adsuk Posted May 28, 2009 Report Share Posted May 28, 2009 Hi all, just after a bit of advice really, i have Zak (husky cross GSD) in just under a week now, he will be 6 weeks old, any tips or ideas on what kind of food to feed him??? cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jules dief taz tor Posted May 28, 2009 Report Share Posted May 28, 2009 lol r you ready for all the answers your gonna get lol, i think the best advice is to ask what hes being fed at the moment, and then if your not happy with it, change it gradually to what you wish to feed , we feed our older pups the barf diet , so to get the new pup ready we have started feeding her natures harvest , (we get ours from pet city)reasons being , 60 % pure meat, check that againts butchers etc , 75p a tray . not a bad price, and it keeps for 48 hours after opening, which when you have a small pup is good cause they cant eat a whole tin/ tray in 24 hours lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarah Posted May 28, 2009 Report Share Posted May 28, 2009 erm hate to say this but 6 weeks old is too young to take a pup away from it's litter and mum. At this age it is crucial for them to remain with their litter mates to learn basic social interactions. Is the breeder insisting on you taking her at 6 weeks or was it your choice? I'd suggest speaking to the breeder and finding out what food she's on, if she's ok with what she's on, leaver her on it, you need to make sure her stools are ok and too "sloppy" (sorry lol) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
siberianandy Posted May 28, 2009 Report Share Posted May 28, 2009 first of all ask breeder what he has been feeding the pup i think 6 weeks is a bit early to remove a pup from its mother we feed suka wainwrights salmon and potato puppy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adsuk Posted May 28, 2009 Author Report Share Posted May 28, 2009 forgive me, he will be 7 weeks , i meant hes 6 weeks now.. sorry lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarah Posted May 28, 2009 Report Share Posted May 28, 2009 ok 7 wk is better you had me worried then!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alex T Posted May 28, 2009 Report Share Posted May 28, 2009 Check what hes being fed now - and then if your not happy with it (or hes not) change it gradually to something else! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ice and Cripton Posted May 28, 2009 Report Share Posted May 28, 2009 Whatever the breeder has been feeding him >> feed that for 2 weeks and then change it slowly, i would suggest James wellbeloved, arden grange and nutro And whenever you take a pup from the litter is a controversial subject, we are told 9weeks, my trainer, John Uncle who has been training dogs for over 50 years disagrees. 6 weeks is a perfect age, it's when service dogs are taken away such as dogs for the blind and pat dogs. They know all they need to by 6 weeks, the know when a their litter-mates yelp they are nipping too hard, they understand body signals and domminace has already been established. And dont forget puppies taken away at 9 weeks can still be aggressive if you do not socialise them coreectly >>> At 6 weeks a dog will form a stonger bond with you and not be so interested with other dogs hence why service dogs are taken away at this time >> they need a reliable, sound dogs! John Uncle will get the puppy at 6 weeks and train them for a few months without them playing with other puppies >> people often confuse 'playing' with socilaising >> a dog knows how to play, sniffing, and body language is socialising. So yeah lol just my thoughts.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BingBlaze n Skyla Posted May 28, 2009 Report Share Posted May 28, 2009 like every1 else says keep him on what the breeder has him on n if u rly wanna change it do it slowly add 1 bit ov new food take a new bit away add 2 bits take 2 bits away ect Blaze is on Wainwrights food Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SuzanneDavies1975 Posted May 28, 2009 Report Share Posted May 28, 2009 Hi there, huskies have really tempremental stomachs, so you will have to keep it a low maintainance food once you have changed him from what the breeder has been feeding him, try to stick to dry food and you should give them a tea spoon of natural yoguht a day x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bec Posted May 28, 2009 Report Share Posted May 28, 2009 Seven weeks is still a bit young - puppies should really stay with their litter mates and mum until 8 weeks of age. What does the breeder feed them? They should be your first port of call. If you don't want to feed what the breeder is feeding, you need to change your pup over gradually. Does your breeder have a puppy pack they are going to give you with diet sheets and info about health etc? Both Micha and Daisy's breeders gave me puppy packs with health info and what to feed them from puppy hood to adult hood. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bec Posted May 28, 2009 Report Share Posted May 28, 2009 And whenever you take a pup from the litter is a controversial subject, we are told 9weeks, my trainer, John Uncle who has been training dogs for over 50 years disagrees. 6 weeks is a perfect age, it's when service dogs are taken away such as dogs for the blind and pat dogs. They know all they need to by 6 weeks, the know when a their litter-mates yelp they are nipping too hard, they understand body signals and domminace has already been established. And dont forget puppies taken away at 9 weeks can still be aggressive if you do not socialise them coreectly >>> At 6 weeks a dog will form a stonger bond with you and not be so interested with other dogs hence why service dogs are taken away at this time >> they need a reliable, sound dogs! John Uncle will get the puppy at 6 weeks and train them for a few months without them playing with other puppies >> people often confuse 'playing' with socilaising >> a dog knows how to play, sniffing, and body language is socialising. So yeah lol just my thoughts.... I guess the UK must be different? Because the guide dog association here does not take puppies away from their litter until eight weeks. I also know quite a number of people with service dogs (i.e. security/personal protection dogs, assistance dogs, SAR dogs etc) and not one was taken from the litter before 8 weeks. My trainer trains police dogs, personal