Why do breeders feed ProPlan?

what a breeder feeds is really like what ANYONE feeds...a personal decision based upon their unique circumstance. Some foods have breeder plans...breeders typically have more than one dog...so cost is a factor...for others it's simply how they've always done things...Purina is an old brand name and many folks in dogs have been breeding a long time. Myriad reasons...as many as there are people.

In looking for a breeder or puppy I cannot say that what they choose to feed really means anything much to me...because when I get my puppy it will be fed what "I" feed...so many other, much more important factors...like the ones you yourself brought up. If their dogs are healthy, being health tested, proven and living the expecting life expectancy for the breed...I can't really see an issue.

Maybe they get some kind of discount?

I don't really care what they feed as long as they can give me good reasons why, and don't make requirements about what *I* feed.

fameb

there guarentees and contracts are void if the puppy is fed something other than Pro Plan.

For me, that would be a deal breaker. I've seen a lot of dogs look fantastic on Pro Plan, but Emma's gotten so sensitive, I don't feed anything she can't eat. Bowl licking, kibble sharing, spills, etc could be dangerous, for her. Besides, don't most people feed the same thing to all of their dogs? New dog comes in and HAS to eat Pro Plan? Please!

It's not just Pro Plan...I have seen contracts that REQUIRE raw, or xyz kibble. I am not sure why folks sell/place animals when they want that level of control over their daily existence LOL. Just keep them!

That's what I mean...It shouldn't be a requirement to feed a certain food, you should be allowed to feed whatever your comfortable feedings YOUR dog.

It just makes me nervous...Every other breeder page I stumble upon has that Pro Plan logo, or that We feed our dogs Premium dog food only Purina Pro Plan.

While I was flipping through channels the other day, I saw a major dogshow sponsored by Purina Pro Plan. And it got me thinking that maybe these breeders just want to get on the companies good side.

I know a lot of Lab breeders have had great results with Pro Plan.  I know Mick did much better on Pro Plan then he did Nature's Variety, Natural Balance or Canidae.  If Caleb wasn't allergic to beef, he'd still be on it (even the non-beef versions have animal fat).

rwbeagles

It's not just Pro Plan...I have seen contracts that REQUIRE raw, or xyz kibble. I am not sure why folks sell/place animals when they want that level of control over their daily existence LOL. Just keep them!

Totally.  Ask my breeder what she feeds and she will tell you, and offer you a 30lb bag at cost (I think she feeds Innova Evo, NV Prairie and Fromm), but unless YOU ask, it's not really an issue.  She knows I don't feed either of those brands.

I know some breeders sell/are authorized dealers for, various foods...they get a discount and they can do it while still holding another job...kinda another way to bring in money...and if you believe in what you are selling I see it as no different than Avon etc. Just don't be pushy...LOL...and that includes the Avon and Tupperware ladies too!

 Any of that silliness would be a dealbreaker. Discussing what to feed, and what the dogs do well on is fine. Requiring it and voiding guarantees?  Forget it.

What happens when an owner is under contract to feed something and the formula is changed like Canidae's was?

proplan and eukabana cater heavily to the conformation showers/ breeder crowd. They give discounts, they have ads and sponsorship right there in the show crowd's faces. And the food seems to be tailored to get the "fat, shiny, can trot around the ring looking fabulous for a few years" dogs that conformation breeders are going for. Also if you have a lot of dogs plus litters the discounts and price per pound start to really become important.

 I know someone who used to breed and because of this started feeding these foods and then out of habit kept feeding them. She got into agility and heard about other foods and, one day everyone was commenting on how focused and how much better-sleeker, more muscled-  her dog looked at agility class, and she admitted she'd switched the dog's food to a less-grainy, more meat brand more focused on athletic performance and well, before the switch the dog seemed fine but after the switch, the dog was so much better. The weirdest effect was on the dog's mind: full of energy before, but scattered and almost ADHD; after the switch same energy level but focused.

Results speak for themselves.  I seriously doubt that the dog was ADHD on Purina and suddenly focused on the other food.  That is ridiculous!

Not all Pro Plan is grain heavy.  The Selects line is a decent food.  And we use the Salmon and Rice with no corn or wheat and my dog isn't FAT.  He is way to thin in fact.  Shiny indeed and full of energy in the field for running his heart out.  Mine came to me on Fromm and I really like their food but he wasn't doing well on it.  Agree to whatever the breeder wants as far and food and unless they insist on a camera to monitor the dogs life, feed what you want.  I for one won't put you down for whatever choice in food you make.  It is your business.  The jury is still out on how well the "organic" foods will do over the long haul in extending dogs lives and health.  They haven't been in the main stream long enough to know if that is going to change what I feel are enviromental factors and genetic traits.  We have more cancer, they have more cancer etc.  They share our world. 

I just had to reply because mudpuppy hate Pro Plan all you want but I do not believe that it will effect the dogs hyperactivity.

mudpuppy

proplan and eukabana cater heavily to the conformation showers/ breeder crowd. They give discounts, they have ads and sponsorship right there in the show crowd's faces. And the food seems to be tailored to get the "fat, shiny, can trot around the ring looking fabulous for a few years" dogs that conformation breeders are going for. Also if you have a lot of dogs plus litters the discounts and price per pound start to really become important.

 

That's pretty much what I was going to say.

I believe that Kaiser's breeder must get some sort of discount/freebies from Royal Canin, because when I picked him up she gave me a huge RC-sponsored puppy pack.  It had brochures and pamphlets about raising the puppy (written by RC) and all the nutritional stuff centered around their product line.  She also gave me a bag of RC large enough to feed a Klee Kai puppy for well over a month (which he never did touch...).

My vet gives out puppy packs sponsored by Science Diet and again, free food.  These companies are trying to hook new dog owners who are overwhelmed by the amount of decisions to make.  They figure if you start buying their food when your dog is a puppy, you'll keep buying their food.  It's a great marketing ploy that works with much of the uneducated dog owning public.