Got Him at Last

Officer Giggles · 07-10-2010 1:19pm #1

after 3 years of waiting to have the right space i have finally got myself a beautiful 10 week old Newfoundland dog

:D:D:D:D.

Now quick question the breeder was feeding him Purina Pro Plan mixed with tripe or chicken or tuna to bulk him up and add a taste difference whereas when i brought him to the vet yesterday she gave me a sample bag of Hills Science Plan and said i wouldnt need to add anything to it (both are dry food). Internet searches arnt too complimentary about the Pro Plan. Is anyone able to give me some advice please.

andreac · 07-10-2010 1:36pm

Congrats on your new puppy:D

Firstly, you dont have to go with vets advice, its not always right, The reason they advise to feed Hills i because they get commission for selling it:rolleyes:

Anyway, ProPlan is actually quite a good food as long as you stick to the pro plan and not just the normal Purina Beta which is a much cheaper and lower quality food.

If the pup is doing well on that food then stick to it as you dont need to change.
Ive nothing good to say about Hills as its made my dog break out in hot spots and ive heard it doing the same to several other dogs too.

So i would stick to what the breeder is feeding as it sounds like they did a great job with that diet.

Officer Giggles · 07-10-2010 1:51pm

the breeder has 6 adult newfies and they are all in fabulous condition so i was suprised to see such negative comments on the Pro Plan

andreac · 07-10-2010 1:55pm

All foods are different and will suit each dog differently too.

Your breeder sounds like they know what they are doing and if their dogs are in great health and condition and are doing well on that food then i would go with what they have started the pup on and continue feeding it.

Trust me, the vet only wants you to feed Hills so they can benefit from the sales.
It could suit your dog, but if ProPlan is doing him well why change it? I would def go for Proplan over Hills any day.

Officer Giggles · 07-10-2010 2:00pm

thanks andrec, il stick with the Pro Plan so, trip to the butcher is required so to get him some treats

andreac · 07-10-2010 2:04pm

I wouldnt go too mad with treats initially. Puppies can have very sensitive tummies so its best to just stick with their dry food for a while.

The pup is fab btw, really cute. My friend got a female a few months ago and she is gorgeous. Good luck minding the coat!!!:D

Officer Giggles · 07-10-2010 2:10pm

thanks round trip included 6 hour ferry trip and 900km drive but well worth it, he's lovely

andreac · 07-10-2010 2:13pm

Officer Giggles wrote: »

thanks round trip included 6 hour ferry trip and 900km drive but well worth it, he's lovely

Oh wow, wonder who the breeder is? My friend got hers in the Uk, in Wales, wonder is it same breeder?

Officer Giggles · 07-10-2010 2:29pm

no afraid not i went to newcastle, 400 odd km drive from holyhead, he was perfectly behaved on the way back, stayed awake drooling the whole way home and no accidents!

andreac · 07-10-2010 2:32pm

Oh well, sounds like you got a good breeder anyway. He looks gorgeous. Whats his name?

garancafan · 07-10-2010 2:52pm

Lovely dog. I presume you have a car-harness!

Officer Giggles · 07-10-2010 2:56pm

his name is fred and the breeder is tynebears newfoundlands, yea was up at maxi zoo in tallaght yesterday and picked up a few things he's getting his second jab on monday so cant wait to be able to bring him out

anniehoo · 07-10-2010 3:03pm

You're goin to get sooo much attention walking that cutie around

andreac · 07-10-2010 3:09pm

Just had a look at their site, some very nice dogs. Did you get him with a view to showing him or for a pet?

biko · 07-10-2010 3:10pm

Lovely dog!
As said before, vets usually are connected to the food seller somehow.
Same goes for GPs that recommend a pill over another although they may have the same effect.

If what the breeder gave him works then stick to that. His stomach will be used to it too.

lrushe · 07-10-2010 3:37pm

What a handsome boy!

As some have said it's all about what suits an individual dog. My dogs aren't fed on the most expensive food out there but I add fresh raw ingredients (mince, veg, egg, fish oils etc.) to it an they are all in fab condition. Your pup looks in nice condition so what the breeders are using is obviously working for them.
By the way so nice to see someone do their homework before buying a pup and finding a good COE breeer, well done!

