RAW diet seems to make a more relaxed attitude, same pup, alternating diet?

[lone Ranger]

Hello fellow GSD Lovers..

Two adults, two pups here, settling in on the Raw Diet of mostly beef, some chicken, some lamb, chicken necks, beef MM, and meat on the bone... Because I am between two properties, city life with my Wife and country life with horses and cattle, and refusing to retire with 50 Employees, I lead a very busy life on the road a bit. While Raw is king and the way to go (See my Testimonial about saving my 10 year old Alpha male in the RAW/BARF section) while Raw is king, it is a bit tough some times and I have settled on Raw backed up by kibble.

For kibble I am on Nutro chicken and rice Natural "Large Breed Puppy", the most natural top ingredients I can find here in Australia. Look, I am killing my own beef and freezen in 1 kg packs. Then I take it out of the freezer and put into a lunch cooler, and transport in the fridge in my truck. But sometimes you run low or something unexpected comes up, or I don't make it out to the horse property where the freezers are, so I carry back up of kibble. My pup is now 17 weeks, almost 18 weeks, front nibbler adult teeth coming in. What is noteworthy is I think he is more laid back on the Raw than on the Kibble... If any of you have a problem hyper-active pup, some call "excessive drive" but I call Old School hyper active, you might try the Raw Diet to see if it calms the pup down...

Now dog to dog it varies, but I think it is worth the try. The Hyperactivity could be related to a mild allergic reaction to the kibble, or the excessive protein ratio or something else. I notice that on predominantly raw, my pup is more laid back.. On kibble he is more reactive, at least it seems... He has a more active day, less restful times, more demanding... I hope this helps some of you with more active pups that you would like..

Here is "Wolf Caesar" in his Guard Dog pose in my office mid morning, 17 weeks, 22 kg, his usual attitude, when on the predominantly Raw Diet:



No seriously, I hope this may help some of you, just a theory, but it might work and the Raw diets slows them down and maybe even growth rates to a slower pace that would be beneficial for joints...

[jae]

I must say, I have seen this firsthand. From what I would say were energy spikes, to a much more mellow, average, consistent energy.
I would dare to compare it to a human diet of white starches that spikes your blood sugar then crashes, to a balanced diet that gives balanced energy. Less stress on the system translates so well in so many areas.

What I like though, he still has the overdrive when we are "working" aka training, going on walks, hikes, playing, etc.

[lone Ranger]

Hello Jae,

I was reading on another Dog Forum i was sent a link to, and they put forth a solid theory that it is PROTEIN related. The Puppy kibble has too high of protein, causing too fast of growth rate. Besides the cancer producing impure ingredients, preservatives, rancid guts and fats, and allergenic grains that causes some dogs to have inflamation and allergic reactions to.. Besides all that $ saving $hit the kibble has too high of protein.

They claimed that was what the poor animals have to burn off with hyper activity, and accelerated growth rate that causes joint problems later in life...

What do you think Jae, sound reasonable???

On mostly RAW, my pup is very relaxed... On the kibble alone it seems to be too much, bouncing off the walls and demanding... whining, yelping, jumping... too active for his own good.

[jae]

Very reasonable.
You mentioned rancid meats. I have a cousin, works engineering in many different factories across the states. As we were driving to Denver International, we passed a Purina plant, which could easily have passed for a chemical plant.
His one praise is that he has never worked in a pet food factory. But he knows them. His words: They bring in rancid, old, disgusting meat, dump it all together, render and process. Then come the fillers.
And this is what I am advertised to feed?

However, I would argue that the protein is not the main problem, it is the fillers, and the quality of the protein just makes it worse. How many fillers, even in the premium, top of the line, grain-free, expensive kibble? it makes my head hurt reading them. But what do I know.

They say in the US that obesity, diabetes, health problems are on the rise, at an all time high. It is no coincidence that this has also come with the rise of processed and packaged food. Not to mention the SOURCE of the "food"!
They say children are developing all sorts of issues that never existed before this era. What a coincidence that those with healthy diets do not develop these problems.
And this is what we are advertised to eat.

