how much to feed a gsp

sjkennels · Post by **sjkennels** » Mon Dec 21, 2009 9:33 pm

i have a gsp. and i use to feed her 2 1/2 scoops of dog food a day. and i was told that was to much food so i cut down to about 1 1/4 of a cup. now my gsp looks to skinny how much do you yall feed your dogs to keep them at the right weight with out over feeding them. she would eat her self to death if i left a auto feeder out there. so whats your advice.

dudleysmith · Post by **dudleysmith** » Mon Dec 21, 2009 9:35 pm

a 32oz cup a day for a 40-50 pound dog generally works fine

birddogger · Post by **birddogger** » Mon Dec 21, 2009 10:17 pm

You should be able to figure out how much to feed by keeping an eye on your dog. If he is losing weight, increase the amount. If he is gaining, cut back on the food. It is really that simple. You may have to adjust the amounts during different seasons and/or activity level. When you get him looking good and at the proper weight, don't worry about how much or how little you are feeding. Dogs of the same breed and size can require different amounts of feed to keep them at the proper weight. I would also check for worms from time to time.

Charlie

Post by **Sharon** » Mon Dec 21, 2009 10:37 pm

Good advice from bird dogger as usual. Several folks on here use an auto-feeder. They are satisfied with their dog on that system. I've never used one.

Will · Post by **Will** » Tue Dec 22, 2009 7:23 am

birddogger wrote:You should be able to figure out how much to feed by keeping an eye on your dog. If he is losing weight, increase the amount. If he is gaining, cut back on the food. It is really that simple. You may have to adjust the amounts during different seasons and/or activity level. When you get him looking good and at the proper weight, don't worry about how much or how little you are feeding. Dogs of the same breed and size can require different amounts of feed to keep them at the proper weight. I would also check for worms from time to time.

Charlie

+1

We refer to it as feeding to condition. My dogs needs vary depending on time of year and activity level.

Post by **ezzy333** » Tue Dec 22, 2009 7:42 am

sjkennels wrote:i have a gsp. and i use to feed her 2 1/2 scoops of dog food a day. and i was told that was to much food so i cut down to about 1 1/4 of a cup. now my gsp looks to skinny how much do you yall feed your dogs to keep them at the right weight with out over feeding them. she would eat her self to death if i left a auto feeder out there. so whats your advice.

The only "person" who can tell you how much is the right amount is your dog. So many people get caught up in the idea they are feeding dog food when really you are feeding a dog. As others have told you, watch the dog and it's condition and then you tell us how much is right and as a warning that amount will change throughout the year. The guidelines on the bag are just that, guidelines. But age of the dog activity level, temperature, and a host of little things will change what the dog needs. Pay attention, keep the dog fit but not over fat and you will be OK.

And the next person that tells you how much to feed ask them how they know?

Ezzy

vzkennels · Post by **vzkennels** » Tue Dec 22, 2009 10:28 am

Yeah what ezzy said,the dog tells you how much to feed by weight & condition.

MommaTurbo · Post by **MommaTurbo** » Tue Dec 22, 2009 1:34 pm

It also depends a lot on the food. If it's a good quality dog food, you dont have to feed as much because there are more nutrients and vitamins in less food. If it's cheap food you'll probably have to feed more of it because there is a lot more filler in cheap food.

Post by **ezzy333** » Tue Dec 22, 2009 2:54 pm

MommaTurbo wrote:It also depends a lot on the food. If it's a good quality dog food, you dont have to feed as much because there are more nutrients and vitamins in less food. If it's cheap food you'll probably have to feed more of it because there is a lot more filler in cheap food.

No such thing as a filler in any dog food. Another misunderstnding of how dog food is made but it just doesn't die......

mcbosco · Post by **mcbosco** » Tue Dec 22, 2009 3:14 pm

ezzy333 wrote:
MommaTurbo wrote:It also depends a lot on the food. If it's a good quality dog food, you dont have to feed as much because there are more nutrients and vitamins in less food. If it's cheap food you'll probably have to feed more of it because there is a lot more filler in cheap food.
No such thing as a filler in any dog food. Another misunderstnding of how dog food is made but it just doesn't die......

:roll:

reba · Post by **reba** » Tue Dec 22, 2009 6:46 pm

First of all you must measure each and every feeding, that is the only way to control a dogs weight.

Given that statement, my 12 month old male GSP that has been hunting hard the past 3 months and is eating 8 heaping cups of top quality dog food every day.

Hunting hard means going several weeks at a time and hunting 4 to 6 hours every day.

Been a while since I had a chance to weight him but my quess would be 50 pounds.

We been off for about 10 days but tomorrow is the start of another day.

