Hello...and could aggressive behaviour be linked to food?

[Brimstone]

Hi, I used this website to find a good food for my new puppy before we got her which I think is working out ok (Eden).
I also came across a ‘puppy pack’ from another company (Forthglade) not found by looking here but it looked very good so bought some to try.
Our puppy is only 10 weeks old but does seem to go pretty nuts and very aggressive after eating any of the forthglade products...wet food, cold pressed and treats...it really seems more than just puppy behaviour and we have been quite shocked.
I have tried searching for anything linking this food to any aggressive behaviour but haven’t found anything.
I thought I’d ask here as maybe someone has had any experiences.
She is eating 4 small portions of kibble a day and has treats to help with training.
She has loads of energy. Prefers kibble over wet food. Has a small amount of porridge and scrambled egg for breakfast most days.
Is not a great eater.
The aggression has always happened in the afternoon.
We shall start with holding any forthglade products and would appreciate any advice regarding feeding.

Many thanks for your time.

[Tinyplanets]

Hello and welcome to the forum. It is very difficult to say for sure if the food is causing a reaction.  You are going to stop feeding for a while so monitor and see what happens. I haven't had any experience with puppies as mine was an adult when we got her from a shelter. She was a bit like a big pup however and at times came across as aggressive as she would try to  play tug with my trousers when I was wearing them! She used to like to mouth me too but luckily had control over the pressure so it didn't turn into a bite. I know lots of people have trouble with puppies being biting.

[Jill201]

Hello Brimstone. My cockapoo was on Forthglade for about 8 months and had no issues with it (apart from all the peas in it). He is now on Naturediet Feel Good.
Although it could be the food - I would maybe suggest at 10 weeks old, and it happening in the afternoon, that your puppy is possibly over tired. Has he been playing when aggression happens? I think they need around 18 hours of sleep at that age and maybe time out in his crate / den / bed will help at that point.
I can also remember my boy hanging off my trouser leg and his teeth were razor sharp. I thought I had a devil dog for the first few months (he was on a high quality kibble).
Good luck.

[Brimstone]

Thanks for your comments.
I think you’re probably right and it’s just puppyness...
We haven’t had a puppy before and clearly not prepared for such a change in personality.
We shall do more naps, overtired sounds right and yes she had been playing hard prior.
I carefully chose food...and have lots of it...so really hope it’s not the food.
We shall have to be more strict with her routine.
Thanks so much for your good advice.

[Dottie]

There is a guide to puppy exercise here. Forthglade have good products and I doubt whether this is causing behaviour problems. The fact that it is occurring in the afternoon seems to indicate that it is due to overtiredness.

[Brimstone]

Hi again, so a quick update...
The hyperactivity is increasing steadily...
We feed Eden and she has had no forthglade products since my original post.
We went to a ‘puppy party’ at our vets last night which was a disaster...she weighs 3.5kg and managed to dominate all the other dogs, lab, retriever and cocker.
The vet nurse kept referring to her as the little monster and asked me what we were feeding and said she should never be on an 80% protein diet.
She has tons of energy and if we try to encourage sleep in the afternoon she just boings around in her pen until we let her out.
I really like the ingredients of Eden and feel that it is a good food but am wondering if the hyperactivity/aggression could be a result of food build up rather that needing more sleep as she simply seems ‘wired’ and will never sleep.
Is there an alternative holistic type food that you could recommend with a lower protein ratio?
Many thanks for your time

[Dottie]

I think you are right to try something else. You can't lose by doing so and it is worth an attempt. Usually puppy food is circa 30% protein so if you could look in the Dog Food Directory using this parameter you should find plenty of choice. Setting the filters as follows, I found five pages:
Dry completes
Food properties - clearly labelled
Rating 4 to 5 stars
Avoid ingredients - all red
Protein slider - 0% to 35%

Among those are a number of cold pressed foods that might be worthy of a second look.  It is anecdotal but I've read a few reviews from people who have said that this type of food has resulted in a calmer dog. They are all lifestage products so can be used for puppies and adults. We have a thread about these here.