Recently added a new member to our family, a Bernese Mountain Dog puppy, and the breeder has supplied us with a small bag of Royal Canin.

Is this recommended as a good food, or it is overpriced and no better than a cheap supermarket dry food?

I want to give him the best food we can afford, but I also don't want to waste money on food where you are paying for a brand name rather than quality.

Cheers.

We were given Royal Canin with our pup a couple of years back & he's been on it ever since, & has done well on it, it is expensive, but if you shop around the net you can get offers on it from time to time, I usually get it from Petsupermarket when they have a promotion on, then buy about 6 months worth of it.
As for its benefits over cheaper food, I am not sure, we stuck with it as we did not want to change his diet at such an early age.

I know a lot of breeders swear by RC - and really, unless you have a good reason not to, you should follow your breeders recommendations if it agrees with the dog.

Personally, I feel it is very high in protein and tend to use Pro Plan (large Breed Robust which is lower in protein) - which a lot of breeders also use.

Stick with what the breeder recommends if you can afford it

I use James Wellbeloved, but RC is ok too.

I heard Royal Canin is sh*t.

My Alsation has been on PAL complete since he was a pup (5 years) and he's a healthy dog.

He's on this because we tried loads of different ones and he liked this one.

Remember that some breeders will recommend a product because they get special discount from the supplier.

I've know a few cat breeders and in he most part they were split between Hills Science (I use this), James Wellbeloved and Royal Canin. Also for the kitten meat whilst they are growing they used things like Felix kitten.

I know you are asking about doggy food but the brands all do doggy food too.

This is my concern, as the breeder obviously get cheap food from them in return for trying to 'sell' the brand on to dog buyers.

I am on the lookout for a high quality dry food that doesn't cost a fortune. I'm prepared to pay £40-£45 for a 15kg bag which should last for about a month I hope.

I used to buy Orijen for our Lab, as he suffered from allergies, but that was pretty expensive stuff, and even now seems to be over £50 a bag and I can't stretch to that.

Eukanuma for our lab and he is nearly 12 years old, everyone comments on how well he looks and doesn't look 11. It is expensive but when we have tried cheaper versions, he always eats twice as much.

I'm trying to find a good dried for my 5 OAPs,aged 14, all of them.

We've just finished 2 X 15Kg bags of Iams, that I got on a special deal from Mog and Mutley. Nice site, helpful communications. It's been a while since they had the good stuff; with 5, formerly 6, their feeding costs are high but I've re-jigged my finances a bit. They did OK for about 1.5 bags but then one or two of them threw it back up undigested. I wondered if it was a bit rich for them?
They're marking time on Wainwrights but they find it a bit hard and one of them refuses to eat it unless ravenous.
Suggestions welcome.

Yes I have heard v good reviews, it is so expensive however but the Salmon and Potato variety for dogs with senstive tummy- Colitis etc seems to work.

My dog is mainly on a wet diet however he gets a little of the Hills perscription diet (not had the best reviews) I/D AND D/D he seems okay on it and as they are designed for the dogs issue in particular....

we use Wagg for our collie.

Groomer, vet and trainer have commented on how well he looks on it.
glossy coat. good energy levels. ...normal poos.

he's a sensitive stomach too so it's surprising he's good with it. was on beta which we had trouble with his movements with.

at about £12 for 15kg can't go far wrong if your dog takes to it.
i really can't fault wagg & their foods, use theirs for my rabbits, guineas and mice too.

Has anyone ever tried the Pets At Home own brands - we have the working dog one (I think - husband buys at as the bag's so bloody big!) and our rott has a gorgeous coat! Think it's around £30 for a 6 week supply!

Has anyone ever tried the Pets At Home own brands - we have the working dog one (I think - husband buys at as the bag's so bloody big!) and our rott has a gorgeous coat! Think it's around £30 for a 6 week supply!

What did dogs do for the thousands of years before dried food came along?
The pet/vet industry has everybody in their pockets.
Dogs will survive long after we are gone.

Strange but true, if humans disappeared dogs would die out pretty quickly. They are so dependant on humans that their life span, without humans to feed them, would only be a couple of weeks.

The thing with dried food is that it so nutritionally balanced that it improves the health and quality of life of the dog. And a healthy , happy dog needs the vet less. And, best of all, a high quality food means less flatulence, which, as all dog owners will agree, is a blessing..

It's amazing all the things I've heard in my life, but generally I look at the evidence before making a decision one way or the other.

we used to use this, but found the wagg to be cheaper (asda do 17kg wagg worker for £5 sometimes)

our boy ended up a bit looseon P@H after a while though, same as he did with Beta and Burns sent him absolutely wild with energy!

Arden Grange is good, and a little under £40 for a 15kg bag normally. It's what our dog gets in the mornings and he seems to like it.

Arden Grange does look interesting, and is a little cheaper than the Royal Canin. The dog food analysis website gives it 4 stars as well compared to Royal Canin's 2 stars.

Arden Grange is a very good food - and you can get it considerably cheaper than £40 a bag if you shop online.

With regards to breeders promoting their foods to get discounts - if the breeder is a member of the breeders scheme, it makes no odds to be honest whether the new puppy owner buys the food - in fact it's the puppy owners that usually get the discount vouchers if they agree to have their details passed on.

A few schemes do allow breeders to buy the food cheaper - but few give any sort of incentives to the breeders if puppy buyers do buy their foods (interestingly Arden Grange do if the puppy owners use the vouchers - but this is a one off - the other shemes I've used don't.

But i was told that, so i bought arden grange instead.

I'm picking up a pup this weekend and got the voucher for the free RC and a £3 voucher off my next purchase.

At what age is it best to leave it until trying a cheaper (but good quality) brand?

Arden Grange, JWB, Burns, Orijen and Royal Canin are all of good quality. One of mine is on Royal Canin (a prescription diet) and the other is on Burns.

Personally I would keep your pup on the same food the breeder recommends at least for a couple of weeks. He/she is about to undergo some huge changes by leaving Mum and litter mates and I would let him/her settle and find their feet first. If you want to change after that, then it is always best to change over gradually to avoid any potential tummy upsets.

I may be a rebel on the matter of food but in my opinion the animal will tell you what it likes and it will not matter what any expert says as the the dish with the food in it after an hour of putting it out will tell you all you need to be told. Buy small packs to find the one your pet likes and when it gets eaten as soon as the dish hits the floor buy the size of food that you can afford. The most expensive food is the one that is still in the dish the next day and then goes in the waste bin.