[asd1]

My nanny passed away this morning and I have inherited her dog lhasa apso x bichon frise (we had agreed long ago that the one and only thing I wanted in her will was the dog) anyway my question is the og has been fed on bakers all it's life and I'd like to switch her onto somthing better for her..... Any ideas? It would also need to be sutable for a 4yr old lab with sensitive skin

[Diddy Gardener]

Apparently Bakers can make dogs hyperactive (according to local pet food supplier). I switched my dogs to Royal Canin... lots and lots of different kinds - I'm sure you can find some to suit your dogs. My flatcoat is on one suited to labs and my border terrier is on a special one for terriers.

[Dawnuss]

bakers isnt the best quality of food but on saying that if thats what shes been fed all her life without issues sometimes whats not broke dont fix it. I feed my dogs raw meat but depending on circumstances you may not want to feed this. Other than raw meat i found james well beloved to be great, food quality and price wise and its hypoallergenic. I would be careful with changing your new dogs food too soon she will probably be missing your nan and will already be overwhelmed with the change so try to keep her routine the same as much as you can till she settles. This will give you time to look at your options. I used to have a bichon he was my first dog and they are fantastic little dogs. So sorry to hear about your nan she must have been glad knowing her dog was going to a caring home 

[asd1]

Thank you dawnuss for your  kind words. I honestly can't describe how much of an amazing person my nanny was and she had very similar views to me on the way animals should be treated but her dog was her baby and her baby got what she wanted so was therefore never trained in anyway whatsoever! She's a very hyper dog and very intelligent but has been a lap dog forthe last 6 years and doesn't even know "sit" lol ! I'm positive I can train her up to be a lovely social dog but it's gong to take hard work and as bakers is associated with hyper dogs I wat to change this first to see if I can calm her down. Some of my doggy friends have recommended skinners ? Does anyone have any advice on this?

[Dawnuss]

look at the ingredients in the food the higher the meat content the better also check it says what the meat is from and it doesnt just say derivatives this shows higher quality food. Skinners has 17.5% meat whereas james well beloved has 26% meat. take a look on some website some other good brands arden grange and fish for dogs. If you contact them im sure they would be happy to send you samples.  Good luck with the training if you need any advice give me a shout i study dog psychology and may be able to help. Also yes it is correct that Bakers causes hyperactivity as its coated in sugar but to be fair ive never seen a dog turn it down lol   

[Milly]

I went through the process of analysing the different dog foods and looking for one that I thought was best for our dogs, it was time consuming but I learnt a lot.
Bakers in my humble opinion wouldn't be high on the list. Having said that my daughters lab has ended up on Chappie as everything else goes through at lightning speed.

I put our Lab and Cocker (both working dogs) on Skinners and the result was -
Both dogs had the energy they needed to work.
The lab looked fantastic, a lovely shiny coat. The cockers coat lacked shine or condition. In the end the only thing that has suited the cockers coat is raw feeding. After 4 weeks on raw he looked as shiny and healthy as I knew he should. This was confirmed when the 'dog freezer' broke down and he had a stint back on kibble, his coat lost condition again.

In the end it's what suit the dog. My advice would be buy the best you can and see if it suits, if it doesn't change it.

[joyfull]

a friend of mine has put her rescue dog on nupafeed which is a magnesium supplement and within  a week her dog has shown visible signs of calming down. So this might be worth trying 

[asd1]

Thank you everyone for your advice, I may well email a few places and ask for samples. The dog is settling in well I think she knows what's happened taught her how to sit and do hi5 she's so smart

[Meik]

I have seven dogs and feed they a few different foods as it gives then a change but you could try simpsons premium which is one that I use, you can order online and they deliver it to your door.

Mike

[Plot74]

Thank you everyone for your advice, I may well email a few places and ask for samples. The dog is settling in well I think she knows what's happened taught her how to sit and do hi5 she's so smart

We feed our English bull terrier on canine. Alert by burns.as when she arrived was very hypo active this has calmed her down no problem . It had the opposite affect on our old little terrier cross he was 15 and it gave him a new lease of life.he lived happy for another two years.
Just remember if you are changing food do it gradually mix some new in with the old till you end up with all the new. Just one other point canine alert is vat free it is for working dogs so keeps the price down a little.
Hope this helps 
John

[snails2go]

We have a Collie/spaniel/Heinz57 cross and whilst I'd prefer her to be on a nice quality dried food (like our previous dogs), the only thing she will eat is Bakers with a dollop of Pedigree chum tinned food (or the cat's food!!).  I've tried changing back to other varieties but the slightest change really upsets her tummy.  She's not too hyper (despite the collie madness) and has a fab coat so I've stopped worrying about it.  I would agree with taking it really slowly tho making any changes, your dog will be picking up on your emotions as well as coming to terms with the loss of her companion too.

Good luck

[Mrs.Apron]

Sorry to hear about your dear Nanny.   How wonderful that you are taking on her beloved pet.

We feed our Border Terrier on Burns dog food as he has a sensitive gut.  Burns food is the only dog food which is fit for human consumption, due to the quality of the ingredients.  We pay around £44.99 for a 15kg sack from zooplus.co.uk (free delivery over £19).  This lasts 3 months, costing approx £3odd a week to feed him.

You'd have to introduce any new food very, very gradually, but you probably already know that.  All the best.