Tasty dry dog food

[Millarkie]

Can anyone's dog recommend a tasty dry food? Our black lab is currently meant to be eating Iams puppy food (she is just over a year old) but she went on hunger strike over christmas and after 2 days without eating I took pity on her and mixed in a tiny amount of wet food - then she ate it.
We have gone on with mixing a tiny bit of wet food in since then but we would really prefer a dry food (partly because adding the meat means her diet is not so balanced and partly because dh is veggie and finds the tins of dog meat/forks used for dog meat etc unpleasant).

We use burns dog food the fish variety goes down particularly well (tho smells very fishy!).

Had it reccommended by an animal behaviourist - got rid of our dogs skin allergies. She loves it but is a beagle and eats absolutely anything (apart from lettuce).

Another vote for Burns. My dog has eaten it since she was a pup. Sometimes add a little gravy but she seems very happy with it dry.

I have also heard that James Wellbeloved is a very good food but it made Smartie very farty!

I use james wellbeloved.

Also if she doesn't like to eat it dry then mix it with water - I've always done that and it goes down much better.

James Wellbeloved. Except the fish flavour is a bit whiffy. My terrier is very fond of the duck flavour.

I wouldn't recommend any dog food
it is all full of hydrogenated fat

I feed my dog on veggies and meat or fish
Every other day cook up a big thing of mixed veg. Buy cheap mince or tuna or pilchards etc. Also she has kelp powder (for minerals) and glucosamine (for bones). She is the healthiest looking dog!

Our vet warned me about the commercial dog food after she had a mast cell tumour aged 2. She was on Nutro before, he said they all without fail buy up pre-used oil from factories and it is causing more and more tumours in dogs. She is so much fitter and healthier since her change in diet

The old Bakers isn't bad, and it's cheaper than the alternatives.

Thanks all - will see which of those I can get hold of in small amounts to try her with.
CountessD - DH would move out if I started cooking meat/fish for the dog He can just about tolerate the tins being in the house (any open ones have to have a special sealing lid and go into quarentine in a little 'overflow' fridge.

We use Happidog nuggets, they are vegetarian, our dog likes them and both the dog food and his breath smell much less offensive than on other types of food. It isn't cheap, but he's been eating it for about 4 years now and seems healthy and well.

no you don't cook it
you just open a tin of tuna or pilchards or give them raw mince!

Millarkie - have you tried moistening the food with a little warm water?

My 8mth old lab scoffs his Royal Canin food

this is what my one year old lab eats and she loves it

I always mix my 8 month old lab's dry meal with a little gravy. she loves it, would not eat it dry!

You big softie, newpup!

Don't know if it's sacrilegious to say this on a 'pets' board but our 2 working dogs eat Chudleys.
We mix it with hot water then leave it to cool. They love it and it seems to be cheaper than 'pet' alternatives (£14 for 25kg bag) but I don't know of anywhere that sells it in small amounts so you might need to befriend a farmer to borrow some to try first ...

We put water on the dry dogfood too. Warm in winter (out the hot tap) and cold otherwise. Our dog will happily eat Chudleys too.

I'm tempted to start feeding our 6 month old terrier on the CountessDracula diet. He turns his nose up at RoyalCanin, James Wellbeloved and Arden Grange. He loves sardine and tomato fish paste and any fishy smelling thing.

If you feed a dog 'real' food, I guess you have to be careful about balanced diet, hence the kelp and glucosamine? Also, quantities? CD, you wouldn't have a website you could recommend - Delia for dogs or something?

we give our labx Wainwright's. he really likes it.
our dog had gland problems. so the vet told us to get soemthing high is fiber.
we used to get the james wellbeloved but he didn't really care for it.

My westie is very choosy, she doesn't like tinned food so I feed her webbox dry food or bakers complete (both of which she loves)

But have tried the new bakers - with gravy one- and she is licking the bowl clean

Hi Bella (waves)

Well you know me - just a big doggie softie!!!

Almost at the end of her season now - Hurrah ! A few more days and we can go out for lovely, long walks again! This legging around the garden with a ball is just not the same! Hope your boy is well and the soft toys are not requiring therepy yet?

Soft toys are a little distressed but otherwise okay thanks, newpup! Glad your girl's okay.

All you people feeding sardines etc do know you are making a rod for your own back, don't you? Little Fido will get fussier and fussier till only line-caught organic swordfish sauteed with some black truffles will suffice?

Seriously, though, if you are doing your own food you have to get it balanced and that's not easy - be aware that it's not just a vitamin or mineral deficiency you have to avoid, but that an excess of them can be just as dangerous.

Chudleys is a good food - agricultural feed merchants stock it, and some vets can get it for you too.

Burns don't add old/used oils. And they even do an organic one.

Struggle to cook for DC and the dog rates way below them

You're right, Bella, only he's not called Fido. Actually he doesn't mind Tesco's Natural dry food, so maybe I should keep going with that. You just can't get the truffles these days.

It's okay - I do understand that Fido only has the swordfish at weekends, Fauve

My dachs has Royal Canin, and likes it well enough.

Might be worth asking your vet if they've any little sample packs of the brands they supply - ours often does.

Aldi do a really nice dry complete dog food, my dogs thoroughly recommend it.