Post by **Sharon** » Tue Dec 22, 2009 6:48 pm

By top quality do you mean Performance food?

reba · Post by **reba** » Tue Dec 22, 2009 7:02 pm

26% protein and the first word in the ingredients starts with "Lam" or "Chicken" not “chicken meal” or “lam meal” etc.

Rice no corn.

Read the labels 99% of the stuff out there only has "meal" with no whole meat.

birddogger · Post by **birddogger** » Tue Dec 22, 2009 7:17 pm

reba wrote:26% protein and the first word in the ingredients starts with "Lam" or "Chicken" not “chicken meal” or “lam meal” etc.

Rice no corn.

Read the labels 99% of the stuff out there only has "meal" with no whole meat.

Here we go again. I am not even going to waste my time commenting on this. :roll:

Charlie

Post by **Sharon** » Tue Dec 22, 2009 7:33 pm

reba wrote:26% protein and the first word in the ingredients starts with "Lam" or "Chicken" not “chicken meal” or “lam meal” etc.

Rice no corn.

Read the labels 99% of the stuff out there only has "meal" with no whole meat.

Sorry . I think that is a gross generalization.

mcbosco · Post by **mcbosco** » Tue Dec 22, 2009 8:11 pm

birddogger wrote:
reba wrote:26% protein and the first word in the ingredients starts with "Lam" or "Chicken" not “chicken meal” or “lam meal” etc.

Rice no corn.

Read the labels 99% of the stuff out there only has "meal" with no whole meat.
Here we go again. I am not even going to waste my time commenting on this. :roll:

Charlie

:roll:

mcbosco · Post by **mcbosco** » Tue Dec 22, 2009 8:13 pm

did i read that a 50lb dog was eating 8 cups of dry food?

wow

birddogger · Post by **birddogger** » Tue Dec 22, 2009 8:19 pm

mcbosco wrote:did i read that a 50lb dog was eating 8 cups of dry food?

wow

That is what we read. I can't imagine having to feed that much, but if that is what it takes, I guess I can't argue with it.

Charlie

reba · Post by **reba** » Tue Dec 22, 2009 9:42 pm

Yes I did give a gross generalization of a good dog food.

Yes, My 12 month old GSP is eating 4 heaping cups of dry dog food twice a day. Which may amount to a gross generalization of at least twelve 12 cups a day.

He is in excellent health, very active and hunted lots and yes has a wasp waist and shows some rib. We started hunting Sage grouse in September, then moved to Chukar in October, then on to Mearns quail, to Scaled quail to Gambles guail and will now finish the season on Valley quail. We hunt every day for two weeks then take a week off. We have no problems with worn pads etc. A foxtail did slow us down between Sage Grouse and Chukar.

Good to hear from so many experts.

bossman · Post by **bossman** » Tue Dec 22, 2009 10:05 pm

Reba..Just want ot make sure I'm understanding what you are saying..I am no expert...You have a 12 month old gsp..Your feeding 8 cups per day and hunting him 4-6 hours per day.

Post by **ezzy333** » Tue Dec 22, 2009 10:28 pm

reba wrote:26% protein and the first word in the ingredients starts with "Lam" or "Chicken" not “chicken meal” or “lam meal” etc.

Rice no corn.

Read the labels 99% of the stuff out there only has "meal" with no whole meat.

Do some home work and then come back with a better statement than that. You know not of what you speak!

Ezzy

birddogger · Post by **birddogger** » Tue Dec 22, 2009 10:34 pm

reba wrote:Yes I did give a gross generalization of a good dog food.

Yes, My 12 month old GSP is eating 4 heaping cups of dry dog food twice a day. Which may amount to a gross generalization of at least twelve 12 cups a day.

He is in excellent health, very active and hunted lots and yes has a wasp waist and shows some rib. We started hunting Sage grouse in September, then moved to Chukar in October, then on to Mearns quail, to Scaled quail to Gambles guail and will now finish the season on Valley quail. We hunt every day for two weeks then take a week off. We have no problems with worn pads etc. A foxtail did slow us down between Sage Grouse and Chukar.

Good to hear from so many experts.

Just because somebody has a different opinion, doesn't mean they are claiming to be experts. But many of us have many years of experience of feeding working dogs. sjkennels asked a simple question and was getting good, simple advise. I hope you are including yourself in the "many experts".

I just hate to see a simple question turned into another dog food debate. The subject of the thread has nothing to do with which dog foods are best.

Regards,
Charlie

reba · Post by **reba** » Wed Dec 23, 2009 3:43 pm

I really don't care what anyone else feeds their dogs. If your dogs do well on sweet corn and oats, it’s fine with me.

In the real world all dogs require a different amount of food. The type of food will also be part of the equation.

I've had Labs of the same size require different amounts. One did well on 2 cups per day and the other required 5 cups per day.

