Our New Puppy

Tractor supply has a brand named 4Health. They have several options. It is made by Diamond. The rating on it is respectable. I would tell you that I compare it to Blue. I don't think you can go wrong with that at all. Stay away from Hills. That's the one in the Vet's office. Grain and by product in it. I could tell you horror stories about dog food, but will not.
My dogs have the Salmon and potato and do very well on it. Nice coats. I tried to get them to eat blue, but they wouldn't go for it.

 

It has to be hard on the little ones as they get a new home. They miss their brothers and sisters and the warmth of their mother. But in a few weeks they are bonded and your love forever.

 

Good lookin pup WS!

 

Hmm...that is opposite of what I read on the subject as well as what my vet advised. Reasearch suggests that males that are castrated early develop to be larger dogs given ample nutrition and exercise. Testosterone and estrogen are important in not only stimulating growth but also in closure of the epiphyseal growth plate. Also females show about a 50% reduction in ovarian cancer if they are spayed before their first cycle. Lots of good solid research supports removal of the gonads in canines results in many positive benefits, 6 months is generally considered the best time but that may vary a bit by breed.

 

Puppies are great, they make you a kid again.

 

More like they make you parents again!

 

That's cause they aren't running off they extra calorie intake chasing some strange

To clarify my point of view "when they drop" is 5-1/2 -8months depending upon breed

 

That point is one that has different camps for support. My vet won't do the neutering until the animal reaches a certain age. Yet, the pound will do it as soon as 10 weeks. At least on cats they will. I don't know what to think, but I did wait for my cats to get to 6 months, and my dogs were over a year. You can read a lot of both positions. I do know that the pounds feel they have to have all their placements neutered because there is no dependable way to assure the animal won't breed if it isn't dealt with prior to rescue placement. My male dog was going to be a stud, but he started marking inside, so I took a chance and had him fixed. The making stopped on the same day of the neutering. Labs tend to get very portly once neutered. Hasn't done anything noticeable to the cats except no more loud "Meowing" during the night.

 

We were going to let Rascal get a lot older than 7 months before his operation but when he started marking on stuff including our niece's TV, that was it. No marking since then - at least inside the house.

 

It seems females are the worst at gaining after being fixed
our chiweenie went from 9.5lbs to a steady 13 - she's a solid chunk though and the vet says no worries big bone structure, and she's lighting fast on the sprint after vermin
Billy Bob the Lab/mix got fixed ~8-10months after we found him(no real known age) he's stayed right at 46-48lbs at almost 10yo(just depends on if he throws up on the way to the vet or the way home)

 

My male lab is up to 107 lbs. The female is holding steady about 70 lbs. The male is a couch potato and the female is into every thing she can find.

 

It's very nice of you to give up your mat.