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FOOD
While they are living with us, our puppies get alternate meals of NEKMAR LOW GRAIN PUPPY & BABY superpremium kibble (10% discount code = SYLVAEN) and BARF (Biologically Appropriate Raw Food).
When they first start eating solid food around the age of 3 weeks old, we soak dry kibble in warm puppy-milk formula and lightly cook minced beef in boiling water.
By the age of 6 weeks old, the puppies are getting dry kibble (not soaked) and raw BARF (not cooked). It is around this age that their dam stops producing milk and they are eating solid food all the time.
They usually get dry kibble in the morning and have constant access to dry kibble throughout the day, provided in several small meals. Then, in the evening, they get a meal of BARF (raw minced beef).
Since our puppies are used to eating both varieties of food (kibble and BARF) it is easy for them to adapt to their new households, whether they will be eating kibble and/or BARF.
Therefore, we leave it up to the new owners to decide what to feed your puppy: what works best for you and your family/puppy.
At our house, we prefer to feed our adult dogs with both dry kibble (morning) and BARF (evening) so that our dogs are used to eating dry kibble, even though they prefer BARF.
This is because, when we travel with our adult dogs, it is easier and more practical to transport bags of dry kibble, rather than packets of frozen/raw BARF.
Whatever you choose, your puppy requires consistent meals of biologically appropriate dog food that will provide adequate and ample nutrition to meet the needs of a LARGE BREED PUPPY.
To limit damage to growing bones and joints, your puppy must not become overweight during its growth phase: from the age of 3 - 18 months old.
However, your puppy must be fed enough on a daily basis to ensure proper growth: not stunted due to limited nutrition.
Most cheap / low quality brands of dry dog food (kibble) or canned meat (tins) contain ‘filler materials’ such as wheat, grains and/or corn, which is a highly unnatural (and unhealthy) diet for dogs.
Though many breeds can tolerate these ingredients, they don't contain much nutritional value for dogs. A healthy canine diet is a grain-free diet: no wheat, corn, etc. Canned meat (tins) can also contain "gravy" that is too high in salt (sodium) and other unhealthy ingredients, which can result in diarrhea.
Moreover, Tamaskan Dogs tend to have notoriously sensitive stomachs. This is primarily due to their arctic breed ancestry, which historically survived on a high protein, low carbohydrate diet (frozen fish, raw reindeer/seal meat, etc).
We recommend a grain-free, biologically appropriate diet such as that provided any high quality (super premium) kibble brand suitable for Large Breed Puppies and/or a raw food (BARF) diet...
If your puppy gets bored with eating plain dry kibble, you can stir in a tablespoon of olive oil or coconut oil or lard (pig fat) in order to make it more appealing... or stir in a can of plain tuna fish or sardines, for instance, or minced meat, etc.
Generally speaking, rice is relatively easy to digest but it only really serves to “bulk up” the meal and it doesn’t provide much nutritional value for canines. That being said, cooked chicken (or turkey) and rice is an easy-to-digest meal for when your pup is sick or recovering from surgery, for instance. Sweet potato is a good alternative for rice.
Dairy products (bland cheese, plain yogurt, milk, etc) can occasionally be given as treats / supplementary additions to a meal, in small quantities, for dogs that are not lactose intolerant... keeping in mind that excess dairy products can cause diarrhea or result in upset stomach/bloating.
Additional vitamins are not recommended for puppies as all top-quality dog food brands will contain the necessary daily amounts. Supplementary calcium pills must be avoided as, in canines, excess calcium destroys the cartilage between growing bones, causing long-term damage and also leading to excess calcium deposits.
All top-quality dog food brands contain sufficient levels of calcium to meet the requirements of a growing puppy. Our adult dogs get BARFER'S BEST added to their BARF meals.
MORE INFO:
Best Dry Dog Foods
Raw Feeding FAQ
Body Condition
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