Feed only by measurement to control weight. Nothing worse than a fat sporting dog.

Skin, coat and stool condition should be monitored. If there seems to be a problem change the diet.

Best wishes.

sjkennels · Post by **sjkennels** » Wed Dec 23, 2009 10:35 pm

thank you for all of your advice i moved it up too 2 1/2 cups of dry dog food and a small can of wet dog food so i will see how that works out

Post by **ezzy333** » Wed Dec 23, 2009 10:53 pm

sjkennels wrote:thank you for all of your advice i moved it up too 2 1/2 cups of dry dog food and a small can of wet dog food so i will see how that works out

You do realize the wet food is 70% or more water. In my mind it is the biggest waste of money out there. It is a great appetiser but I haven't seen many dogs that need one if they are hungry.

Ezzy

sjkennels · Post by **sjkennels** » Thu Dec 24, 2009 10:37 am

ever since i was a kid. i always mixed in wet dog food in the winter.

Brushbustin Sporting Dogs · Post by **Brushbustin Sporting Dogs** » Thu Dec 24, 2009 12:02 pm

The only reason I ever feed that wet canned stinky stuff is if I have one that is finiky about dry. It has no more added you could accomplish the same by feeding extra dry. If she enjoys it softer add water to her food. For the record in your avatar your dog appears a little over weight. Maybe help give you some point of reference.

nitrex · Post by **nitrex** » Thu Dec 24, 2009 12:03 pm

sjkennels wrote:ever since i was a kid. i always mixed in wet dog food in the winter.

Why? I agree with ezzy on the wet food. It is just expensive "bottled" water with some dry food added in for flavor! If you like wet food mixed in, just wet some of the dry food for a few minutes and mix in the dry. It may save you a few bucks. But if the can food makes you feel like you are doing something special for you dog - then do it. Just remember that in most canned foods there is less calories by volume and weight!

Nitrex

sjkennels · Post by **sjkennels** » Thu Dec 24, 2009 3:23 pm

nitrex nice to see you back on here. how was your trip? how did the dogs do on those pheasants? and im going hunting this saturday after work if you wanna go let me know. i am also going out sunday all day im guessing you have to work but if you dont we can go hunt some of my ground if you want.

i was always told that it was good to give them a can in the winter to give them a little more fat on them to keep them warmer in the winter. so i have always done that since i can remember. i read the can today and ezzy you are right it said like 83% moisture thats a lot of water so i guess im not gaining anything with the canned dog food. i will just add a little more dry food

Ron R · Post by **Ron R** » Thu Dec 24, 2009 3:55 pm

birddogger wrote:You should be able to figure out how much to feed by keeping an eye on your dog. If he is losing weight, increase the amount. If he is gaining, cut back on the food. It is really that simple. You may have to adjust the amounts during different seasons and/or activity level. When you get him looking good and at the proper weight, don't worry about how much or how little you are feeding. Dogs of the same breed and size can require different amounts of feed to keep them at the proper weight. I would also check for worms from time to time.

Charlie

reba wrote:In the real world all dogs require a different amount of food. The type of food will also be part of the equation.

reba, the first part is right but it's not giving any advise to the person asking a question. The second part is not relivent to the question asked. If you would like to discuss your thoughts on what you beleive is quaility dog feed start a thread on health and nutrition.

The point is simple. Regardless of the quality of food your feeding, if the dog is gaining weight cut back and if the activity level is raised then you may have to increase for maintenance.

Ron

Chaingang · Post by **Chaingang** » Thu Dec 24, 2009 4:59 pm

mcbosco wrote:did i read that a 50lb dog was eating 8 cups of dry food?

wow

I read 32oz per day for a 40-50 pound dog. Too me that is equal to 4 - 8oz cups. The standard being 1 cup equivalent to 8 ounces (you do the math). That's what I feed mine.

big steve46 · Post by **big steve46** » Thu Dec 24, 2009 5:04 pm

It depends on what you feed partly. I understand GSPs have a high metabolism but don't know as I haven't owned one. 3-4 cups of a good quality feed is probably about right. If you feed a low-quality feed like Ol'Roy or Purina Dog Chow, it may require more.

Chaingang · Post by **Chaingang** » Thu Dec 24, 2009 5:16 pm

big steve46 wrote:I understand GSPs have a high metabolism

You understand correctly. At least with my 3 year old.

Post by **ezzy333** » Thu Dec 24, 2009 5:41 pm

big steve46 wrote:It depends on what you feed partly. I understand GSPs have a high metabolism but don't know as I haven't owned one. 3-4 cups of a good quality feed is probably about right. If you feed a low-quality feed like Ol'Roy or Purina Dog Chow, it may require more.

