Comments on dog food

[canis521]

Is there anyone familiar with this dog food company?

http://www.nationaldogfood.com

Any comments on the nutrition/ingredients, etc.? It is close to my home but I don't know anyone who uses it. It looks like it is marketed (at least originally) to sled dogs (rather the owners of).

Just curious.

[oakcreek]

High quality feed (from what I have heard) at a very reasonable price. I am getting in a few bags this well of the performance, I know the sled dog guys really like the stuff.

[ezzy333]

I sure like the list of ingredients. Do you have any idea of the cost?

Ezzy

[Rick Hall]

Only know I've see their Energy Pak high fat suppliment recommeded and intend to give it a trial next season.

[MikeB]

I know that Ed Frawley owner of Leerburg Kennel and Video http://leerburg.com/ fed National Dog Food for many years to all his dogs and puppies he breed. In the day he was a huge competitor in Schutzhund and other dog sports and that food worked very well for him.

I am sure you could e-mail him to get first hand info on the food. He sure fed a lot of dogs and pups for a lot of years.

[big steve46]

I agree with Ezzy. I don't pay a lot of attention to the hype on the websites. Main things are of course do the dogs like it, do they process it efficiently, do they look and perform well, and is it cost effective.

[oakcreek]

Their adult is around $23 a 40lbs bag buy 12 get the 13 free. THe performance is 26.30 for a 40lb bag same 12/13 deal. that is what was quoted me yesterday

[canis521]

It is $34 for a 40# bag of Performance Plus, and $30 for 40# Adult at the local feed store. I checked if I could pick it up at the plant and it was not an option.

Oakcreek- was the quote you received from a local store?

It is about the same as I pay for Nutro High Energy, which I have been happy with, I just like the idea of supporting a local company (if the dogs do well on it, of course). I am going to try it and see how they do.

[oakcreek]

That price is from Dressler's up by KC. Last I knew they hadn't received a price increase. I switched off of Native because I could see what was coming. It was $24 a bag in January, now it is around 27.50, and they are expecting another price increase somewhere at the end of the month or so. The exceed that I have been feeding went from 22.50 a 44lb bag to 26.30 a 44lb bag, and I have to drive 40 miles one way to get it. The national would be delivered to my house and I live right close to another big drop off location so the delivery for a half pallet is around $16, so I am going to try national. I was also quoted $36 for 50lbs for the Performance xtra. It seems like a really good food as well, a little hotter

[Big Dave]

I used the National puppy food a couple of years ago while raising a pup and liked it. Perfection Kennels used National for a number of years. It was too far for me to travel to continue using it.

[canis521]

I picked up a bag on Friday and am transitioning from Nutro to National. My dogs really seem to like it (however, there isn't much they won't eat) I am anxious to see how they do on it. I may try the adult for off season and switch to performance for hunting season.

Are the prices others are seeing for pallets of food? I seem to be a bit higher here. Shipping isn't much of a factor (or shouldn't be) considering I pick it up in the city it is made. I only have 2 dogs and not enough storage for a pallet, but I am also curious on what the realistic shelf life normally is on dog food.

[big steve46]

Re shelf life, just guessing, but I would think several months if it is stored in the bag in a dry area.

[wannabe]

I switched off of Native because I could see what was coming. It was $24 a bag in January, now it is around 27.50, and they are expecting another price increase somewhere at the end of the month or so. The exceed that I have been feeding went from 22.50 a 44lb bag to 26.30 a 44lb bag, and I have to drive 40 miles one way to get it.

I have been feeding Native for about 1 1/2 years and I have been very happy with the health and performance of my dogs, but with the next price increase, I am looking for something more affordable. I live 5 minutes away from Sam's Club, so I am thinking about switching to Exceed. How would you compare your dogs health and performance on Exceed to the Native?

If I could buy National locally, I would probably give it a try.

[big steve46]

Diamond Performance would be comparable. I also hear good things about Exceed, and their list of ingredients is great, so go for it.