Merrick and Loving it :D

[Kayla Jean Ashley]

I would have never thought the Bella's food was the culprit for her excessive energy and high-strung attitude. I mean never. I just thought that she was an athletic dog and was from energetic breeds. There were times when she seemed almost crazed with boredom and would just run around toppling everyone and nipping everything she could get to, she was too much at times and drove us to wit's end. I love her to pieces and would never get rid of her but we have high expectations for her and we know she could do more. Now that that little nippiness and constant leash straining has subsided were much more willing to start taking her back for classes and continue our walks. Ice + Charging Doodle= Many falls and wet bottoms. Now she's much more content and only exhibits a tiny but of that energy after a day or so of cabin fever when the weather is yucky. I really honestly can't believe the changes myself but ti was immeditaly apparent after we took her off Nutro Puppy Max. We started with Orijen and that worked fine but it was pricey and made her a very stinky dog (hence her nickname Smella Bella). Bella is also a very picky eater and likes to change her food up. Merrik has a smaller sized bag with six, I think, varieties and at fifteen dollars it keeps our wallet and her stomach content. The ingredients in it aren't as top notch as Orijen but I don't think it agreed with her tummy and it was once again, very pricey. All in all I'm loving the changes that new food has brought. With the good weather finally coming around maybe we can get back on track. I'm hoping I can post a few new pictures of Bella so you guys can see how big she's gotten. Everyone mistakes her for being a boy because she's so big. Forty-five pounds of Doddle muscle but with a lap dog attitude. Anyways, I thought I'd update everyone on the food changes and send out my approval for Merrick. It's done wonders for us and Bella.

[Allyson, Peri & Taquito]

I hate to tell you this, but Merrick products were on a recent recall list and the Food Group isn't recommending the food or other products associated with the company. I just tried searching for its rating on dogfoodanalysis.com, but the site is down currently, but I know it isn't a really high quality one.
Orijen doesn't work for everyone - it is a grain free food and that just doesn't work for all dogs, so it doesn't surprise me that you may have had some issues with it. Finding the right food is a complete balancing act and usually takes some trial and error to see what works. We have all been there!!!
Right now, most of our Food Group junkies are feeding their dogs the following kibble: Orijen, Fromm, Evo, Acana, California Naturals, Innova, Solid Gold, and some Taste of the Wilds. I think I am forgetting a few off the top of my head.
I know it is NO FUN changing foods, but I would switch to one of the best foods to be safe.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Allyson is correct. We have had some concerns about Merrick for a while now, and unfortunately, they were justified. Here is a link to the page in our Recall Section where you can read about this latest problem:
http://www.doodlekisses.com/group/thefoodgroup/forum/topics/current...
If you don't want to change foods right now, I would at least start looking for another food that you can change to if you have to; unfortunately, once there are quality control problems with a company, the situation often snowballs.
Nutro is a very very poor quality food, and just switching to anything with better ingredients and less junk would have helped. (I do think that some of the behavior changes may also have been due to Bella's maturing...food is only food, and can't really change personalities all that much, lol.) Higher protein and less cheap filler would certainly help. I truly believe that there are many foods that would agree with Bella just as well as the Merrick does; it's simply a matter of analyzing the ingredients and choosing another food with similar content. We will be happy to help you with that if you should decide to look for an alternative.
I can't tell someone else how to spend their money, but for me personally, food is a priority in my budget and always has been. There's a reason why 100% juice products for our kids are much more expensive than the juice "drinks" that only contain 10% juice, and there's a reason why one dog food is more expensive than another. I don't believe that every dog has to eat the most expensive, top-of-line food to be healthy and happy; but nothing is worth the heartbreak of having a dog develop a chronic illness from a food that you chose for him with all good intentions. Keep an eye on the quality control situation with Merrick products.
I'm glad that Bella is doing well and hope she continues to make progress! Please keep us posted.

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

Allyson and Karen have addressed the most important issues, but I can address the gas issue. When we have a food change with our guys, they are gassy for a couple of months but it does eventually end. My guys are pretty sensitive and we have gas with too many treats, rawhide, medicines etc.

[F, Calla & Luca]

Same here. I don't think my 2 are very sensitive but when I switched from Fromm to Solid Gold it was very pungent around here but that's has decreased almost entirely.

[TrevorDoodle]

Oh geez...what is wrong with Merrick now? I couldn't find the exact information in the link.
I feed merrick canned (mixed with TOTW). This makes me a little angry. I think feeding the
canned is expensive and I am trying to do right by my dog by feeding him what I thought was
quality food. Its like you can't trust any dog food company anymore!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

They found salmonella in the beef filet treats in January, and there had been a recall not long before that, I believe.
At this moment in time, we feel confident with Champion Foods (Orijen & Acana) Natura (EVO, Innova, California Naturals) Fromm Family, Solid Gold, Petcurean, and there are a few other private companies that so far seem to be fine from a safety standpoint.