What do i feed a Portuguese water dog?

We bought an 8 week old Portuguese water dog puppy and we are picking it up this week. My first dog died because of all the chemicals and stuff in the store-bought food so we are only going to feed this dog home-made food. What should I feed the dog in the different stages of its life?|||The food should contain: (#1) nutrient sources that are similar to those found in the native environment of the breed's ancestors (sources which are not foreign to the digestive and glandular systems of today's Portuguese Water Dog and which are easy for them to assimilate) and (#2) the proper balance of protein, carbohydrates, fatty acids, vitamins and minerals that match the breed specific nutritional requirements - those which have been passed on by their ancestors.|||u feed it food! DUH!!!!!!|||It is important that you discuss this with your Portie breeder - puppies' digestive tracts actually develop certain characteristics depepnding upong what their mother has been eating while they developed in the womb, and they can be better off on some form of that. Others have allergies to certain foods, and that can lead to GI tract problems that can be serious.





Rahter than start out making your own food, speak to your breeder about what they feed - it is probable that your puppy will actually be better off on the puppy food they started on, rather than re-inventing the wheel. Really.





I know several Portuguse Water Dogs that are on Wellness Atlantic Whitefish and Sweetpotato, and are very healthy. Others are on good quality beef based kibble. These companies pour a lot of money into formulating their food so it is well balanced and made of high grade ingredients. I wouldn;'t hesitate to use it.





I have a dog at home that can only digest white fish and oatmeal, and cannot process any premade food. I would give the world if he could -it;'s a lot of work.





Really, you should try the bagged food, just get what they've already been on, and you won't confuse your puppy's body. That can be more dangerous than any harmful chemicals.|||Yikes! you need to start reading up on this! Human food isn't what dogs do all that well with. There are some EXCELLENT dog foods available and they have to correct amounts of vitamins and minerals and well as fiber and protein. These are great dogs with fun personalities and they are very active so they require good diets that have been designed by Vet's that understand what dogs need, kind of like how Medical Doctors understand what humans need.


You must be getting this dog from a breeder so take a note book and write down what they tell you. Then take this puppy to your vet as soon as possible and discusss what is best for your dog. Vet's can tell you so much if they know how you live and what you like and if you have kids, what to do and how to have the whole family enjoy this new experience.


This is a puppy, the most important time for it's bone and skin development is now.


I've raised many dogs and "home made" isn't always the best. Let the breeder and the vet guide you.


Good luck! :-)|||Here's a good overview of various feeding options, processed and fresh: http://www.dogaware.com/dogfeeding.html





Most people who feed homemade food these days feed raw, and if you do this, there isn't actually that much difference in food for puppies, young dogs, adults and seniors. The thing raw feeders usually aim for is the approximate proportions of meat, bone, organs, fat etc. that you find in an average prey animal. That translates into around 80% meat, fat, connective tissue, muscular organs etc.; around 10% non-muscular organs (incl. around 3-5% liver); and around 10% edible bone. Seniors are often less able to digest bone and connective tissue, so it often makes sense to reduce the proportions of these things in the diet of old dogs; but puppies that consume normal amounts of food automatically have their needs taken care of as long as you don't stray too far from prey proportions and feed a variety of animals and animal parts.





As it happens, one of the most informative websitesabout raw feeding (www.rawlearning.com) is run by someone who breeds Portuguese water dogs.





There's also a Yahoo group for raw feeders, where experienced feeders help people just starting out (link below).





One thing you do need to do if you decide to follow this path is develop a thick skin, since many people view raw feeding and other non-industrially produced options with suspicion and even hostility.





All the best,


Sally|||try a raw diet. Here is a site that is dedicated to big dogs and advocates raw and can tell you personal experiences on feeding homemade diets. www.bigdogsporch.com





And a few other sites: www.rawfed.com/myths, www.rawmeatybones.com, www.rawlearning.com