For years I fed my Labradors Pedigree or Purina and thought it was the best food for the dogs.
After not having a dog for a few years I got a rescued lab and a new puppy last June.
At the suggestion of my vet, I started feeding my dogs food with no grains except maybe brown rice.
There are many to choose from. Petsmart,Petco, or even Tractor Supply.
It is a little more expensive but turns out the vet said these type dog foods provide better nutrition,
were more digestible and less do poop to clean up. Both dogs coats look better

What are you thoughts?

Ours eats either blue buffalo or natural something. It's in a black bag. Both of them are pricey but we have noticed changes for the better in our dog. Coat, less allergies, more consistent stool.

I have tried many different feeds over the years and keep going back to Pro Plan 30/20. For my hammerheads it works best.

Purina has the largest research center in the world. They have sponsored a lot of gun dog events and given away a lot of dog food. I'll stick with them. Eager eaters and firm stools is all I ask for.

I don't know haw much free dog for or coupons I've gotten from Purina over the yrars.

purina pro plan performance

Purina Pro Plan, Purina One for my dogs. Just depends on the dogs needs and metabolism. I can feed more Purina One to my Brit in the off season. Change over to the Pro Plan for hunting season.

Blue Buffalo Wilderness is what I feed my dogs.
Main reason is all of the grains and fillers in most name brands.
Not sure about ProPlan or Purina One but most do have grains that are not as good according to the vet.

I have a friend that goes even further ..... he feeds his dog a raw meat diet.
Mostly harvested deer and home grown chicken.

Thanks for the responses

I think Dr. Tim's is the best food around!

ProPlan uses corn gluten as a protein source.

Look at Dr. Tim's Kinesis grain free

Dr. Tim's also adds prebiotics and Probiotics externally.

We use blue buffalo wilderness...used nutro max for years before that

2X This has always been my go to food for working dogs.

I have one with food allergies, and having to feed Merrick Limited ingredient grain free, Duck and Sweet potatoes. Cost me a lot more money, and the dog looked better on Pro Plan. But his ears aren't red, and he's not itchy.

Best I have found for my dogs is Diamond Naturals Lamb & Rice. We feed the Chicken and rice also but they do noticeably better on the Lamb & Rice. It ranks higher than Pro plan on all the dog food review sites and it's cheaper.

I had free Purina for years. How many of you would turn down free Purina dog food?

Purina is a great food, I will probably try it again in the summer but not a winter time feed for mine, they get diamond sporting dog. I've feed diamond for a long time. But what ever food you try watch the dog, doesn't matter who the manufacture is,some dogs just don't take to it.

I wouldn't turn down free if it was one of their premium foods, I wouldn't turn down free if it was the cheap stuff either but I wouldn't feed it to my dogs, it would be fed to the fish. I will never give a dog anything with corn or wheat again, except a piece of bread with Peanut butter.

I may be different from some but my dogs are like part of the family.
They deserve to have a food that provides the best nutrition and health supplements possible.
They need the best to help keep them healthy.
My Labradors save me a lot of walking in the marsh/fields by retrieving my waterfowl / dove and are happy to do it.

They are worth the extra money

Kevin,
I pulled up the Diamond Lamb and Rice because I was interested and it is readily available at a near by TSC. Yes it is priced lower but the protein and crude fat counts are lower than the Purina One lamb and rice that I am feeding now. Diamond was 23/13 and Purina was 26/16. I fed the Purina lamb and rice all through hunting season and I never saw any loss in stamina from day to day. My dogs are on the lamb and rice as prescribed by my vet due to allergies one of my dogs is experiencing. I don't want to buy two different kinds or blends yet, so I feed all of my dogs Purina One L&R. Like Bill Oxner has pointed out, I rest easier about this knowing the research that Purina puts in their feeds. I just feel that performing dogs need a higher protein feed (27 or greater) and as much crude fat (15 or greater) if they are going to perform at the break speed pace that we are looking for in the field. If I could find a 30/20 that did not have chicken or beef in it, I would have the best of all worlds when it comes to feed. I have not found it yet.

I hope all is going well.

MP

I only hunt for 4-5 weekends a year, my dogs don't need more than the 23% protein. If I ran them hard every weekend, I might consider a higher protein but if they don't need it, too much protein isn't good for them.

I fed Dr. Tims for a while and wasn't impressed. Personal experience but the stools of my dogs, 4 working labs, at the time would never firm up. The smell was horrible. I know Dr. Tim puts a ton of R&D into his products and they are good. But for the price and inconvenience I went back to PP.

Kal-Kan with fish oil

Black Gold Performance Blend, I hunt my dogs for 7-10 days straight in cold, rugged country for 5-8 hours a day. Dogs don't get overly fat and have excellent muscle tone.
Adios,
Gary

My dogs get Purina Dog Chow, treats, and some leftovers. They're doing fine, but they're mutts. strong hearty mutts.

Just started Jessie on Eukanuba breed specific "Labrador Retriever" food. Probably a gimmick. She just turned 1. She likes it, turds are firm, teeth are white, coat is very shiny but she's still a puppy.

She's not active enough because of me, so I need to watch her weight. Right now she's at a firm 60lbs, where I want her.

Love my puppy

I should have added that is why so many of you use different brands of do food that you are happy with.

I feed MUENSTER NATURAL CLASSIC CHICKEN ALL LIFE STAGES

https://muenstermilling.com/product/muenster-natural-classic-chicken-all-life-stages/

Dogs love it. Good stools and tons of energy. They are field bred cockers so that goes without saying on the energy part.

Coats look shiny too.