Why should canines be exempt from the dangers of processed foods?

But this is my amateur opinion, however yes I agree reasonable for protein related, but my guess is the fillers.

[volcano]

My raw since weaned puppy is huge. 143 weeks and about 28 lbs with giant paws. Great demeanor, has had only a few bursts of energy where she runs like crazy. Ive seen that in other dogs and thats what I thought a landshark was before I got her.

[Luckyme]

I agree my pup is very mellow and since I've had her she gets raw of course she has no choice since it would cost an arm and a leg for me to "run" to the pet food store and UPS truck has never been seen around here. Dogs live long lives, my Father-in-Law, had a Border collie, that lived until she was 22yrs old.

[volcano]

Over 20 years ago I hd a coworker who worked at a purina science/testing facility. He claimed that dogs ate better food that us. Now it makes me wonder what he used to eat LOL. And to edit my post, Apache is 29 lbs at 13 weeks. And a natural at having great temperament.

[Jag]

While I don't have any issue with RAW, you have to balance everything out. It's not just a meat diet. If you get a kibble with a lower protein, then that's not an issue, either. Nor are the ingredients. Now, I'm on my 4th GSD pup. He's on the 'best' food of all of them, yet he's the most off the wall of any of them. I think genetics, lines, etc. have way more to do with it than protein content. I agree that you can have sugar spikes and crashes, unless you feed a kibble that has something in it (Can't go look right now) that stabilizes glucose. I'd hazard to say that a pup may be calmer when eating raw meat because it takes the stomach longer to digest... giving that "post-Thanksgiving meal" feeling.

[Ltleo]

I am 100% on raw now. I had dogs my whole life mostly GSD. With my pup now I feed nothing but raw and the difference is off the charts. He grows steady, paws are huge but most of all his colors are like pure HD. His fur is amazingly soft and shiny. We go to basic class once a week and we are with other GSDaround the same age. I am the only Raw feeder. Easton (my dog) all around look is better but every person in the class marvels over how soft and the colors of his coat compaired to theirs.
I relate this directly to the raw vs kibble. Plus their dogs are off the wall where Easton is calm and open to all.
Yes breeding plays a huge part also but with kibble feed dogs over raw just in coat alone you see a huge difference. Kibble feed seems almost washed out and dull where raw is vibrient and alive, not to mention no shedding. Just what I have experienced and seen through my comparison, no offence ment.

[lone Ranger]

Hello Friends and GSD Lovers

Wolf Caesar is now over 18 weeks, just over 52-53 lbs, a little bit lean for my taste but he is 23" tall at top of withers, and next Saturday at 19 weeks old.. I do not know how that fits the scale, he is probably at the top end of the Show Dog scale. Not going to be huge..

He seems to get weary of the Raw Diet at times, but that is probably just me. This morning, I did a BBQ of today and tomorrow meat, lightly BBQ brown and a little crusty, fist sized chunks, still raw inside. They seem to like the treat difference.. What I have found is that part of the "picky eater" problem has been that the meat was too cold. Even warmed up in the microwave for 30 seconds and mixed, and he ate twice as fast. They really want it not too hot, not too cold, about lukewarm and they gobble it better..

What I have settled on, is a mix of the raw and kibble. I put in the raw, maybe 75% Raw, and a handful of kibble. There seems to be a balance there, and I feel better about the overall nutrution. I suppose I am just hedging my bet so to speak, and I do value RAW best of ALL, but I am also supplementing with kibble, the Nutro Natural chicken and rice Large Dog Breed Puppy mix. A young puppy seems to have problems with the mix for the different digestive rates, but older now at 19 weeks and he has no problem with the mix..

Some days he goes more for the meat, some days more for the kibble, but most days now he eats the mix altogether.. I think I have found my balance and when on the road of forget to defrost, he will get the high grade kibble. Nutro all Natural is what I am using right now..

Good luck with your Puppy Loves... Here is Wolf Caesar at 18 weeks 23-24 kg, now tussling with a 35 kg Bitch (Tonka) he is starting to hold his own at about 23 kg and bowl her over now and then..

Kind regards from the Wolf Pack in Australia