I am not disputing this but very curious who and where did the test on the different breeds and what did it show? I would not think that one breed is different than another by much though I am sure individual dogs differ a little. I would be my guess that the activity level of different dogs makes a lot more of a difference than metabolism. Sure would be interesting to read the tests and results.

Ezzy

Chaingang · Post by **Chaingang** » Thu Dec 24, 2009 5:49 pm

ezzy333 wrote:I would be my guess that the activity level of different dogs makes a lot more of a difference than metabolism.
Ezzy

What if you have both (very active and high metabolism)

Post by **ezzy333** » Thu Dec 24, 2009 5:56 pm

Chaingang wrote: What if you have both (very active and high metabolism)

I think you would have a lot of trouble keeping weight on the dog. But I am still curious how you know the metabolism is high? Are you sure the dog isn't just super active or somewhat hypo? To actually check metabolism I think you are talking a sophicated testing protocol.

I may be wrond as there are new things everyday.

Ezzy

Ron R · Post by **Ron R** » Thu Dec 24, 2009 8:08 pm

ezzy333 wrote:I think you would have a lot of trouble keeping weight on the dog. But I am still curious how you know the metabolism is high?

I have an example; My smallest English Pointer is 51lbs in shape and he needs 3 1/2 to 4 cups to maintain what I concider his healthy weight. I have another that is 56lbs that maintains his weight with 2 1/2 to 3 cups and another one 57lbs that makes me ashamed how little I feed him (2 cups) to maintain proper weight. If I fed that last dog 4 cups he would baloon up to 65lbs in a week. My dogs are active year around but I feed less in the summer time for some reason. I apoligize for subjecting everyone to this useless information but Ezzy brung it up

.

Ron

Chaingang · Post by **Chaingang** » Fri Dec 25, 2009 12:38 am

ezzy333 wrote:
Chaingang wrote: What if you have both (very active and high metabolism)
I think you would have a lot of trouble keeping weight on the dog. But I am still curious how you know the metabolism is high? Are you sure the dog isn't just super active or somewhat hypo? To actually check metabolism I think you are talking a sophicated testing protocol.

I may be wrond as there are new things everyday.

Ezzy

Actually Ezzy I was just being humorous. No he's not hyperactive at all, quite the opposite actually. He lives indoors and most days is just a lounge lizard.

The reason I think he has a high metabolism is that he's not being worked much as of late. Hunting season winding down and and he's been a couch potato for the most part. Yet I'm still feeding what seems to me a healthy daily ration (4 cups) of 30/20 feed just to maintain weight. Not an ounce of fat, In fact I actually see a little more rib than I'd like. I would almost classify him as a hard keeper. I just think his furnace burns hot, of course he's still fairly young, being 3, so it could still be that skinny teenager syndrome. You know the ones I'm talking about, the kids that can eat junk food all day everyday and stay as thin as a rail.

Wish I had that problem......

birddogger · Post by **birddogger** » Fri Dec 25, 2009 5:17 am

Chaingang wrote:
mcbosco wrote:did i read that a 50lb dog was eating 8 cups of dry food?

wow
I read 32oz per day for a 40-50 pound dog. Too me that is equal to 4 - 8oz cups. The standard being 1 cup equivalent to 8 ounces (you do the math). That's what I feed mine.

You read that post correctly. Reba posted that his/her dog is eating 8 heaping cups per day. It takes what it takes. I just thought I would remind you that it was two different posts.

Chaingang · Post by **Chaingang** » Fri Dec 25, 2009 7:36 am

birddogger wrote:
Chaingang wrote:
mcbosco wrote:did i read that a 50lb dog was eating 8 cups of dry food?

wow

You read that post correctly. Reba posted that his/her dog is eating 8 heaping cups per day. It takes what it takes. I just thought I would remind you that it was two different posts.

Whoops... MY bad.

collinedward · Post by **collinedward** » Tue Dec 29, 2009 3:30 pm

My 6y/o male eats 6 cups a day and eats like he just got out of prison. I do have freak GSP that is ripped at 76 to 80 lbs during hunting season. During off season he is about 90 lbs and still looks skinny.

Chaingang · Post by **Chaingang** » Tue Dec 29, 2009 7:37 pm

collinedward wrote:My 6y/o male eats 6 cups a day and eats like he just got out of prison. I do have freak GSP that is ripped at 76 to 80 lbs during hunting season. During off season he is about 90 lbs and still looks skinny.

WOW.. how tall is he at the withers? You sure he's a pureblood GSP and doesn't have some Great Dane in him

collinedward · Post by **collinedward** » Tue Dec 29, 2009 8:22 pm

He is 27 inches tall..I have dogs at both ends my 9 month old female is 35lbs and 21 inches tall.