybe this should be saved for a second topic, many dog owners these days are finally realizing that pounding your dogs with vaccinations can be detrimental to the overall well being of the dog.
 
#25 ·
I supply the food to the one that I have a eating Dr. Tim's. It's not a big deal to me. Chewy can ship to anywhere.
 
#29 ·
Sharon, I think "readily available" is in the eye of the beholder.

I have to drive across town to get PPP, about 20 minutes. I push the button on my Chewy order and its there in 2 days at the most, with about 30 seconds of input from me, with free shipping. I'm currently feeding Dr. Tims, but in all seriousness if I was feeding PPP I would probably still order it online as the pricing is competitive and my schedule is packed tight enough that going to buy dog food can be problematic (life of a resident...sigh). And with autoship I don't even really have to remember to order it, it just shows up on my doorstep.

I know it sounds ridiculous but in hindsight I can't believe I used to go to the store to buy dog food. That's hours of my life that I could have spent training the dog :)
 
#31 ·
You are correct, Sharon. Many dietary holes. That said more and more dog owners are beginning to realize the health benefits associated by feeding a RAW type of diet. For instance, I know of a owner of two retrievers who feed a weekly diet of bones, raw beef, chicken, turkey with an assortment of veggies. Interesting to watch dogs gobble up turkey necks, chicken feet, beef tripe, etc - all outstanding sources of nutrients. And, believe it or not, the food bill is less than mine on kibble. I am also hearing from many dog owners who are fasting their dogs one day a week. In addition, and maybe this should be saved for a second topic, many dog owners these days are finally realizing that pounding your dogs with vaccinations can be detrimental to the overall well being of the dog.
That is still sub standard.
All pro trainers know that the entrails contain the proper nutrition for total canine development and hair makes good roughage along with whatever is in the intestines,,, not meat and bones and vegies..
 
#32 ·
I usually try to keep her on what she is fed when she is with the trainer.....red Paw. I just pick up a couple of bags from him when I pick her up, and try to get some from him when we see each other at tests or what ever. She also does well on PPP, and did fine on Native. I think she does BEST on RED PAW but does well on about any quality food I have tried.

I do find it funny to listen to dog people get all worked up about raw diets, debating it fiercely while drinking a diet pop or beer..... I do let the dogs have some raw scraps and bones and lord knows they get enough veggies from the table..... But kibble is the staple... Moderation
 
#35 ·
wow THAT was nice....:rolleyes:
 
#39 ·
Just an observation!!!!! Not an opinion, (God forbid:D). A friend of mine has a house on the mountain here in Taos. She feeds all kinds of birds and wildlife that roam her property, including coyotes. (I know, I know!). She would toss out meat scraps, vegetables, bread etc on the ground for the carnivores, and fill up feeders with wild bird seed. The coyotes would leave all that laying there and wait for the squirrels to knock the bird seed out of the feeders, then gobble that up first. Every single time. Only when the seed was gone did they eat the other things. She and I looked at the bird seed package and were amazed at the fats and oils it contained. Clearly, for the wild canines living in a harsh environment, those ingredients were preferable to meat and vegetables. Having said all that, I don't think I am going to take away my dogs' Euk PP and start feeding them bird seed!
 
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