Officer Giggles · 07-10-2010 8:24pm

i had never thought of showing him before but the breeder said i should and it would be a good way of socialising him too so i think il give it a go and see how he gets on. he just a big ball of walking fluff

Officer Giggles · 07-10-2010 8:33pm

lrushe wrote: »

What a handsome boy!
As some have said it's all about what suits an individual dog. My dogs aren't fed on the most expensive food out there but I add fresh raw ingredients (mince, veg, egg, fish oils etc.) to it an they are all in fab condition. Your pup looks in nice condition so what the breeders are using is obviously working for them.
By the way so nice to see someone do their homework before buying a pup and finding a good COE breeer, well done!

thanks, there was no point getting my little bear and then find out he was from a puppy farm or something, if he turned out to have all sorts as a result it would have killed me

IvySlayer · 07-10-2010 11:16pm

Good luck tonight btw, ignore his whines. Probably will go on all night

Officer Giggles · 07-10-2010 11:21pm

well if the last two nights are anything to go by it'll just be whoof whoof whoof whoof whoof and there a new born kid next door!!!!!

andreac · 08-10-2010 9:03am

Officer Giggles wrote: »

i had never thought of showing him before but the breeder said i should and it would be a good way of socialising him too so i think il give it a go and see how he gets on. he just a big ball of walking fluff

Oh thats brilliant, you should give it a go. If you need any help or info on showing let me know. There are ringcraft classes every tues night up at Cloghran at 8pm.

Officer Giggles · 08-10-2010 9:27am

id seen them advertised for the show center alright, do you know if they're any good

lisasimps · 08-10-2010 9:49am

i'd like to commend you too for going to such trouble to find a reputable breeder!!

He's a beauty! You should take a pic of him once a week standing at the same door and watch him grow!!!

You should definitely get into some puppy socialisation or obedience classes to socialise him too and strengthen your relationship!

Best of luck with him!

By the way, i dont know if you mentioned it before, what did you call him?

andreac · 08-10-2010 9:56am

Yeah they are quite good. I bring my rottie pup sometimes. Its a busy place so great for the dogs to get used to nosies and other dogs and the people giving the classes are very experienced.

Its a pay as you go so if you didnt like them after you go its not like you have to pay for a course.
Its €5 per session.

Officer Giggles · 08-10-2010 10:16am

lisasimps wrote: »

He's a beauty! You should take a pic of him once a week standing at the same door and watch him grow!!!

By the way, i dont know if you mentioned it before, what did you call him?

haha good idea id say he gonna shoot up, i flew over to see him for the day at 4 weeks old (flights €20

) and the difference when i went to pick him up is unbelievable

called him Fred

Officer Giggles · 08-10-2010 10:18am

andreac wrote: »

Yeah they are quite good. I bring my rottie pup sometimes. Its a busy place so great for the dogs to get used to nosies and other dogs and the people giving the classes are very experienced.

Its a pay as you go so if you didnt like them after you go its not like you have to pay for a course.
Its €5 per session.

ah thats good the dspca have them aswell but you pay for the lot up front so i wasnt sure what the story was with the show centre

andreac · 08-10-2010 10:28am

Officer Giggles wrote: »

ah thats good the dspca have them aswell but you pay for the lot up front so i wasnt sure what the story was with the show centre

Well the DSPCA wouldnt have ring craft classes though so if you are looking for classes for the show ring then Cloghran is your best bet.

Cloghran do socialisation and puppy classes as well if you wanted to do those before starting ringcraft you can do that.
They start at 7pm, and again, they are only €5 pay as you go.

Officer Giggles · 08-10-2010 10:38am

ah right cheers andreac thanks for the help

tinkerbell · 23-11-2010 12:11am

How are things going with your little Newfie? A Newfie is the best breed of dog, EVER.

Officer Giggles · 23-11-2010 12:47am

going great, fred was 16 weeks last friday and weighed in at a solid 4 stone, he's massive but such a softie, so delighted i got him

tinkerbell · 23-11-2010 12:52am

Aw yay! I'm so happy for you. He can grow to over 10 stone!

We had two Newfies, I can honestly say I would never consider any other breed than a Newfie now. We're on the lookout for a puppy now from the UK. Have been advised to steer clear of irish breeders.

Got Him at Last

Comments