Dry food recommendations

I will be bringing my Lola home in a month or so and I was wondering what type of dry food everyone recommends.(Keep in mind I am in the US) The breeder will be feeding her Eukanuba and she said that I should start with that then gradually switch to something else if I would like. I've always fed Purina One to my other dog, Paco (he's a Chi). I know that there are definitly better foods out there and would like to know everyone's recommendation! Thanks in advance!

There are so many good foods on the market today. I think in general, you should avoid anything you can purchase at a grocery store. And I would highly recommend you find a local specialty pet store- they usually have very high quality foods. I personally like Orijin Puppy.

As a general rule, I will only buy a food that is AT LEAST 25% protein. Of the first five ingredients, at least three should be from a protein source (chicken, chicken meal, turkey, etc). Stay away from any protein "by product". That means all the junk they wouldn't dare put in human food, like bones and organs. Also, high quality foods will have fruits & vegetables in the food as well. The difference in coat quality and energy level is truly amazing once you switch to premium foods. The food is more expensive, but they go through it so slowly it is not that much more on an annual level.

You must become a label-reader. The ingredients list tells all!

Has anyone heard of Halo brand dog food? It's a natural dog food and here is the nutri info:

Ingredients: Chicken, Pea Protein, Whole Eggs, Oats, Pearled Barley, Chicken Fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols and citric acid), Pea Flour, Chicken Liver, Salmon, Flaxseed, Salmon Oil (preserved with mixed tocopherols), Pea Fiber, Sweet Potatoes, Apples, Blueberries, Green Beans, Carrots, Cranberries, Zucchini, Alfalfa, Inulin, Calcium Sulfate, Potassium Chloride, Taurine, Salt, Folic Acid, Lactobacillus Acidophilus, Bifidobacterium Longum, Enterococcous Faecium, Lactobacillus Plantarum, Vitamin A Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin E Supplement, Choline Bitartrate, Niacin, Pantothenic Acid, Ascorbic Acid, Riboflavin Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Biotin, Manganese Proteinate, Zinc Proteinate, Iron Proteinate, Cobalt Proteinate, Copper Proteinate, Manganese Proteinate, Calcium Iodate, Biotin, Sodium Selenite.
Guaranteed Analysis
Protein - 30.0% Min
Fat - 20.0% Min
Fiber - 4.0% Max
Moisture - 10.0% Max
Omega 6 Fatty Acids - 3.1% Min*
Omega 3 Fatty Acids - .50% Min*
Taurine - 10% Min
Lactobacillus Acidophilus - 120,000,000 CFU/lb Min*
Bifidobacterium Longum - 120,000,000 CFU/lb Min*
Lactobacillus Plantarum - 120,000,000 CFU/lb Min*
Enterococcous Faecium - 120,000,000 CFU/lb Min*
Any opinions? TIA

I would prescribe to or try to get ahold of a Whole Dog Journal to see their dog food rankings. There's also another one online that looks really good to me. It's been referenced on this board before: http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/

We are currently feeding Taste of the Wild. It is one of the grain-free foods, which I like. We feed the roasted salmon variety, but all of them look really good ingredient-wise. Daisy ate it right off the bat, which is very unusual for her. We tried Innova Evo which is also grain-free, but she will not touch it. I've tried it several times and she just will not have it. Ditto with Solid Gold. I am tempted to try Orijen, but I've read that you have to be very careful about the amount you feed, or your dog will gain weight. That's something we definitely do NOT need, so I haven't tried it.

Recently we've been alternating between Chicken Soup for the DogLover's Soul and the Taste of the Wild. But I'm more comfortable with the latter because it's grain-free. In general, as others have said, look very carefully at the ingredients lists, always thinking about the order of the ingredients as well as what's in it. I try to stay away from grain parts like gluten, protein, hulls, etc. I also try to avoid beet pulp and corn. I just don't see any reason why they are necessary, so I avoid them.

Good luck! I'm very jealous you are getting a new puppy!!!

ETA: I'm not an expert, but I think those ingredients on the Halo brand look very good. Nothing stood out to me as something to avoid.

There's no perfect food for every dog - I feed raw most of the time, but when I travel I use Canidae Chicken and rice, and all my dogs do great on it.

