Recommendations For Best Food To Feed Border Collie Puppy?

[Paws22]

Hi everyone

I'm getting a border collie puppy in the next few months (FINALLY! After much research and planning I finally feel I'm ready to own a BC) and would like to know the best foods to feed the puppy. Can anyone recommend a high quality dried food? I'm also keen to feed raw food too, but I'm not sure which are the best foods to feed.

Any advice would be appreciated.

[persephone]

the best food is the food your dog does best on :)

the breeder should provide a puppy pack - containing diet info, and some food to start with .

Unless this food is very ordinary, like cereal/milk - stick with it until you need /have to change - then do it gradually .

the following threads should be useful for you :)

oh, and congrats!

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Edited February 28, 2015 by persephone

[sheena]

As Pers says. I would like to add that I raised my BC boy on Black Hawk Lamb & Rice Adult food from the time I got him. He is still on it. That has always been both my dogs' main meal, but they also get turkey necks & other natural chewy things, yogurt, fish & eggs.

[BC Crazy]

As perse said what ever your puppy does best on. Your puppies breeder will give you dietary guide lines usually.

Any changes to pups diet should be gradual.

Mine are feed 80% raw 20% premium grain free dry food plus eggs,fish,meaty bones yoghurt. Omega 3,6,9.

Any pic's???, would love a sneak peak ????

Edited February 28, 2015 by BC Crazy

[Tassie]

Another one who says ... be guided by your breeder. Certainly, at first, you'll be better off sticking with what the breeder has been feeding - pup will already have enough changes to deal with.

Different dogs do better on different foods - and you need to consider what is do-able for you too. Your breeder will know the lines behind our pup, and will have an idea of what suits them.

[ness]

How exciting - I just got my new little BC girl a fortnight ago and she is predominately being fed raw since that is what the breeder fed them. I do give her some dry and at the moment she is having holistic select puppy. I have just mostly been using that in her day time treat toy which I leave in her pen while I am at work. Some days she doesn't touch it whereas other days its been finished before I have left the house.

[dancinbcs]

First make sure that you are buying from a dedicated ANKC registered breeder who health tests the parents - Hip and elbow scores and DNA tests for CL, TNS and CEA - for both parents, at a minimum. Make sure they breed for a reason - show, performance or herding, not just to produce pets. All puppies in the litter should be the same price regardless of colour, sex and register and the nose and eye rims of the parents and puppy should be fully pigmented. If you find a breeder who does all that, trust them to advise you on how to feed the puppy to make sure it grows properly. QLD is home to a lot of shonky registered BC breeders so make sure you pick a good one, not a shonky one.

[sandgrubber]

Dogs do well on a wide variety of diets There is pitifully little research on the effects of diet, over many years, on dog health. In scientific terms:. THERE IS NO (proven) BEST FOOD. There are a lot of dogmatists preaching about this diet or that, and a lot of large corporations trying to earn maximum $$ by getting you to buy their fancy, but largely unproven, product. Keep your crap detectors turned on.

I'd say go to the medium-to-high end kibble range. Experiment with different foods (knowing that it may take a month or more to see results). Work out what works for you and your pup.

My dogs seem to do best with some fish meal based dry food; one of three seems to get itchy with chicken-based foods. They get fat on chicken frames. But it's doubtful whether my circumstances can be extended to your pup.

Edited March 2, 2015 by sandgrubber

[Darien]

First make sure that you are buying from a dedicated ANKC registered breeder who health tests the parents - Hip and elbow scores and DNA tests for CL, TNS and CEA - for both parents, at a minimum. Make sure they breed for a reason - show, performance or herding, not just to produce pets. All puppies in the litter should be the same price regardless of colour, sex and register and the nose and eye rims of the parents and puppy should be fully pigmented. If you find a breeder who does all that, trust them to advise you on how to feed the puppy to make sure it grows properly. QLD is home to a lot of shonky registered BC breeders so make sure you pick a good one, not a shonky one.

