Best food for 10 month old lab

[lulu2]

I am currently feeding him symply large breed puppy food but dog trainer suggested it maybe too high in protein at 27%. He is full of beans and she thinks a lot of protein maybe adding to these beans!
I have been looking into this and found a food made by skinners, the lamb one, which is 20% protein. Just wondered if anyone has any guidance for a novice please?
The trainer also suggested feeding luludog rice exactly 3 hours after his meals, something about insulin? Tried that this morning and he didn't like it.
Thanks.

If you post on labrador forum you'll probably be advised why there's no need to give special puppy food and will be told why, also that the trainer's suggestion to give rice is mistaken . I think its normal for lab puppies to be hyper, nothing to do with protein.
Well worth joining the lab forum, first 5 posts are free then it's £10 a year sub.

sorry, messed up the link
lab forum

You can find out a lot about choosing the right food for your dog on Which Dog Food

You can look up info on specific nutrients and also search on your own dogs specific requirements.

There's an explanation about protein levels and puppy feeding here.

More info on protein/nutrient levels and puppy feeding here.

This is a veterinary article re protein in dogs' diets. I've linked to the last page, which discusses the idea of protein contributing to hyperactivity.

There's been a lot of research done over the past few years on canine diet and it's taking a while for this information to become common knowledge. It sounds to me like your trainer may be a little out of date.

Thanks I will have a read.

Symply to Skinners is a change in quality but there's no doubt a 10 month old lab could have come off puppy food 4 months ago.

I don't agree with the trainer that the protein content is responsible for craziness - it's more likely to be the testosterone surge that lab dog pups get at about 10 months old. Also, feeding rice is craziness. Is the rice in addition to kibble or instead of? Whichever it is, it makes little sense and certainly won't help build a sound labrador.

I wouldn't change to Skinners until a male lab pup was at least 18 months old, and in the mean time suggest either Symply adult food as it already suits him, Simpsons, Burns or Fish4Dogs.

And maybe get a different trainer? If they blame food for a boisterous young lab rather than a different training regime, I'm not sure I'd be very confident with them.

Thanks daisy. They suggested the rice in addition to kibble, fed exactly 3 hours after meals.

I so don't want to get it wrong as he's a gorgeous boy, such a placid chap.

When I did feed a commercial.dog food and I was constantly asking at the vets as he always had the runs, I was told not to tinker with the balance and add anything.

You won't get it wrong! It's nearly impossible to get it wrong.

But I cannot understand what the trainer is aiming for. Rice three hours after meals is odd and unnecessary. Kibble - especially the better quality ones are designed to be fed as they are without interference, and tbh, offering a rice supplement three hours later would be a complete pain in the arse.

What is the full of beans bit about? You say he is a placid, wonderful boy - but the trainer is trying to deal with lots of beans. Is it just at training classes or at other times when he gets beany? I expect it's linked to when he's overfaced - trying to work out what someone wants from him - or when he is overwrought or excited?

He just loves people and dogs, he can be walking well on the lead and then spots something and nearly pulls me over trying to get to the distraction. Jumping up anyone who tries to say hello.
At training class this week my dh had to hold him as he was pulling so hard. He did calm down but trainer suggested trying a harness on him, one that the lead attaches to underneath.
Also when visitors come to our house, he leaps all over them and often pees on their feet too!
When at home with just me, dh and dd he is calmer much of the time. He has his moments of course like this morning when he nicked a sock and ran up the garden with it which is just him being a puppy. Have Yet to find it!

Sounds like a typical 10 month old lab! I'd stick with what you're feeding if it suits him. I feed Simpsons but only cos I need something a bit cheaper :)

I was advised yesterday that puppies should really stay on specific food until 12 months. Prior to this you would have moved to junior food at 6 months then adult at 12-18 months depending on breed and food brand. Now the puppy foods are developed to cover the whole period before adult food.
FWIW Skinners is actually quite good, it comes across as "cheap" as there is no VAT on the working formulas. We have used it in the past but now feed Barking Heads as it suits our older boy better. If funds were low though I wouldn't hesitate to stick a bag of skinners in their cupboard.

Thanks topbannana . After lots of thought we have decided to leave his food as it is. The rice idea seems stupid and he hated it, actually walked away without eating it. Unheard of for a labrador!

Are you going to put him onto adult now? He's plenty old enough.

These age/breed specific foods are marketing hype tbh. There has never been a need for them - puppies are born, eat, thrive and grow to adults on many, many food types and they successfully do that without marketing con food. At risk of sounding as old as I am, dog food manufacturers have only recently hitched onto this 'special' food thing and I can see no merits in it.

Puppy food until about six/eight months old here and then straight onto adult food to support steady growth to full adult size.

As your puppy has exuberance issues, I would switch him to adult and see if it makes any difference. If you are uncomfortable with that, perhaps mix 50/50 adult and puppy for a while - puppy food is full of nutrition which perhaps he could now do with less of.

Don't forget, much of this is trial and error to see what suits him. There is nothing set in stone, and if a food switch makes no difference, you have lost nothing. You can always switch him back to what he started with if you want to.

FWIW, he sounds like a completely normal young pup. I would work hard on the pulling now though - he will be a very strong adult dog and walking him will be a nightmare if pulling isn't corrected asap.