I finally found someone in our area who sells the EVO small bites and I was having fun with the math and found out a pound of dog food = 2.5 cups, Hali eats 3/4 c. per day which is approximately 2 lbs. per week. I figured out it only cost me $3.20 per week to feed her the #6 out of 6 dog food which contains 42% protein.

This dog food company states:
"If you like the idea of feeding raw pet food, but prefer a gently cooked food that provides benefits that match raw, frozen or home prepared high-meat pet diets, EVO® Pet Food is the answer. EVO is the first grain-free ancestral diet that provides the benefits of modern nutrition in a safe, convenient and cost-effective natural food."

I've been a fanatic about finding her the best I could find hoping to keep her as healthy as possible with all the medical stuff this breed can have.
Im just nuts about my Hali....:l*v:

I feed my little guy Canidae Chicken and Rice. It is a very good food, and he just loves it, and has nice poops. It covers all stages of life, so there is no need to switch it up as they grow.

I am now feeding Sasha the Innova Evo, mentioned above. She seems to need less food now, I guess it's more nutrient-dense. She only eats around a half to 3/4 cup per day.

I was feeding Maverick Canidae lamb and rice since he's allergic to chicken. Now he's eating NV rabbit kibble. I'm thinking about switching back to Canidae since I really don't see any difference in poo or coat between the 2 other then cost. He also get veggies and fruits.

We eat Canidae Lamb & Rice here. Loki has allergies and this has made a huge difference.

Are you guys familiar with this website? They break down the ingredients of just about every dog food and rate them according to certain criteria. Scroll down to the bottom, each brand of dog food is listed alphabetically. Sorry if this is a repost.
http://hubpages.com/hub/Dog_Food_Review

Tia, I've never heard of that food, but the ingredients list looks good as does the % of protein. Give it a try and let us know what you think!

The only thing I thought was strange is that there is added salt. But I really like that salmon & salmon oil was included.

My girls don't normally eat a lot of kibble anymore. We mainly feed home cooked. However when I'm travelling and can't always take some made food from home i've been feeding them Wellness Core. Its a fairly new food on the market and i've been really pleased with it.

We use Dick Van Patten's Natural Balance.

Did a quick search for Halo pet food and decided to resurect this thread. Noticed QVC shopping channel had a 1 hr program today on the Halo brand pet food (includes kibble/wet food for cats, puppies and dogs as well as treats and other natural maintenance care items). Was hoping we might have some folks who may have tried it since this thread first started. I'm not nearly as educated in proper nutrition as many of you are, but what I've read looks pretty good. I understand comedian Ellen DeGeneres liked the line so well, she is now part owner of the company.

Comments?

My vet did some research on dog foods and gave me some suggestions. He had seen an independent study done and these were a few that got very high scores. I am particularly fond of the ones that are grain-free. My dogs have scratched much less since being on a grain-free diet. I like Merrick before Grain (BC). They offer chicken, salmon, and buffalo, Canidae (grain free formula) , Taste of the Wild (grain free), I am a little apprehensive about the Innova Evo small bites because it has 40% crude protein and I have read that the protein level should not be that high as it can cause kidney problems. The other dry foods mentioned contained around 32-34% crude protein. These, of course, are not the only high quality foods on the market, but just some that I have tried. Judy

I feed my lot Royal Cainin; it's great stuff and they all thrive on it. James Wellbeloved is also a great food and it's free from loads of irritants. They also have a "grain free" version.

I used to feed Canidae and switched when they changed formulas and people were reporting problems with their dogs having terrible diarrhea. I now feed Taste of the Wild grain free formula and rotate with Eagle Pack Holistic Lamb and Rice. Price is an issue for me because I have big dogs as well and we go through about $100.00 worth of dog food a month. It gets very expensive!

We've been alternating kibbles: Nature's Variety Venison & Millet, Lamb & Oatmeal, Salmon & Brown Rice; Wellness Lamb, Barley & Salmon, California Natural Lamb & Rice, and Merrick Wilderness Blend. They like the variety. (Chocolate is the only one who could eat the Merrick food without getting the runs though.)

Kibble

Joshie was origninally on Eukanuba also and we switched and tried all kinds of foods after reading the dogfoodanalysis site...Joshie ended up loving Solid Gold and Orijen.

He used to eat voraciously and almost swallow his kibble with all the foods, including Solid Gold. He has since slowed down and eating at a more relaxed and enjoyable pace since we switched to Orijen. We'll probably just rotate between Solid Gold and Orijen for now.