Well said :)

[doggiedude]

Tinned food, artificial colors, flavours and preservatives are not recommended to feed as part of your puppies meal when bringing them home. Easily digestible food with plenty of vitamins are recommended, for example, cooked beef or chicken mince, cooked vegetables (this will make them softer) and rice. Over time you can add grated carrot, zucchini, beans, apple and cut up broccoli. Do not feed your puppy milk!!

more info on how to manage a border collie puppy here - border collie puppies

good luck!!

[Rebanne]

umm, no need to feed vegies or rice or cooked meat. Raw and/or dry is fine but go with the breeders guidelines to start with.

[Maddy]

umm, no need to feed vegies or rice or cooked meat. Raw and/or dry is fine but go with the breeders guidelines to start with.

This.

if you're going to cook the meat and add piles of vegetables and grains, you might as well just feed tinned food.

[raineth]

Tinned food, artificial colors, flavours and preservatives are not recommended to feed as part of your puppies meal when bringing them home. Easily digestible food with plenty of vitamins are recommended, for example, cooked beef or chicken mince, cooked vegetables (this will make them softer) and rice. Over time you can add grated carrot, zucchini, beans, apple and cut up broccoli. Do not feed your puppy milk!!

more info on how to manage a border collie puppy here - border collie puppies

good luck!!

There is no calcium source in this diet.

[dancinbcs]

Cooked food is not needed at all but they are usually partial to any leftovers you have. A premium quality dry food and/or raw meaty bones from beef, lamb, chicken, turkey, etc, plus fish, eggs and raw very finely chopped veges are best for any dog. No milk - why? I have had Borders for 30 years and mine all get milk every day of their lives. Goats milk, low lactose milk or a specific formula like divetelact are enjoyed and are a useful addition to the diet, not necessary but it does no harm at all. Most can in fact digest normal cow's milk. I'm sure in the past, many a Border in the highlands worked all day on a plate of porridge, some milk, an egg and a meaty bone. For centuries they have lived with the shepherd's family and eaten whatever was available so they are pretty adaptable as far as diet goes. Most enjoy any fruit and veg ranging from mangoes to parsnips but again they are not vital parts of the diet, just possible additions.

Edited March 17, 2015 by dancinbcs

[LisaCC]

1426224790[/url]' post='6663236']

Tinned food, artificial colors, flavours and preservatives are not recommended to feed as part of your puppies meal when bringing them home. Easily digestible food with plenty of vitamins are recommended, for example, cooked beef or chicken mince, cooked vegetables (this will make them softer) and rice. Over time you can add grated carrot, zucchini, beans, apple and cut up broccoli. Do not feed your puppy milk!!

more info on how to manage a border collie puppy here - border collie puppies

good luck!!

Quite a bit of misinformation on that website.

[Tassie]

1426224790[/url]' post='6663236']

Tinned food, artificial colors, flavours and preservatives are not recommended to feed as part of your puppies meal when bringing them home. Easily digestible food with plenty of vitamins are recommended, for example, cooked beef or chicken mince, cooked vegetables (this will make them softer) and rice. Over time you can add grated carrot, zucchini, beans, apple and cut up broccoli. Do not feed your puppy milk!!

more info on how to manage a border collie puppy here - border collie puppies

good luck!!

Quite a bit of misinformation on that website.

And missing information .... I couldn't find any mention of the genetic problems (CEA, TNS and CL) that any Border Collie owner and/or intending purchaser needs to be aware of.

[temperamentfirst]

1426224790[/url]' post='6663236']

Tinned food, artificial colors, flavours and preservatives are not recommended to feed as part of your puppies meal when bringing them home. Easily digestible food with plenty of vitamins are recommended, for example, cooked beef or chicken mince, cooked vegetables (this will make them softer) and rice. Over time you can add grated carrot, zucchini, beans, apple and cut up broccoli. Do not feed your puppy milk!!

more info on how to manage a border collie puppy here - border collie puppies

good luck!!

Quite a bit of misinformation on that website.

It has a lot of incorrect statements, and leaves out vital things like health testing. Talks about CL and TNS, but doesn't mention the DNA tests. Not a good guide to Border Collies! Wonder who this so called expert is?

As others have said, make sure your pup is from a responsible breeder, and it will come with a comprehensive diet sheet. Lots of breeders send the pup home with a food pack too.