What should I feed my dog?

    • Bronze

    What should I feed my dog?

    Hi!  I'm new here and know next to nothing about different dog foods.  I've been feeding Elle (my 2 year old, 8 lb. Chihuahua) Bil Jacs Select dog food almost the whole time I've had her.  While she loves to eat (she can hear the word "treat" from miles away), she has tired of this food.  She actually nudged my shirt into her food to cover it up and show her dislike for it.  Can anyone recommend a nutritious, yummy dog food that would be good for her?  She doesn't have any health problems.  Thanks!
    • Bronze
    By the way, I'm willing to try canned or dry, or a combination of the two.  She has only been on dry food so far.  I've been reading here about how corn and fillers aren't good, so I would like to stay away from any bad ingredients.  Thanks!
    • Gold Top Dog
    The best thing is to do some reading on foods and decide what ingredients you are comfortable with and pick a food on that basis.

    [linkhttp://www.dogfoodproject.com/]This site[/link] has sections on reading labels, ingredients to avoid, and identifying better products.

    [linkhttp://www.dogaware.com/dogfeeding.html#TopDry]This site[/link] and [linkhttp://www.greatdanelady.com/articles/criteria_list_of_better_foods.htm]this site[/link] list some of the better foods.

    Personally I like Nature's Variety, Natural Balance, Royal Canin, and Sensible Choice for palatability.
    • Gold Top Dog
    Read my thread "DOG FOOD - The Owners Tell All."

     [linkhttp://forum.dog.com/asp/tm.asp?m=151532]http://forum.dog.com/asp/tm.asp?m=151532[/link]

    A lot of members talk about the different foods they have tried and the good things and bad things about them.
    • Gold Top Dog
    I'll try to narrow your choices down. Chi's and other small guys like foods with small kibbles. Here's a list.

    Eagle Pack Holistic (all of the Holistic formulas)
    Nature's Variety (all formulas)
    Innova Small Bites
    Solid Gold Wee Bits
    Royal Canin Mini (they make a chi formula, but this food is not as good as the above or below mentioned)
    Timberwolf Organics Bison (I think they have other small kibbled foods, but this is the one I'm sure of)
    • Bronze
    I have 3 chis, and I really like Timberwolf Organics.  The kibble size is very small, and they really enjoy the food.  There are so many good foods out there, but it is all about what works best with your dog [:D]
    • Gold Top Dog
    We also feed TWO, wild n natural, but before that we fed canidae for a long time. they all did great on it!! Maya has colitis so we switched to get rid of the grains and of course switched Houston too:) We also, over the tears had great results fron Solid Gold hunden flocken, we didn't do well on wellness even though I think it's a great food. Our guys had the runs that you hjust couldn't get to stop even with plenty of time. There are alot of good foods out there, do some research and find what might work best for you dog, there all different so it does take some time. Best of luck!!
    • Gold Top Dog
    I feed TimberWolf Organics.  I am very happy with the quality of food and the kibbles are smal and east for my dogs to eat.
     
    Good Luck!
    • Gold Top Dog
    I also recommend Timberwolf Organics. It's working really well for both of my Shih Tzu! I like the ingredients in their Wilderness Elk and Dakota Bison the best (the only difference between the 2 is Elk vs. Bison). It's a small kibble and that's always good for a small breed dog.
     
    I also mix meat baby food (just about a tablespoon) and a little warm water to make it more palatable for my picky eater, Gingerbread. I use Gerber's lamb, but you can offer variety- I've seen veal, ham, beef, and chicken also. Sometimes I mix in plain canned pumpkin or yogurt instead of the babyfood.