Native Dog Food

[madmurph]

I hope that I am not repeating a previous thread. I checked back several months and could not find any specifically in reference to Native brand dog food.

It seems that Native has been advertising heavily and becoming more prominent in the world of bird dogs. I was wondering your thoughts on Native from people who have fed it in the past and those who are currently feeding it.

I do not want to start the argument all over on which food is best and what brand that you use. I was looking for opinions on Native only.

[Cajun Casey]

Don't know the food from an as-fed standpoint, but have never heard anything against it. They pour a bunch into PF/QF and you might contact some of the dog writers on their sites.

[ezzy333]

Good food but a little expensive is the story that I have heard from several people who have tried it.

Ezzy

[mcbosco]

Level 3 is available at my local store for $1lb. It seems well priced for a 30/20 compared to similar products, although Blue Seal Performance which is also made by Kent is quite a bit cheaper. That is a huge food in my area.

[ezzy333]

Level 3 is available at my local store for $1lb. It seems well priced for a 30/20 compared to similar products.

Yep I pay 23.50 for 50 lbs. that's 47 cents a pound. I've never noticed the dogs that are fed Native being twice as good, happy, or content. Oh wait, its cows that are contented. I take it back.

Ezzy

[gittrdonebritts]

I still don't get the big argument about food our Farm dogs growing up were fed the cheapest food dad could find and it never stayed the same brand more than a month cause there was always something cheaper out there they always had plenty of grease left over bones and table scraps and i don't ever remember them having a dull coat or being skinny.

[windswept]

I've used it in the past and don't really have any complaints. A couple of the dogs were very gassy but they made a change to the formula and the problem went away.
There are a lot of good dog foods out there and I would consider Native to be one of them.

[snips]

We are currently feeding Native and really like it. The kennel program helps on cost...Dogs have maintained weight well in the colder months feeding less.

[Buckeye_V]

I have fed it in the past. It was hard to get and I had one dog who was not really interested in eating it. I like their different levels. We fed ours level 3 during trial/hunting season and backed to level 2 in the off seasons.

[topher40]

Excellent dog food! I fed it for a year but it just got to be to dang pricey, even with the kennel program. Wish I could afford it but at a buck a pound and ten-fifteen hungry hounds it is to much. I do still feed a Kent brand just less expensive.

[fordman]

I feed level 3 for a while my dogs lost weight in the summer and I got a bunch of stool. Now it is up to $42 plus tax, me and a few buddies quit feeding it. All they do for PF is give out there coupons.

[smokinsam]

expensive around here.but good food.
if you dont do a slow transition you will notice loose stool.

[1vizsla]

We feed it and like it. It was one of the few that Dyson actually maintained weight on. Cheaper than some of the stuff around here but the transition was a little rough at first (gassy).

Carla

[Will]

Feed it and like everything but the price. Dogs do well and maintain through hunting/guiding season/winter on a 50/50 blend of levels 3 and 4 with no increase in volume.

[RoostersMom]

Fordman,

Native does a lot more for PF/QF than just coupons. They are a National Sponsor. Which means they put a lot into the National organization, for things like grant writing (you know to buy those pesky conservation areas we all like to hunt on), trips for chapter folks to washington D.C. to talk to legislators, area build-a-wildlife area campaigns... etc, etc. They do not provide free mini bags of dog food to chapters, but this year, they purchased a 2011 John Deere Gator and provided raffle tickets to chapter that chapters can sell. Our local chapter sold the raffle tickets for $10 a pop and made a profit of $1,000. That is a heck of a lot more than just a coupon to our local chapter. I've met the main guy there at Native, and though he's a GSP guy (sigh), he's a straight up dog lover and bird hunter. He's committed to making a food that is superior for hunting dogs.

[Hunter]

I have fed it to all my shorthairs and they did not look good on it and had very loose stools and that was on level 2 and 3 and believe me I wasnt feeding much. But I have talked to some who feed it and they love it and thier dogs look good, it just didnt work for me. Oh and by the way it was about $ 42 a bag way to high for what it does. The reason they are so high is because of the high advertising as it was very comparable in price before they hooked up with pheasants forever and others.

[Crystal kennels]

I fed Native to training dogs and my own for 2 years. Liked it and hated it at the same time. I had to truck it in from PA. and then the price went up to 38. per bag plus I had to pay freight charge. Always struggled with loose stools on that food. They improved it but when the dogs ran hot they always had loose stools. Finally I just switched back to Pro Plan and pay about the same price.......................


Judy

[splucinski]

I'm currently feeding level 3 and my GSP is doing great on it. Biggest thing for me is that I have to drive a little further to get it.

[MikeB]

Judy,
When you switched back to Pro Plan did the dogs stools firm up?

[Crystal kennels]

Mike..yes and no further problems. I hated to switch as I liked the concept of the food but I could not go to trials/tests and have themm stopping to 'unload' 3 times during a run. Pro plan has always been a great food...I have fed it for 20 years.


Judy

[snips]

We are feeding the level 3 now straight, we were mixing it with level 4...When we mixed it we had some off and on loose stools...Now seem to be much better...But we split it and feed portion in the a.m. and then the other half in pm...Seems to be doing well...My trial dogs are going great on it.

