Large Breed Puppy Food

[Denise & Sophie]

I was trying to find a behavior class for Sophie and spoke with a woman who has her own grooming business and also is a breeder (not doodles)about Sophie attacking me every evening.. but anyhow she asked me what kind of food I was giving her.  I use Diamond Large Breed Puppy food Lamb and rice.  I knew she carried that brand along with wellness.  She told me that she never fed her puppies puppy food because they grow to quickly and their joints and muscles can be affected.  I have never heard this before and was wondering if anyone here has. She will be 5 months the 24th.

[BG and Gavin]

This does not sound right to me.  I don't even think large breed food is necessary for most doods as it was explained to me that large breeds were Great Danes, Swiss Mountain dogs, Newfies etc.. and neither a poodle nor a golden nor a lab is a large breed.  Having said that I continued feeding the large breed puppy food that the breeder started Gavin on until he was 10 months, because I felt it was a good food and did not see the need to switch since he was doing well on it.  I really doubt there is much difference between puppy, adult, large breed, small breed etc. and wonder if it is just a marketing thing.  I do know that puppies need extra calories because they are growing.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

The information you were given is not correct. Puppy formulas do not cause puppies to grow any faster than they would on any balanced diet. They are formulated to provide the nutritional reuqirements and extra calories that growing puppies need.

That said, Bruce Girl is correct in that you do not need a "Large Breed" formula unless your dog is a "giant" breed or is at least expected to exceed 80 lbs as an adult, and you do not really need a puppy formula, either. There are many ALS foods that are perfectly fine for puppies. The nutrient content is very similar between the adult and puppy formulas, as well as between "Large Breed" and regular formulas.

[Denise & Sophie]

Thank you, I thought it sounded odd but wasn't sure. It kind of scared me thinking of her growing to quickly... I'm use to small breed dogs.  :) Sophie is around 30lbs and eats around 2 1/2 cups of food a day.

[Sally, Ditzy Mitzi & Sgt. Pepper]

What would a 65 pounder be considered?  Is this a medium size? 

[BG and Gavin]

Gavin is 66 lbs and yes he is a large dog, however not considered a "large breed" dog if that makes sense :)

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

There is no hard and fast definition of "large" as opposed to medium, etc. In dog foods, these terms are largely a marketing gimmick. There are really no differences between the nutritional requirements of a 65 lb dog and a 30 lb dog, other than calorie requirements. In real life, it's more a perception issue. Dogs over 50 lbs are often considered "large" dogs. Yet, some breeds can weigh 60 lbs and be very short and compact in the amount of space they take up. Think of Bassett Hounds; most of us would consider them Medium sized, but they can easily weigh 60 lbs. On the other hand, some very tall lanky breeds like greyhounds look like very large dogs, and take up a lot of space, but may only weigh 40 lbs. Would you consider a greyhound a large dog, or a medium dog? Based on height, we'd say large, but according to a weight chart, they'd be medium.

It also depends on breed or mix. A 65 lb doodle is a standard. There are standard doodles who weigh 50 lbs, and there are standard doodles who weigh 90 lbs.

The point is, it's hard to put labels on size.

But in the case of the giant breeds like Irish Wolfhounds or Newfoundlands, there are some special considerations. They can take up to 2 years to complete their skeletal growth, their life spans are considerably shorter than smaller dogs', and their nutritonal needs are different.  

[Sally, Ditzy Mitzi & Sgt. Pepper]

Another question since I have not or do not remember seeing food specifically for medium size breeds.  What is the optimum choice for the 60 to 70  pounders?   The small dog food is tiny in size and the kibble for large breeds is

what my medium dogs prefer?  Is this why the year and one half old pup is gaining weight?  I think he is too

young to be on low cal food, and he sure loves to eat!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

There aren't any foods specifically for medium sized breeds because their nutritional needs are not different from those of dogs who are bigger or smaller. At a year and a half, no doodle is still growing, although he might still be gaining muscle mass. That might be the reason for the weight gain. Jackdoodle gained 15 lbs between the age of 14 mos (when I got him) and 2 years old. Of course, he was much too thin when I got him, but still.

Some foods are more calorie dense, that is they contain more calories in a smaller amount of food. There are dog foods that contain 500 k/cal per cup, and there are foods that contain 340 k/cal per cup. Of course, the amount you feed is different. Except in the case of puppy formulas or weight loss formulas, these differences in calorie contents are not breed or size specific, they are simply related to the ingredients in the formulas themselves. grain-free foods tend to be more calorie dense than foods that contain grains, but not always. It depends on the particular formula and manufacturer.

But an adult dog will not gain more weight on one food over another unless you are feeding too much. If they take in more calories than their bodies need, they will gain excess weight. It doesn't matter if the calories come from a food that's meant for big dogs, small dogs, or whatever.

[Sally, Ditzy Mitzi & Sgt. Pepper]

Again, Karen, you have answered my question.  Much gratitude here!   I know my St. Poodle pup is still growing, he is about 4 inches taller now then when he arrived in Feb. having just turned one the day before we became his forever family.  I also am under the impression that he may still be growing until 2 to 2 1/2 years old, so I am not sure of

how big he may get.  We have been giving him Natural Balance and Wellness grain free, for large breeds.  I am guessing this is good, and hoping we are doing the right thing for both Pepper and Mitzi.  Please feel free to correct me if we are not.  Thanks again.  Your faithful fan.  : )

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Thank you, Sally. :)))))