Thank you Pedigree & Mumsnet for selecting us for this trial.
Q1. Were you aware of Pedigree® dog food before taking part in this product test? If so, have you ever purchased it before?
Yes: it's a famous brand. No.
Q2. What are your overall impressions of the Pedigree® Complete Feeding diet your dog tested? We’d love your thoughts on the complete diet as well as the individual products.
Overall, my impressions are mixed.
My dog (9 month old mini-Schnauzer - we've been sent the puppy Vital dry food, pouches, and Denta Tubos) changed over to the diet without any complaints, and happily eats the wet and dry food (though I mix the wet with the dry so that he doesn't get used to the wet on its own, as I intend to go back to the Symply kibble only after the trial). He eats the Denta Tubos although he's clearly not that enthusiastic about them, as he drops it when given one and only chews it when he realises he's not being offered something else!
His temperament, activity levels, and general demeanour are the same as before (that is, he's playful in the morning and evening; well-behaved, lively, and happy on his walks; lovely, cuddly, and chilled out the rest of the time; an all-round good-natured and affectionate little guy). His coat (fluffy and soft) and breath (not unpleasant) are as they were too.
However, his stools have gone from quite small, dark-brown, and firm, to larger, orangey-brown, and very soft (and even occasionally extremely runny, like diarrhea). They are not particularly unpleasant smelling, but they are very unpleasant and difficult to pick up, which is a bore. He doesn't seem to be in discomfort at all with this, so I think this is just the type of poo it gives him, rather than that it upsets his stomach.
In short, my puppy seems happy on this diet, but his poos are not very nice to clear up.
Q3. In future, how likely are you to consider regularly feeding the full Pedigree® diet that your dog tested to your dog? If not the full diet, which particular products would you consider and why?
Unlikely, because the state of his stools confirms to me that this is not the best diet for him. I suspect that he is pooing like that because of the low meat, high cereal (or similar) content of the food, and even though he seems happy and healthy, his poos are the only indicator I have daily of his inner health, and I'd rather not take the chance that this food is not really that great for him. His previous kibble (Symply) had a much higher meat and protein content (the Pedigree Puppy Vital has only 14% animal derivatives - whatever they are!). In short, I don't think the ingredients of this food are of a satisfactory quality, and I'd prefer to feed my dog a food with a clearer and better ingredients list.
I may buy him the Denta Tubos and then graduate him onto the adult dog version, if I'm convinced that they scraping action is good for his dental health.
Q4. If it came up in conversation, would you recommend Pedigree® to other dog owners? If so, why? If not, why not?
No, but I tend not to recommend things to other people explicitly, as I think most people can arrive at their own conclusions based on their own circumstances. If really pressed, I would say that I prefer to feed my dog another diet for its higher meat/protein content.
Q5. What were your overall impressions of the Pedigree® Tracks app?
It's quite sweet. It's easy to install and use, although rather basic in functionality.
Q6. If it came up in conversation, would you recommend Pedigree® Tracks to other dog owners? If so, why? If not, why not?
Not really (see above). I might suggest that children would enjoy it (my 8yr old daughter likes using it). I suppose it might show someone who was wildly under- or over-exercising their dog where they were going wrong. But judging by comments above, it's not super-reliable on how much to feed (although, I must admit that it seems to have calculated my dog's amount well: he's maintaining his weight and energy levels nicely) and since most weight issues in dogs come from over-feeding or over-treating, it's probably unlikely to have effect in that respect.