[dan v]

Brenda,

A question on feeding of your trial dogs. According to most of the pros I'm in touch with they feed once/day. Do you split your feeding of your trial dogs? Or are they 1x/day? Or do you just not feed the morning ration on the day they are running?

Thanks...Dan

[snips]

I always withhold a full feeding nite before and the morning before running...Handfull the morning before...But rest of the time I am splitting the feeding...Then the evening after running pic them up some..

[mcbosco]

Brenda,

A question on feeding of your trial dogs. According to most of the pros I'm in touch with they feed once/day. Do you split your feeding of your trial dogs? Or are they 1x/day? Or do you just not feed the morning ration on the day they are running?

Thanks...Dan

Dan, was this what you were asking about?

"It is generally recommended that hunting dogs be fed once each day, in late afternoon or early evening. This practice, which essentially starves your dog for 24 hours after each feeding, makes it IMPOSSIBLE for your dog to rely entirely on glucose entering the blood stream from the gastrointestinal tract for maintenance of normal blood glucose levels. As a result, your dog is FORCED to gradually increase its liver glycogen reserves, and adjust to using those reserves as the primary source of glucose for maintaining normal blood glucose levels."

[bossman]

Hey mcbosco...I'm I missing something? What is the source of you quotation?...Thanks

[mcbosco]

http://wenaha.blogspot.com/2010/04/hunt ... cemia.html

I book marked this a while back. It is about hypoglycemia. I have heard this once a day feeding approach by some sled dog racers as well.

[bossman]

mcbosco..Thanks, that was some great stuff.

[ezzy333]

mcbosco..Thanks, that was some great stuff.

When you read all of that take note that they forgot to figure the fiber in and consequently it was all figures as carbs, Since many feeds will run some where near 12 fiber and also have a fair amount of minerals the carb content of a feed is considerably lower than what was shown in that article. Before the hunt it is always good to try and load the carbs but then after those are used then the red cell will carry the energy componets of the feeds which is normally the fats that the dog will rely on.

I think Brenda gave everyone the ideal way to feed and prepare your dog to run and then a couple of hours later start the feeding process over with a little extra feed to replace the energy used.

Ezzy

[Buckeye_V]

I feed my trial dogs on the same schedule unless they are running in the morning, in which cases I do not feed that morning.

I feed twice a day every day.

[V-John]

I feed my trial dogs on the same schedule unless they are running in the morning, in which cases I do not feed that morning.

I feed twice a day every day.

Yep. +1

[dan v]

Dan, was this what you were asking about?

"It is generally recommended that hunting dogs be fed once each day, in late afternoon or early evening. This practice, which essentially starves your dog for 24 hours after each feeding, makes it IMPOSSIBLE for your dog to rely entirely on glucose entering the blood stream from the gastrointestinal tract for maintenance of normal blood glucose levels. As a result, your dog is FORCED to gradually increase its liver glycogen reserves, and adjust to using those reserves as the primary source of glucose for maintaining normal blood glucose levels."

Here's snip of a Arleigh Reynolds article:

Finally, timing of meals is important in canine athletes. Exercise alters gastrointestinal transit time and therefore can change nutrient digestion and absorption. Exercise also can cause mild hypoxia in the gut due to redistribution of blood flow. In addition, the heat of digestion can increase heat load in exercising dogs that are already at risk for excessive heat production. Due to the heat of digestion, dogs fed 4 hours before exercise had higher core temperatures than those fed 17 hours before exercising. Approximately 23 hours are required for the complete digestion of a large meal in a dog. Dogs fed less than 23 hours before an exercise event may have fecal matter in the colon that can compromise performance by adding extra weight to the dog. Some researchers and dog
enthusiasts theorize that feces in the colon can also cause cecal slap.1 Cecal slap is a condition during which the residual feces “slaps” against the colon causing irritation of the surrounding epithelium and perhaps inducing diarrhea during and after exercise. It is recommended that intensely exercising dogs be fed approximately 24 hours before an intense exercise bout to help alleviate problems associated
with a full colon. If the sporting activity in which they are participating is a multiple day event, then dogs should be fed as soon as possible after exercise so that they have the maximum amount of time to digest the meal before the next exercise bout. It is appropriate to feed a dog only when it is no longer panting or exhibiting signs of heat stress or dehydration. Most dogs can be fed within 45 minutes of cessation of exercise.

http://www.purinavets.eu/PDFs/ResearchR ... issue1.pdf

[bossman]

Wyndancer..Again, great stuff imo..As with most issue's, the individual owner needs to do what they think is best for their dog's. In my combined 35 years of trialing and hunting, I have had good success feeding once a day, at the end of the day. Let me apologize..I guess this really has nothing to do with Native dog food....Time to move on unless something specific to Native..Thanks

[Cuddybirddog]

I've been feeding my 3 yr old lab native since he was a pup. He is now a lean 65 lbs with endless energy. I started with level 4 during heavy training periods, and heavy fall hunting. With the lowered activity level during the harsh winter I give him level 3. I've noticed this winter that he has become very gassy from the level 3. I have been thinking about giving him level 2 to see if that will change his gassy "bleep". I also have thought about changing his food to taste of the wild. I have a friend who really likes what it's done for this same problem. Does anyone have any words of wisdom for me?