Raw diet for puppy???

I have a pup here that's been on the kibble/raw combo diet since he started eating solid food.  His breeder is a very hard core raw feeder who feeds stuff like whole chickens, feathers and all, and whole goat carcasses, cut up.  Talk about the ultimate puppy play toy!  []

I know a bunch of people who do the same, minus the wolf pack kind of approach which isn't feasible for more people.  I've noticed raising pups myself, that the younger the pup starts on raw meaty bones and the more often they get them, the less likely they are to chew inappropriate things.  I raise Border collies but have not had the proverbial chewed couch, woodwork, patio furniture, or small appliances, since I switched my approach to a raw meaty bones based diet.  Their teeth come in really nice too - my last two had littermates that had problems with baby teeth not falling out - but not either of mine.

I think Monica Segal has advice for just starting out, the rawdogranch.com has some information, and one of the older raw feeding books by Billingsworth has specific information.  I also like the Volhard method, too - but you have to make the decision about all the supplements and the grains she includes there.

Good luck and congrats on the new little one!

I am feeding my 1 year old a  of kibble and a raw combo mix from a wonderful company call "A Place For Paws" ...www.aplaceforpaws.com
They sell blended raw and veggie mixes, or all raw that are easy for a young dog to digest. They also sell green raw tripe, which is very healthy for dogs.The food is packed in plastic containers and shipped in styrofoam coolers. They are located in Ohio and it takes 2 days to get to me in NYC. Look at their website and contact them. They are great to talk to.

I think Monica Segal has advice for just starting out

 
I saw a recent post by Monica on her yahoo site where she said she was frustrated and worried about folks going with home prepared (raw or cooked) for puppies but not doing the research first on all the nutrient requirements that are so crucial for puppies.  She's not against the idea at all, she just wants people to be educated about it first. 
 
If you decide to go with raw, I would definitely do lots of research.  This is a critical time in their development and you don't want them missing something vital to their health.

I agree.  I'm actually getting a little frustrated with hearing about people with dogs of all ages who think raw means just throwing random meat down at their own convenience.  Most of them would reseach a new commercial food with some diligence, and switch over gradually and give the dog some time to adjust - one really needs to do the same with a switch to home prepared also, not to mention the learning curve for the human. 

Feeding raw or home prepared is not rocket science, but there's a little education that needs to be done if you don't have experience taking care of the nutritional needs of  a dog yourself.  Just like bringing a baby into the home - we have to learn from somewhere how to feed baby.  Most of us learn from our families, but we've interposed a couple of generations of kibble feeding between us and our predecessors to whom the household food was just food, not people food and pet food. 

Plus we have the advantage of increased scientific knowlege to quantify our pets' needs, though that knowlege is by no means complete.  We also can turn to people who have paved the way and raised generations of animals holistically.  Science has largely ignored this approach until now, but I really feel that the experience of tens of thousands of responsible breeders cannot be dismissed.  There are many ways to connect to this body of knowlege, mostly through the internet (such as people like Lauri).

Just remember two things as you wade through all the information that's out there.  Stick to an approach that fits your dog and your own lifestyle.  And variety over time is the key that will give your dog the greatest holistic advantage.  []

Good luck!

I have been using Nature's Variety Raw Medallions.  They have different flavors and they are easy to feed and the dogs love them.  It's the lazy person's method of feeding raw - everything they need is in the medallion.  They have a website, but I'm not sure what it is, but the company is Nature's Variety.  I'm sure you can google it.  Good luck!