# Is this food Ok for Poodles?



## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

I don't know anything about those brands since I am in the US, but I am wondering why you expect food is going to make "the poodle in her" hyper. I know a good breeder of Cavaliers quite well since we both show in obedience and agility and I wouldn't say poodles are hyper compared to her nice happy go lucky CKCS. I hope you will not assign character traits in this pup to being poodle things because you find them unlikable or simply unlike a CKCS.


----------



## MollyMuiMa (Oct 13, 2012)

I looked the Barking Heads food and you are right, it is not a bad food! And the Millie's Wolfheart is good too, but it IS for working dogs so it is meant to provide 'more energy'(really high protein) and since you don't seem to need that with your pup I don't see why you should change foods . If your pup is doing well with the current food, and thriving on it stay with it! 

I personally change kibble every bag (every 3 months, as my girl is small!) as it has been noted than dogs can 'develop' food allergies by eating the same ingredients over and over.....See Dr. Karen Becker's youtube videos about allergies for an explanation! 'DR. KAREN BECKER; HOW TO CONTROL FOOD ALLERGIES'

P.S. Molly has A Cavalier friend! Nice dog but you are right...he's kinda laid back LOL!


----------



## fjm (Jun 4, 2010)

I am also a believer in ringing the changes, if only because a dog that will only eat one food can create a nightmare if it is unavailable, or the formulation changes - I like to know my dogs will happily eat eggs, sardines, or supermarket meat without suffering unfortunate consequences! But if she is enjoying her food, and it is a good brand, I don't see any need to change it. I suspect that some of your slight shock at her puppy shenanigans is down to the number of years since you last raised a puppy (we all end to forget much, which is possibly just as well or we might not do it again!) - I really wouldn't get too hung up on breed as a predictor of temperament.


----------



## Vicsg (Jun 9, 2017)

Sorry if you took that the wrong way - I was trying to acknowledge that poodles have particular needs which are different to all other breeds not just CKCS so I wanted to check if poodles do better on foods with particular ingredients or if there were particular ingredients which are best to avoid with them. 

I wasn't suggesting that poodles are hyper dogs in a bad sense but they are more active and very much more intelligent than a CKCS so the traits I am finding her a lot unlike any of the CKCS I've lived or had a lot of contact with I am putting down as poodle traits but not in a bad way - I am simply trying to find out the best way to manage them so I don't cause problems through ignorance.

I hear what you are saying about forgetting about what puppies can be like but none of the 16 CKCS I've known have chewed like this or needed this amount of exercise/stimulation. They are very lazy, laid back dogs - they were breed to be lapdogs after all! 

I guess I'm worried that I am not experienced enough to handle this level of intelligence and I've never had a dog with it!!

Back to the food - I hear what you are saying about changing it every few months but Barking Heads doesn't have different recipes so that would involve change brands....should I really change the brands

With Millies Wolfheart I had thought about the protein content like you but I contacted them and apparently we would have to limit her to the three recipes for that reason but they give you a different feeding guide for smaller non working breeds so they have smaller amounts....

I wouldn't say she was enjoying her food as she eats it very slowly but I'm happy to put that down to her being picky....


----------



## Mfmst (Jun 18, 2014)

One thing about my poodle, and many others on PF is that they "self-regulate". Sometimes he will eat his kibble in one go, or maybe he will eat half and the rest later. As a puppy, with the 15 minute rule, I was throwing a lot of kibble away, assuming he was a picky eater and we needed to try other brands. Free feeding works well for Buck.


----------



## MollyMuiMa (Oct 13, 2012)

As far as changing foods......my dog has no problem at all switching brands (or proteins) and I also feed raw! Mfmst is right about free feeding 'most' poodles if they are in single dog households.....you just put a 'premeasured' amount of food in the bowl. Lots of poodles are 'grazers'. My Molly is, and sometimes there is even kibble in her bowl the next day, but I don't worry about it, as long as her body condition is good!


----------



## Beautiful Blue (Apr 24, 2017)

I'll just add this because I must be on the "keep it simple, make it easy on yourself" team. But would like your opinion.

We feed Rio (we've only had him about 6 weeks - he recently turned 2 years old) a well respected dry dog food. Our previous dogs lived long, healthy lives eating the same up until their last weeks of life - by which time almost nothing appealed to them, even roasted chicken, or expensive canned.

I offer him 1/2 the amount the bag says a dog his size and weight should have. What he hasn't eaten after 15 minutes (all of it usually) I put away and bring out again about 4 hours later, moistening it with a few drops of water. Sometimes he eats some of this, sometimes another 15 minutes go by.... and I put it away. Then bring it and the second 1/2 out once more about 6: pm. 

Usually when it is offered this time he eats it all. 

I wonder if I should keep doing this, or simply feed him in the late afternoon/early evening when he generally seems to have worked up an appetite. 

With our previous poodles I always fed them twice a day because of their deep chests...I had heard it was better that way to prevent bloat. And not to follow eating with exercise.


----------



## MollyMuiMa (Oct 13, 2012)

Beautiful Blue said:


> I'll just add this because I must be on the "keep it simple, make it easy on yourself" team. But would like your opinion.
> 
> We feed Rio (we've only had him about 6 weeks - he recently turned 2 years old) a well respected dry dog food. Our previous dogs lived long, healthy lives eating the same up until their last weeks of life - by which time almost nothing appealed to them, even roasted chicken, or expensive canned.
> 
> ...


Why even put it away if he is not finishing it? I'd just leave it there and check it again later in the day, and if he finished it, add the 'other half'
He sounds like he is a grazer too! How much you feed him should depend on his body condition. If he is getting fat, decrease the amount ....if too thin increase the amount yeah, I keep it simple here too! LOL! Generally, I think 2X a day, or free feeding is the way to go.....I just think giving a dog ALL their food once a day is really not good for the digestion (for dogs OR humans!) That's just my personal opinion...........LOL!


----------



## fjm (Jun 4, 2010)

I free fed Sophy when she was an only pup - Poppy has always been a gannet and would eat anything and everything in sight and then be sick! You may find a puppy is reluctant to eat hard food when eating - adding some warm water or unsalted chicken stock can help, but then the food should really be refrigerated if not eaten within a reasonable time.

I hear what you are saying about the difference between cavvie pups and poodles - it does sound as if your little one is exceptionally bright and bouncy! I would make the most of it - lots of socialising, lots of brief training games, scent games, etc, etc. Have you thought of clicker training? Your children may enjoy that, too.


----------



## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

Beautiful Blue I used to free feed when our dogs had a dry diet. It would be the easiest thing to do.

OP thanks for clarifying your situation with your pup.


----------



## Vicsg (Jun 9, 2017)

I'll keep the free feeding in mind but at the moment she is eating 3 times a day she just doesn't always finish it and it is the lowest amount on the Barking Heads feeding range. Wetting it doesn't make a difference - my husband thinks she's not too keen on Chicken as the only time she's got excited at us preparing food in the kitchen it was fish lol

Is just alternating two brands going to be enough or should be more?


----------



## patticake (Apr 17, 2017)

I think proper meal times helps with toilet training times.
Alternating 2 brands at a time is good , that's how we do it here


----------