protection dogs, search and rescue dogs etc and he would not take a pup away from the litter until it was eight weeks. He actually wrote the puppy development calendar you can find here: http://www.dolforums.com.au/index.php?showtopic=117592 To quote the calendar, the 3-8 week period is a crucial time for the pup to learn from it's mum and litter mates. Pack skills development period (3 - 8 weeks) This is a crucial time for the puppy to spend with mother & litter mates, interaction skills are learned at this time & various canine behaviours are learned too, such as calming, greeting signals etc. He is now aware of the differences between canine and human societies. It's not about socialisation per se but the developement of crucial pack skills, where puppies learn about bite inhibition etc. It is actually the law here in several states that puppies cannot leave the home until 8 weeks of age. Anyone whose raised a litter successfully will be able to tell you how crucial those last two weeks are, and the huge changes you see in puppies and how they interact with their litter mates AND with people over those two weeks. Once he gets a pup he doesn't subscribe to standard socialisation either, he choses instead to 'neutralise' pups to distractions like other dogs, like your trainer said, he raises the pup to see him as the most exciting thing there is - but he still gets his pups at eight weeks. ETA: I know we all have our own views and opinions, I just wanted to clarify that not all service dogs are taken from the litter before eight weeks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BingBlaze n Skyla Posted May 28, 2009 Report Share Posted May 28, 2009 i no this aint got nuffin 2 do wit the food bit but i got Blaze when he was 7 weeks old and my mums friend got their pup when she was 7 weeks old too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bec Posted May 28, 2009 Report Share Posted May 28, 2009 Maybe our laws are stricter here Nix? It is part of the ANKC code of ethics that breeders are not permitted to sell puppies before eight weeks - not sure if it's the same for your Kennel Club? It's also the law in NSW and other states that everyone, even unregistered breeders (BYBers and puppy farmers included) must not sell a pup before they are eight weeks old. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BingBlaze n Skyla Posted May 28, 2009 Report Share Posted May 28, 2009 i thought it was 8 weeks aswell im not sure 2 b honest anyway lets not clog up this thread bout ages lol dnt wanna start another 'debate' either lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shirl Posted May 29, 2009 Report Share Posted May 29, 2009 Hi, we have kept Asha on the food she was given by the breeder. She was kind enough to give us a bag of it when we took her, so we have just continued as it seems to suit her (no upset tummies etc) Purina Beta Puppy Large Breed with Turkey and Rice. Good luck with your pup, all the hard work is worth it I promise lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adsuk Posted May 29, 2009 Author Report Share Posted May 29, 2009 To be fair, if they havent learned everything off their mom in 7 weeks, they aint gonna learn much more in an extra week, so careless of what everyone says im getting him at 7 weeks, My parents brought a GSD off a breeder when he was 7 weeks and they reccomended not to leave them any longer than 7 weeks.... I just cant wait to get him home now... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sqwidge Posted May 29, 2009 Report Share Posted May 29, 2009 adsuk, i don't think anyone was 'getting' at you, so please don't feel offended (if you do) everyone has their own strong opinions on things and sometimes it can seem a little argumentative, but honestly it is just discussions! Did you find out from the breeder regarding what food he is on at the moment? Eika (my pup) was on Royal Canin, but after we bought the huge bag she decided she didn't like it anymore, about quarter of the way thru it! So we have no switched her to Burns and she is doing fine and eating it...i am only ever going to buy small bags from now on, regardless of if it is more expensive...!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bec Posted May 29, 2009 Report Share Posted May 29, 2009 Totally agree Sarah, as I mentioned in my first post in the thread - go with what the breeder is feeding to being with because you don't want to change his diet too quickly. Like I said, they should give you a puppy pack with lots of info to guide you (at least for the beginning). The breeder is often a good port of call as they know what their dogs do well on etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
siberian_wolf Posted May 30, 2009 Report Share Posted May 30, 2009 I agree with asking your breeder what diet they are currently feeding the pups as if you start on a different diet as soon as you get him will very likely cause stomach problems. If you find out what the breeder is currenlt feeding and keep your pup on that diet and if you find he is getting an upset stomach then will be the time to start thinking about other diet but if he is fine with his current diet then stick to that as changing the diet too often can also cuase problems Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beaker Posted September 2, 2009 Report Share Posted September 2, 2009 just a question really .. was the teaspoon of natural yoghurt just whilst puppy or throughout ?.. and my breeder is feeing storm on Purina Beta would you mix with warm water when feeding 9week old ? beaker ps sorry if hijacked thread a little Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarah Posted September 2, 2009 Report Share Posted September 2, 2009 just a question really .. was the teaspoon of natural yoghurt just whilst puppy or throughout ?.. and my breeder is feeing storm on Purina Beta would you mix with warm water when feeding 9week old ? beaker ps sorry if hijacked thread a little No, my two have natural yoghurt although not at every meal time, maybe a couple of pots a month (the small ones) I soaked their kibble when they were young up to about 15 weeks and kept reducing the amount of water I added Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beaker Posted September 3, 2009 Report Share Posted September 3, 2009 Cheers for the info Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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