Non doggy person buys miniature smooth dachshund help!

[mrclumsy]

Hi all, apologies if this is a repeat question. I have never had a dog but after 14 years have relented and my daughter will soon have Otto, a Black and Tan miniature smooth dachshund. He will be 10 weeks then. I have done a huge amount of research , talked to owners and I think I'll gradually introduce Akana small breed puppy food complete in place of the breeder's Iams. Is this the best choice do you think? Thanks , Andrew

[Dottie]

Hello and welcome to the forum.  I had to laugh at your title - it will not be long before you are besotted with the little chap and the title of 'non doggy person' will be redundant.  LOL   It sounds as if you have made a good start by researching the matter of what to feed your new pup so well done for that - hopefully a good diet will keep him healthy.

Acana Puppy Small Breed scores 4.9 our of 5 stars on the Dog Food Directory so you have made a good choice.  As he gets older it will be necessary to change the food so follow the company guidelines on this. 

Remember to weigh the food accurately - a small digital scale in 1g divisions is very useful for this.  This is a high quality food and you don't want to overfeed.  Also, little dogs sometimes easily put weight on so it will help to guard against that.  If pup has a hard time with the small bite kibble, you can soak it for half an hour before serving. 

Good luck with little Otto and please get back to us to let us know how you get on with him - lots of fun times ahead.

[mrclumsy]

Thank you , that's really helpful,  I hadn't thought about scales, I'll add them to my list of doggie accessories to buy![/img]

[Tinyplanets]

Hello and welcome to the forum. It sounds like a good choice. Hopefully Otto will agree and all will go well. Good luck. You will be in for fun times and a bit of stress no doubt :-)

[COASTER]

Welcome to the forums.

Not wishing to patronise you, but your research and positive efforts thus far already make you better informed & acting than many others.

Many long time dog owners are relatively clueless re canine health, breed issues, nutrition, training etc etc.

I have a relative who has owned many dogs & tried to advise me I should be feediing a certain branded colourful dog food that sells well in the supermarkets.

I feed raw complete but Acana would proably appear on my shortlist of the better kibbles if I had to create one.

Hope you and daughter enjoy Otto.....sounds as if pup already loved & well looked after.

[mrclumsy]

Thank you got your reply , my breeder is using Alpha sporting dog puppy food and wad of the view that the protein level (33%) in the Arcana was too high. However, Alpha is £16 for 6 kilos and Arcana around £14 for 2 . I'm not sure if it's just a price issue but I'm very confused , the Alpha scores 3.3 on here and the Arcana 4.9!

[COASTER]

Proces per kg can vary depending on suppliers and bag sizes.

Concerns re levels of protein fed to young pups are nothing new.... There are mixed views on the subject. Maybe worth some research.

No idea where your prices come from, however, check with a few suppliers & compare prices.

Make sure you spell the good name correctly though ;(

[Dottie]

As Coaster has said, the notion that protein should not be too high has been around a long time.  It has now been dispelled but some people still feel that this is the case, sometimes without doing any research on the subject.  If you want to learn more about protein in dog food, read the FAQ section of the website and scroll down to 'What do the nutrient levels mean for my dog?'. Having said that, if the breeder is experienced then they might possibly have a reason for saying this so it would be useful to pin them down on this if at all possible.

My understanding is that puppies need good quality, digestible protein for their very rapid growth and I do not think that 33% is too high. The Alpha Sporting Puppy review is here.  It contains two red ingredients which bring the score down.  If it were not for that it would probably fare much better in the ratings.  As Coaster says, Arcana is the better choice.

[mrclumsy]

Thank you got your reply , my breeder is using Alpha sporting dog puppy food and wad of the view that the protein level (33%) in the Arcana was too high. However, Alpha is £16 for 6 kilos and Arcana around £14 for 2 . I'm not sure if it's just a price issue but I'm very confused , the Alpha scores 3.3 on here and the Arcana 4.9!

A follow up if that's ok?  Otto is now on Acana and eats it no problem. The company suggest he needs only 40g per day.  He's wolfing down his 4 x 10g meals and looks hungry afterwards. I appreciate that he needs less of this food but even on this website it suggests 64g per day, am I under feeding him? Thanks

[Dottie]

Thank you for getting back to us - nice to hear that Otto is doing well on his new food.    

The recommended daily allowance is not always accurate because dogs can vary in their needs - metabolism, exercise level, age etc.  My experience is that it is pretty normal for dogs to finish their food and to appear to want more.  However, little Otto is growing and if you feel that he needs a bit more, just increase it a little - maybe 12g per meal.  You will know if he is being overfed by the consistency of his stools - they should be nice and firm and he should poo just two or three times a day.  Dogs that are overfed can tend to have soft, copious stools because their digestive system cannot process too much food. 

Keep an eye on his ribs and general shape.  He should have a nice covering over his ribs  but you should be able to feel the ribs when you place your hand on his chest - you should not have to press too hard.  Looking at him from above you should be able to see his waist tucked in.  This is called  Body Condition Scoring and is very useful for keeping a dog in trim.  It is described in this video. 

You could also contact the company's customer support number if you feel it would be helpful.

[mrclumsy]

Thank you for your really very helpful reply. I telephoned the nutritionist at the uk distributors and found that the original advice was wrong.  He should be given 80g per day,  not 40. I'm so glad I double checked!

[Dottie]

It's good that you have determined the correct amount - 40g did sound rather low but I am not familiar with the product.  It's always good to contact the customer help line - after all, they know their products and that answering queries is what they are there for.  I am not sure but perhaps  there may be some advantage in building the quantity up gradually over a few days but maybe that won't be necessary.  Thank you for letting us know.

[mrclumsy]

Thanks ,   He's got unbelievable amounts of energy now,  I'm so cross though that they misinformed me originally but all good now