It's hard to fix what isn't broken

[Stacy]

Hi all - This is my first time posting to the group, but I've been reading since before I brought my puppy home. I have an 18 week old f1b mini goldendoodle named Katie. 

It's time to buy food again. She was eating Bil Jac at the breeder and I've kept her on that, but I know it's not a top quality food. I want the best for her, but she has been so incredibly healthy and wonderful since I brought her home. She's growing at a rate of 0.8 - 1 pound a week, she has a soft, shiny, healthy coat. She has firm healthy stools. No GI issues at all. My breeder cautioned me against puppy food causing her to grow too fast and causing joint issues. I've read what the food group has to say about that - but I'm still nervous about changing things when everything has been so good. I just don't want to mess it up. 

Additional info: I have been free feeding. Katie is a good eater but not a chow hound. She's a healthy weight. I can feel rib bones and hip bones, but she's not boney. She eats what she wants and then walks away, even if there's still food in the bowl. I have always been very careful not to have fat dogs. It's just too hard on their bodies. Katie is my first "big" dog. I have had papillons in the past, and currently also have one tiny 13 year old 4.5 lb papillon girl who is the princess of the universe. She is currently eating Bil Jac with Katie, but before the puppy was eating Royal Canin. I truly thought that was a good food, and I may be wrong, but I think it was one of the Whole Dog Journal's recommended foods - at least a few years ago. 

I have a fancy dog food store nearby, and I've been in to look at dog food, but the choices are so overwhelming. I know that no one can say that one particular food is the best food for all situations, but I wish someone could just tell me what I should start with. Or maybe I shouldn't change at all? I'm a bit lost here! 

Any advice? Thanks so much! Stacy (and Katie too)

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

And you can feel even better about the food not containing dangerous preservatives, corn, or by-products, too. :)

I'd say you can probably go ahead and switch over cold turkey if they're picking out just the new food. At the very least, I wouldn't draw out the switch more than 3 or 4 days. Keep us posted on how they do with it. 

[Stacy]

I really do feel good about the quality of food. Like all of us, I want my four legged kids to live forever and be as healthy as possible. It was so much less overwhelming to go in there and know which one of the million foods I was looking for. 

I also bought a raised water bowl with the idea that Katie will stop swimming in her dish and splashing water all over the kitchen. Puppies are wonderful, but challenging. And sometimes I wish she had an off button! 

[Lori, Daphne, Lucy & Pippa]

Thats great Stacy! All four of my fur babies (my 3 Doodles and my grand dog) all eat Fromm. I will say that there has been a significant improvement in the texture of Lucy's fur since we brought her home. We got her from the breeder as a retired breeding dog when she was 3 years old. At first she was a bit of a shedder and her fur was just not soft at all. She had been eating Purina. It took a couple of months but her fur is now quite soft and fluffy and the only fur she sheds is in her brush after being brushed. 

[F, Calla & Luca]

I have thought about human kibble many times.

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

ONLY IF IT CONTAINS CHOCOLATE! DARK CHOCOLATE!

[Stacy]

I am a big fan of puppy chow! You know, the one with chocolate, peanut butter, and chex mix. (not the dog food kind)

[Lori, Daphne, Lucy & Pippa]

Oh my family just LOVES puppy chow and begs me to make it all year long!

[David and Franklin]

After following this thread and doing some research as to whether I should go grain free or not, I switched from Orijen puppy to Fromm's gold. We are still transitioning, but dinner time is less a struggle. Franklin is eating more of the Fromm's and that is a very good thing. Cannot thank the contributors to this group enough! This board is an amazing resource!