ezzy333 wrote:I am not sure what you were saying but we found that the long type muscle use the fat and the twitch type that are used for quick movements need the carbs. For our hard charging type hunting dogs it is imperative to keep the carb levels quite high to allow for the quick turns and stops associated with finding a bird while running at full speed and having to turn and or stop quickly. And it is almost impossible to keep the weight on the dogs without a high quality carb and corn was the one that performed the best. And it is why practically all of our trial dogs are fed a feed with corn although there are other sources.
I am glad you did notice the civil manner you were treated with here on our forum as that is something we insist on. We still have a few that need some reminders but we are a great place for the newcomers that want to learn to get the information they need to compete,whether in a trial or just in the fields finding birds. But the trialers are the ones that have shown a real need for the higher carb type feeds and to be able to buy it at a reasonable price.
I also have always put the amount of waste the dog produces rather low on list of things we need to worry about. I know some of the owners are concerned when they have to clean the yard. But I always felt the health of the dog was much more important than the amount of waste. I was happy to see that after you made the statement about keeping waste to the minimum you then listed 4 or 5 fiber sources you use to increase the amount and keep the dogs complete digestive system healthy. On another thread going now some are suggesting feeding green beans to bulk up the feed they are using. It has always seemed odd that so many want to keep increasing the digestibility of the feed but then feeding supplements to do just the opposite. Anyway I still want to put the health of our dogs ahead of all the vast array of what people think a good food is without looking at the condition of their dogs to determine whats good.
Ezzy
PS Oh by the way I am one of those awful people on here that made there living over the past 60 years in the feed industry that a few of our members get upset with if I question or challenge them about the ideas they have about dog food. But thankfully it only a very few and getting fewer..
That's a true point. I've known a few people who would prefer if their dogs produced little rabbit pellets. My feeling is if you don't want to deal with the poop, don't have an animal! And, yes, dogs need protein, fat, carbs, pre and pro-biotics and all the rest, but they also need to move their bowels, and they also need something in their bellies! Especially during a long cold winter. There's only so far that you can push the "you can feed less of a quality food and produce less stools" idea. Push it too far and you have an undernourished dog.
My buddy has 6 GSP's (4 active, 2 retired) and 2 older Labs (both retired). Feeding all these dogs, food cost is, naturally, a concern for him. He has tried a number of different, widely available, foods over the years. I help out with the feeding, care, and training of these dogs. The only times we really get concerned is when the dogs just refuse to eat the food, the dog's stools get loose, or, the dogs start dropping weight and losing condition. All these assessments need to be made on an individual basis. I've noticed a pattern over time. With all the dogs being fed the same food Annie (retired female GSP) and the 2 retired Labs always eat all their food. Hans (retired male GSP), Luger and Abigail (working male and female GSP's respectively), usually eat most of their food, but there's always a little left in the bowl when I go to feed. The 2 youngest GSP females, Olga and Yancey, seems to pick at their food. Yet, all the working GSP's have energy galore and are maintaining their weight, with good, solid stools. Their coats are healthy, no dry patches or scratching, and indeed the 2 retired GSP's are getting a little hefty, as is Luger, but hunting season has been out for a while.
Now, to pick a small nit. As far as "Dr. Tim" making some sort of "stealth" move on the forum, I just don't see it. Here was a poster with the forum name "Dr. Tim" asking for opinions from forum members who have used it opinions on "Dr. Tim's" dog food. I'm sorry, but did no one else make the connection?
