Soon 2B new dog owner, need lots of advice and where to buy food?

[kdawn73]

We just found out that the dog we were supposed to get in January will be arriving the second week of December instead. My husband has always had dogs, but I have not. I will be the one primarily responsible for him (despite all children promising to help).

I'm reading all the info from the breeder and checking on yahoo groups to get more info. but when it comes time to saving $$, HCW is the only place to go!

What stores have the best prices? The breeder recommends Kirkland Chicken and Rice (Sams?) or Purino Hi-Pro or anything with 26% protein and 15% fat. Are there any bulk buying discounts?? Did I mention our new baby is an Irish Wolfhound???

[wisewallet]

I feed Kirkland Lamb and Rice Kirkland is a Costco brand. I highly recommend it price wise ingredientswise etc. It is great . I think $23.99 for a 40lb bag, and well worth it! I don't feed the chicken and rice from there because last I checked it contained Corn or cornmeal which is just a filler. I'm sure it is good, but not as good as the Lamb and Rice to me. Lamb is also good for dogs with sensitve stomachs or dogs that dont tolerate other foods. I think the ratio is Crude protein…………….23% min
Crude fat …………….14% min

[kval07]

I feed my boys Natural Balance. You want the first ingredient of your dog food to be some sort of meat. Feed whatever works best for your dogs, but just remember that you get what you pay for. Eating McD's every day of your life will eventually take its toll. What you feed your dog will affect them their whole life healthwise. A lot of people recommend dogfoodanalysis.com.

If you want the best deals, shop at a store where you get one bag free for every 10 bags you buy. It may be a better deal for you to buy smaller bag in order to reach 10 faster. I know Petco and Pet Supplies Plus do this. For higher quality foods, you won't find coupons in the paper. You will have to contact the company directly.

[cupunlvr]

Congratulations on your new friend! There were coupons in my local paper for Hill's Science Diet. I heard Petsmart has started price matching Petco ads, either way I can usually find my pups Hill's Science Diet Weight Control at one of them on sale.

As others have said, premium dog foods cost more but pay for themselves in health of your pet. Some people swear by Blue Buffalo brand. My vet likes Hill's so that is what I use. Good luck!